A similar practice has been under way for years in home mortgages.

Who's to say school buses are less important to the country than home mortgages?

Interest rates on home mortgages reached high levels this week.

True, higher rates will drive up the cost of car loans and home mortgages.

There are about 12.5 million outstanding home mortgages in the country, with an average balance of $56,300.

The 30-year home mortgage, for example, has dropped to around 7 percent, down more than a percentage point in the past year.

The first thing that's important to understand about home mortgages is the difference between the interest and the principal.

The major exception here is interest paid on a home mortgage.

Interest rates on 30-year home mortgages now average 7.8 percent, down nearly 4 percentage points from 1990.

More than half of the lending total is $282 million for home mortgages.