The Journal's Money Rates table of November 13, 2026 lists the U.S. prime rate at 7.00%, with a note that it took effect on September 17, 2026.[1] The Federal Reserve's own H.15 release shows the same 7.00% for every business day since then.[2] When a HELOC, business loan or credit card agreement says its rate is "the Wall Street Journal prime rate plus" a margin, this is the number it means.
| Rate | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| WSJ prime rate (U.S. prime rate) | 7.00% | Wall Street Journal Money Rates |
| Bank prime loan rate | 7.00% | Federal Reserve H.15 |
| Federal funds target range | 3.75%–4.00% | FOMC, September 16, 2026 |
| HELOC at WSJ prime + 0.5 (example) | 7.50% | index + margin |
How the Wall Street Journal sets its prime rate
The WSJ prime rate is a survey result, not a rate the Journal chooses. Its data note defines the U.S. prime rate as the base rate on corporate loans posted by at least 70% of the 10 largest U.S. banks, so the published figure moves only once seven of those ten banks have changed their own prime.[1] The Fed measures the same thing a little differently: its H.15 footnote describes the rate posted by a majority of the top 25 insured U.S.-chartered commercial banks, ranked by assets in domestic offices.[2]
| WSJ prime rate | Fed H.15 bank prime loan rate | |
|---|---|---|
| Who is surveyed | 10 largest U.S. banks | Top 25 insured U.S.-chartered commercial banks |
| When it changes | When at least 70% (7 of 10) change | When a majority change |
| Where it is published | WSJ Money Rates table | H.15 release and FRED (series DPRIME) |
| Value today | 7.00% | 7.00% |
In practice the two have matched: large banks announce prime changes together, usually the day after a Fed decision, so both surveys cross their thresholds at once. Loan contracts name the WSJ version because Regulation Z requires a variable-rate HELOC to follow an index that is publicly available and outside the lender's control.[9]
Prime rate vs fed funds rate
The prime rate equals the top of the federal funds target range plus 3 percentage points, and it has done so since December 16, 2008. We compared the daily FRED series for prime and the target range's upper limit over 4,523 days: they kept the 3-point gap on every day except 3 days when one series had moved and the other had not yet.[3][4]
WSJ prime rate = upper end of the fed funds target range + 3.004.00% + 3.00 = 7.00% (range 3.75%–4.00% since September 16, 2026)
The federal funds rate is what banks charge each other overnight; the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) sets a target range for it. On September 16, 2026 the FOMC raised the range to 3.75%–4.00%, and the WSJ prime rate rose to 7.00% the next day.[5][1] The 3-point spread is a convention among banks, not a law, which is why the Journal still surveys them instead of adding 3 to the Fed's number.
WSJ prime rate history chart
Since January 2000 the prime rate has ranged from 3.25% to 9.50%, and it has changed 75 times.[3] The chart shows each step: the long 3.25% floor from December 2008 to December 2015, the cut back to 3.25% in March 2020, the eleven increases of 2022–2023 that lifted prime to 8.50%, and the cuts and the September 2026 increase since.
| Year | Low | High | Year-end |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 8.50% | 9.50% | 9.50% |
| 2005 | 5.25% | 7.25% | 7.25% |
| 2010 | 3.25% | 3.25% | 3.25% |
| 2015 | 3.25% | 3.50% | 3.50% |
| 2020 | 3.25% | 4.75% | 3.25% |
| 2025 | 6.75% | 7.50% | 6.75% |
| 2026 | 6.75% | 7.00% | 7.00% (so far) |
For every change date and a downloadable list, see prime rate today, which also has the year-by-year table and the long-run average (5.16% since 2000).
Prime rate forecast
The Fed's own projections point to a prime rate near 7.25% at the end of 2026 and 2027, then lower. In the September 16, 2026 Summary of Economic Projections, the median FOMC participant expected the federal funds rate at 4.1% at the end of 2026 and 2027, 3.9% at the end of 2028 and 3.6% at the end of 2029.[6] Those figures are midpoints of a target range, so 4.1% means a range of 4.00%–4.25%, and prime would sit 3 points above its top.
| When | Fed funds median (midpoint) | Implied target range | Implied prime rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| End of 2026 | 4.1% | 4.00%–4.25% | 7.25% |
| End of 2027 | 4.1% | 4.00%–4.25% | 7.25% |
| End of 2028 | 3.9% | 3.75%–4.00% | 7.00% |
| End of 2029 | 3.6% | 3.50%–3.75% | 6.75% |
Read this as the Committee's central guess, not a promise. The same table shows participants' projections for the end of 2027 ranging from 3.1% to 4.4%, which would put prime anywhere from about 6.25% to 7.50%.[6] Prime can only change after an FOMC decision; the next meetings are December 8–9, 2026 and January 26–27, 2027.[7]
What the WSJ prime rate means for a HELOC
A HELOC priced at "WSJ prime + margin" changes its rate when prime changes, usually from the next billing cycle. The CFPB describes a variable rate as an index plus a margin and names the U.S. prime rate as a common index.[8] On a $50,000 balance at prime + 0.5, the interest-only payment is $312.50 a month today; at the implied 7.25% it would be $322.92, and at 6.75% $302.08.
| WSJ prime rate | HELOC rate | Monthly interest |
|---|---|---|
| 6.50% | 7.00% | $291.67 |
| 6.75% | 7.25% | $302.08 |
| 7.00% (today) | 7.50% | $312.50 |
| 7.25% | 7.75% | $322.92 |
| 7.50% | 8.00% | $333.33 |
To test your own balance, margin and repayment years, use the HELOC payment calculator. If a fixed rate would let you sleep better, compare the two in home equity loan vs HELOC, and check what a lender will want to see in HELOC requirements.
Check your agreement for the index dateYour HELOC agreement says which day's prime rate it uses (for example, the rate published on the last business day of the month) and how often the rate adjusts. A prime change on September 17 may not reach your bill until the next adjustment date.
Frequently asked questions
What is the WSJ prime rate today?
7.00%, effective September 17, 2026, in the Wall Street Journal's Money Rates table of November 13, 2026.[1]
Is the WSJ prime rate the same as the Fed prime rate?
How is the prime rate related to the fed funds rate?
What is the prime rate forecast for 2027?
The median Fed projection from September 2026 puts the federal funds rate at 4.1% at the end of 2027, which implies a prime rate of about 7.25%. Individual projections ranged from 3.1% to 4.4%.[6]
Sources
- Money Rates (U.S. prime rate and its note on data)
- H.15 Selected Interest Rates (Daily), bank prime loan rate and its footnote
- Bank Prime Loan Rate (DPRIME), full daily history, CSV
- Federal Funds Target Range – Upper Limit (DFEDTARU)
- Federal Reserve issues FOMC statement
- Summary of Economic Projections, Table 1 (projected appropriate policy path, federal funds rate)
- Meeting calendars and information (2026 and 2027 FOMC meetings)
- What You Should Know About Home Equity Lines of Credit (HELOC)
- Regulation Z § 1026.40, Requirements for home equity plans