United States · Interest rates
U.S. prime rate history.
Every change in the bank prime loan rate since August 1955 — 366 rates, one table, one CSV.
The U.S. bank prime rate is 7.00%, in effect since 2026-09-17. It is up 0.25 points from 6.75% after the Federal Reserve raised its target range to 3.75%–4.00%.
What was prime on a date?
Result
All 366 prime rate levels, newest first
| Date | Prime rate | Change (pts) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-17 | 7.00% | +0.25 |
| 2025-12-11 | 6.75% | −0.25 |
| 2025-10-30 | 7.00% | −0.25 |
| 2025-09-17 | 7.25% | −0.25 |
| 2024-12-19 | 7.50% | −0.25 |
| 2024-11-08 | 7.75% | −0.25 |
| 2024-09-19 | 8.00% | −0.50 |
| 2023-07-27 | 8.50% | +0.25 |
| 2023-05-04 | 8.25% | +0.25 |
| 2023-03-23 | 8.00% | +0.25 |
| 2023-02-02 | 7.75% | +0.25 |
| 2022-12-15 | 7.50% | +0.50 |
| 2022-11-03 | 7.00% | +0.75 |
| 2022-09-22 | 6.25% | +0.75 |
| 2022-07-28 | 5.50% | +0.75 |
| 2022-06-16 | 4.75% | +0.75 |
| 2022-05-05 | 4.00% | +0.50 |
| 2022-03-17 | 3.50% | +0.25 |
| 2020-03-16 | 3.25% | −1.00 |
| 2020-03-04 | 4.25% | −0.50 |
| 2019-10-31 | 4.75% | −0.25 |
| 2019-09-19 | 5.00% | −0.25 |
| 2019-08-01 | 5.25% | −0.25 |
| 2018-12-20 | 5.50% | +0.25 |
| 2018-09-27 | 5.25% | +0.25 |
| 2018-06-14 | 5.00% | +0.25 |
| 2018-03-22 | 4.75% | +0.25 |
| 2017-12-14 | 4.50% | +0.25 |
| 2017-06-15 | 4.25% | +0.25 |
| 2017-03-16 | 4.00% | +0.25 |
| 2016-12-15 | 3.75% | +0.25 |
| 2015-12-17 | 3.50% | +0.25 |
| 2008-12-16 | 3.25% | −0.75 |
| 2008-10-29 | 4.00% | −0.50 |
| 2008-10-08 | 4.50% | −0.50 |
| 2008-04-30 | 5.00% | −0.25 |
| 2008-03-18 | 5.25% | −0.75 |
| 2008-01-30 | 6.00% | −0.50 |
| 2008-01-22 | 6.50% | −0.75 |
| 2007-12-11 | 7.25% | −0.25 |
| 2007-10-31 | 7.50% | −0.25 |
| 2007-09-18 | 7.75% | −0.50 |
| 2006-06-29 | 8.25% | +0.25 |
| 2006-05-10 | 8.00% | +0.25 |
| 2006-03-28 | 7.75% | +0.25 |
| 2006-01-31 | 7.50% | +0.25 |
| 2005-12-13 | 7.25% | +0.25 |
| 2005-11-01 | 7.00% | +0.25 |
| 2005-09-20 | 6.75% | +0.25 |
| 2005-08-09 | 6.50% | +0.25 |
| 2005-06-30 | 6.25% | +0.25 |
| 2005-05-03 | 6.00% | +0.25 |
| 2005-03-22 | 5.75% | +0.25 |
| 2005-02-02 | 5.50% | +0.25 |
| 2004-12-14 | 5.25% | +0.25 |
| 2004-11-10 | 5.00% | +0.25 |
| 2004-09-21 | 4.75% | +0.25 |
| 2004-08-10 | 4.50% | +0.25 |
| 2004-06-30 | 4.25% | +0.25 |
| 2003-06-27 | 4.00% | −0.25 |
| 2002-11-07 | 4.25% | −0.50 |
| 2001-12-12 | 4.75% | −0.25 |
| 2001-11-07 | 5.00% | −0.50 |
| 2001-10-03 | 5.50% | −0.50 |
| 2001-09-18 | 6.00% | −0.50 |
| 2001-08-22 | 6.50% | −0.25 |
| 2001-06-28 | 6.75% | −0.25 |
| 2001-05-16 | 7.00% | −0.50 |
| 2001-04-19 | 7.50% | −0.50 |
| 2001-03-21 | 8.00% | −0.50 |
| 2001-02-01 | 8.50% | −0.50 |
| 2001-01-04 | 9.00% | −0.50 |
| 2000-05-17 | 9.50% | +0.50 |
| 2000-03-22 | 9.00% | +0.25 |
| 2000-02-03 | 8.75% | +0.25 |
| 1999-11-17 | 8.50% | +0.25 |
| 1999-08-25 | 8.25% | +0.25 |
| 1999-07-01 | 8.00% | +0.25 |
| 1998-11-18 | 7.75% | −0.25 |
| 1998-10-16 | 8.00% | −0.25 |
| 1998-09-30 | 8.25% | −0.25 |
| 1997-03-26 | 8.50% | +0.25 |
| 1996-02-01 | 8.25% | −0.25 |
| 1995-12-20 | 8.50% | −0.25 |
| 1995-07-07 | 8.75% | −0.25 |
| 1995-02-01 | 9.00% | +0.50 |
| 1994-11-15 | 8.50% | +0.75 |
| 1994-08-16 | 7.75% | +0.50 |
| 1994-05-17 | 7.25% | +0.50 |
| 1994-04-19 | 6.75% | +0.50 |
| 1994-03-24 | 6.25% | +0.25 |
| 1992-07-02 | 6.00% | −0.50 |
| 1991-12-23 | 6.50% | −1.00 |
| 1991-11-06 | 7.50% | −0.50 |
| 1991-09-13 | 8.00% | −0.50 |
| 1991-05-01 | 8.50% | −0.50 |
| 1991-02-04 | 9.00% | −0.50 |
| 1991-01-02 | 9.50% | −0.50 |
| 1990-01-08 | 10.00% | −0.50 |
| 1989-07-31 | 10.50% | −0.50 |
| 1989-06-05 | 11.00% | −0.50 |
| 1989-02-24 | 11.50% | +0.50 |
| 1989-02-10 | 11.00% | +0.50 |
| 1988-11-28 | 10.50% | +0.50 |
| 1988-08-11 | 10.00% | +0.50 |
| 1988-07-14 | 9.50% | +0.50 |
| 1988-05-11 | 9.00% | +0.50 |
| 1988-02-02 | 8.50% | −0.25 |
| 1987-11-05 | 8.75% | −0.25 |
| 1987-10-22 | 9.00% | −0.25 |
| 1987-10-07 | 9.25% | +0.50 |
| 1987-09-04 | 8.75% | +0.50 |
| 1987-05-15 | 8.25% | +0.25 |
| 1987-05-01 | 8.00% | +0.25 |
| 1987-04-01 | 7.75% | +0.25 |
| 1986-08-26 | 7.50% | −0.50 |
| 1986-07-11 | 8.00% | −0.50 |
| 1986-04-21 | 8.50% | −0.50 |
| 1986-03-07 | 9.00% | −0.50 |
| 1985-06-18 | 9.50% | −0.50 |
| 1985-05-20 | 10.00% | −0.50 |
| 1985-01-15 | 10.50% | −0.25 |
| 1984-12-20 | 10.75% | −0.50 |
| 1984-11-28 | 11.25% | −0.50 |
| 1984-11-09 | 11.75% | −0.25 |
| 1984-10-29 | 12.00% | −0.50 |
| 1984-10-17 | 12.50% | −0.25 |
| 1984-09-27 | 12.75% | −0.25 |
| 1984-06-25 | 13.00% | +0.50 |
| 1984-05-08 | 12.50% | +0.50 |
| 1984-04-05 | 12.00% | +0.50 |
| 1984-03-19 | 11.50% | +0.50 |
| 1983-08-08 | 11.00% | +0.50 |
| 1983-02-28 | 10.50% | −0.50 |
| 1983-01-11 | 11.00% | −0.50 |
| 1982-11-22 | 11.50% | −0.50 |
| 1982-10-14 | 12.00% | −1.00 |
| 1982-10-07 | 13.00% | −0.50 |
| 1982-08-23 | 13.50% | −0.50 |
| 1982-08-18 | 14.00% | −0.50 |
| 1982-08-16 | 14.50% | −0.50 |
| 1982-08-02 | 15.00% | −0.50 |
| 1982-07-29 | 15.50% | −0.50 |
| 1982-07-20 | 16.00% | −0.50 |
| 1982-02-23 | 16.50% | −0.50 |
| 1982-02-18 | 17.00% | +0.50 |
| 1982-02-02 | 16.50% | +0.75 |
| 1981-12-01 | 15.75% | −0.25 |
| 1981-11-24 | 16.00% | −0.50 |
| 1981-11-20 | 16.50% | −0.25 |
| 1981-11-17 | 16.75% | −0.25 |
| 1981-11-09 | 17.00% | −0.50 |
| 1981-11-03 | 17.50% | −0.50 |
| 1981-10-13 | 18.00% | −1.00 |
| 1981-10-05 | 19.00% | −0.50 |
| 1981-09-22 | 19.50% | −0.50 |
| 1981-09-15 | 20.00% | −0.50 |
| 1981-07-08 | 20.50% | +0.50 |
| 1981-06-03 | 20.00% | −0.50 |
| 1981-05-22 | 20.50% | +0.50 |
| 1981-05-19 | 20.00% | +0.50 |
| 1981-05-11 | 19.50% | +0.50 |
| 1981-05-04 | 19.00% | +1.00 |
| 1981-04-30 | 18.00% | +0.50 |
| 1981-04-24 | 17.50% | +0.50 |
| 1981-04-02 | 17.00% | −0.50 |
| 1981-03-17 | 17.50% | −0.50 |
| 1981-03-10 | 18.00% | −1.00 |
| 1981-02-23 | 19.00% | −0.50 |
| 1981-02-03 | 19.50% | −0.50 |
| 1981-01-09 | 20.00% | −0.50 |
| 1981-01-02 | 20.50% | −1.00 |
| 1980-12-19 | 21.50% | +0.50 |
| 1980-12-16 | 21.00% | +1.00 |
| 1980-12-10 | 20.00% | +1.00 |
| 1980-12-05 | 19.00% | +0.50 |
| 1980-12-02 | 18.50% | +0.75 |
| 1980-11-26 | 17.75% | +0.75 |
| 1980-11-21 | 17.00% | +0.75 |
| 1980-11-17 | 16.25% | +0.75 |
| 1980-11-06 | 15.50% | +1.00 |
| 1980-10-29 | 14.50% | +0.50 |
| 1980-10-17 | 14.00% | +0.50 |
| 1980-10-01 | 13.50% | +0.50 |
| 1980-09-26 | 13.00% | +0.50 |
| 1980-09-19 | 12.50% | +0.25 |
| 1980-09-12 | 12.25% | +0.25 |
| 1980-09-08 | 12.00% | +0.50 |
| 1980-08-27 | 11.50% | +0.25 |
| 1980-08-22 | 11.25% | +0.25 |
| 1980-07-25 | 11.00% | −0.50 |
| 1980-07-07 | 11.50% | −0.50 |
| 1980-06-20 | 12.00% | −0.25 |
| 1980-06-13 | 12.25% | −0.75 |
| 1980-06-06 | 13.00% | −1.00 |
| 1980-05-30 | 14.00% | −0.50 |
| 1980-05-23 | 14.50% | −2.00 |
| 1980-05-16 | 16.50% | −1.00 |
| 1980-05-07 | 17.50% | −1.00 |
| 1980-05-02 | 18.50% | −0.25 |
| 1980-05-01 | 18.75% | −0.75 |
| 1980-04-18 | 19.50% | −0.50 |
| 1980-04-02 | 20.00% | +0.50 |
| 1980-03-28 | 19.50% | +0.50 |
| 1980-03-19 | 19.00% | +0.50 |
| 1980-03-14 | 18.50% | +0.75 |
| 1980-03-07 | 17.75% | +0.50 |
| 1980-03-04 | 17.25% | +0.50 |
| 1980-02-29 | 16.75% | +0.37 |
| 1980-02-22 | 16.38% | +0.63 |
| 1980-02-19 | 15.75% | +0.50 |
| 1979-12-07 | 15.25% | −0.25 |
| 1979-11-30 | 15.50% | −0.25 |
| 1979-11-16 | 15.75% | +0.25 |
| 1979-11-09 | 15.50% | +0.25 |
| 1979-11-01 | 15.25% | +0.25 |
| 1979-10-23 | 15.00% | +0.50 |
| 1979-10-09 | 14.50% | +1.00 |
| 1979-09-28 | 13.50% | +0.25 |
| 1979-09-21 | 13.25% | +0.25 |
| 1979-09-14 | 13.00% | +0.25 |
| 1979-09-07 | 12.75% | +0.50 |
| 1979-08-28 | 12.25% | +0.25 |
| 1979-08-16 | 12.00% | +0.25 |
| 1979-07-27 | 11.75% | +0.25 |
| 1979-06-19 | 11.50% | −0.25 |
| 1978-12-26 | 11.75% | +0.25 |
| 1978-11-24 | 11.50% | +0.50 |
| 1978-11-17 | 11.00% | +0.25 |
| 1978-11-06 | 10.75% | +0.25 |
| 1978-11-01 | 10.50% | +0.25 |
| 1978-10-27 | 10.25% | +0.25 |
| 1978-10-13 | 10.00% | +0.25 |
| 1978-09-28 | 9.75% | +0.25 |
| 1978-09-15 | 9.50% | +0.25 |
| 1978-08-31 | 9.25% | +0.25 |
| 1978-06-30 | 9.00% | +0.25 |
| 1978-06-16 | 8.75% | +0.25 |
| 1978-05-26 | 8.50% | +0.25 |
| 1978-05-05 | 8.25% | +0.25 |
| 1978-01-10 | 8.00% | +0.25 |
| 1977-10-24 | 7.75% | +0.25 |
| 1977-10-07 | 7.50% | +0.25 |
| 1977-09-16 | 7.25% | +0.25 |
| 1977-08-22 | 7.00% | +0.25 |
| 1977-05-31 | 6.75% | +0.25 |
| 1977-05-13 | 6.50% | +0.25 |
| 1976-12-13 | 6.25% | −0.25 |
| 1976-11-01 | 6.50% | −0.25 |
| 1976-10-04 | 6.75% | −0.25 |
| 1976-08-02 | 7.00% | −0.25 |
| 1976-06-07 | 7.25% | +0.25 |
| 1976-06-01 | 7.00% | +0.25 |
| 1976-01-21 | 6.75% | −0.25 |
| 1976-01-12 | 7.00% | −0.25 |
| 1975-12-02 | 7.25% | −0.25 |
| 1975-11-05 | 7.50% | −0.25 |
| 1975-10-27 | 7.75% | −0.25 |
| 1975-09-15 | 8.00% | +0.25 |
| 1975-08-12 | 7.75% | +0.25 |
| 1975-07-28 | 7.50% | +0.25 |
| 1975-07-18 | 7.25% | +0.25 |
| 1975-06-09 | 7.00% | −0.25 |
| 1975-05-20 | 7.25% | −0.25 |
| 1975-03-24 | 7.50% | −0.25 |
| 1975-03-18 | 7.75% | −0.25 |
| 1975-03-10 | 8.00% | −0.25 |
| 1975-03-05 | 8.25% | −0.25 |
| 1975-02-24 | 8.50% | −0.25 |
| 1975-02-18 | 8.75% | −0.25 |
| 1975-02-10 | 9.00% | −0.25 |
| 1975-02-03 | 9.25% | −0.25 |
| 1975-01-28 | 9.50% | −0.25 |
| 1975-01-20 | 9.75% | −0.25 |
| 1975-01-15 | 10.00% | −0.25 |
| 1975-01-09 | 10.25% | −0.25 |
| 1974-11-25 | 10.50% | −0.25 |
| 1974-11-14 | 10.75% | −0.25 |
| 1974-11-04 | 11.00% | −0.25 |
| 1974-10-28 | 11.25% | −0.25 |
| 1974-10-21 | 11.50% | −0.25 |
| 1974-10-07 | 11.75% | −0.25 |
| 1974-07-05 | 12.00% | +0.25 |
| 1974-06-26 | 11.75% | +0.25 |
| 1974-05-17 | 11.50% | +0.25 |
| 1974-05-10 | 11.25% | +0.25 |
| 1974-05-06 | 11.00% | +0.25 |
| 1974-05-02 | 10.75% | +0.25 |
| 1974-04-25 | 10.50% | +0.25 |
| 1974-04-19 | 10.25% | +0.25 |
| 1974-04-11 | 10.00% | +0.25 |
| 1974-04-05 | 9.75% | +0.25 |
| 1974-04-03 | 9.50% | +0.25 |
| 1974-03-29 | 9.25% | +0.25 |
| 1974-03-22 | 9.00% | +0.25 |
| 1974-02-25 | 8.75% | −0.25 |
| 1974-02-19 | 9.00% | −0.25 |
| 1974-02-11 | 9.25% | −0.25 |
| 1974-01-29 | 9.50% | −0.25 |
| 1973-10-24 | 9.75% | −0.25 |
| 1973-09-18 | 10.00% | +0.25 |
| 1973-08-28 | 9.75% | +0.25 |
| 1973-08-22 | 9.50% | +0.25 |
| 1973-08-13 | 9.25% | +0.25 |
| 1973-08-06 | 9.00% | +0.25 |
| 1973-07-30 | 8.75% | +0.25 |
| 1973-07-18 | 8.50% | +0.25 |
| 1973-07-09 | 8.25% | +0.25 |
| 1973-07-03 | 8.00% | +0.25 |
| 1973-06-25 | 7.75% | +0.25 |
| 1973-06-08 | 7.50% | +0.25 |
| 1973-05-25 | 7.25% | +0.25 |
| 1973-05-07 | 7.00% | +0.25 |
| 1973-04-18 | 6.75% | +0.25 |
| 1973-03-26 | 6.50% | +0.25 |
| 1973-02-27 | 6.25% | +0.25 |
| 1972-12-27 | 6.00% | +0.25 |
| 1972-10-04 | 5.75% | +0.25 |
| 1972-08-29 | 5.50% | +0.25 |
| 1972-06-26 | 5.25% | +0.25 |
| 1972-04-05 | 5.00% | +0.25 |
| 1972-01-31 | 4.75% | −0.25 |
| 1972-01-24 | 5.00% | −0.25 |
| 1971-12-31 | 5.25% | −0.25 |
| 1971-11-04 | 5.50% | −0.25 |
| 1971-10-20 | 5.75% | −0.25 |
| 1971-07-07 | 6.00% | +0.25 |
| 1971-07-06 | 5.75% | +0.25 |
| 1971-05-11 | 5.50% | +0.12 |
| 1971-04-23 | 5.38% | +0.13 |
| 1971-03-19 | 5.25% | −0.13 |
| 1971-03-11 | 5.38% | −0.37 |
| 1971-02-16 | 5.75% | −0.25 |
| 1971-01-18 | 6.00% | −0.25 |
| 1971-01-15 | 6.25% | −0.25 |
| 1971-01-06 | 6.50% | −0.25 |
| 1970-12-22 | 6.75% | −0.25 |
| 1970-11-23 | 7.00% | −0.25 |
| 1970-11-12 | 7.25% | −0.25 |
| 1970-09-21 | 7.50% | −0.50 |
| 1970-03-25 | 8.00% | −0.50 |
| 1969-06-09 | 8.50% | +1.00 |
| 1969-03-17 | 7.50% | +0.50 |
| 1969-01-07 | 7.00% | +0.25 |
| 1968-12-18 | 6.75% | +0.25 |
| 1968-12-02 | 6.50% | +0.25 |
| 1968-09-25 | 6.25% | −0.25 |
| 1968-04-19 | 6.50% | +0.50 |
| 1967-11-20 | 6.00% | +0.50 |
| 1967-03-27 | 5.50% | −0.25 |
| 1967-01-27 | 5.75% | −0.25 |
| 1966-08-16 | 6.00% | +0.25 |
| 1966-06-29 | 5.75% | +0.25 |
| 1966-03-10 | 5.50% | +0.50 |
| 1965-12-06 | 5.00% | +0.50 |
| 1960-08-23 | 4.50% | −0.50 |
| 1959-09-01 | 5.00% | +0.50 |
| 1959-05-18 | 4.50% | +0.50 |
| 1958-09-11 | 4.00% | +0.50 |
| 1958-04-21 | 3.50% | −0.50 |
| 1958-01-22 | 4.00% | −0.50 |
| 1957-08-06 | 4.50% | +0.50 |
| 1956-08-21 | 4.00% | +0.25 |
| 1956-04-13 | 3.75% | +0.25 |
| 1955-10-14 | 3.50% | +0.25 |
| 1955-08-04 | 3.25% | — |
Worked example
A $50,000 home equity line priced at prime + 1.50% costs 7.00% + 1.50% = 8.50% today, or about $354.17 a month in interest-only payments ($50,000 × 8.50% ÷ 12). If prime falls to 6.75%, the same line costs 8.25%, about $343.75 a month.
Plain-language explainer
The prime rate is the base rate U.S. banks quote to their best business borrowers. Credit cards, home equity lines and many small-business loans are priced as “prime plus a margin,” so when prime moves, those rates move with it, usually within one or two billing cycles.
Banks set prime themselves, but they all follow the Federal Reserve. In this FRED series, prime sat exactly 3.00 points above the upper bound of the Fed’s target range after every change since December 2008 (FRED dates the September 2025 prime change one day before the target change). Before that the gap varied. See FOMC dates and fed funds history for the target side.
Dates are as recorded in the series, which lists the first day a new level appears. Only changes are shown, not every day.
Cite this page
TNAADO Tools. "U.S. Prime Rate History." https://tools.tnaado.ca/us/prime-rate-history.html Data as of 2026-10-01. Source: FRED DPRIME (Federal Reserve Board H.15).
Sources: FRED series DPRIME, Bank Prime Loan Rate (Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, H.15 release; downloaded 2026-10-01).
Frequently asked questions
What is the prime rate today?
7.00%, effective 2026-09-17, per FRED series DPRIME as of October 1, 2026.
What was the highest prime rate ever?
The highest level in this series is 21.50%, reached in 1980-12-19. Use the filter above to see the surrounding changes.
Who sets the prime rate?
Individual banks set it, but they track the Federal Reserve’s target range closely. Since December 2008 it has been the upper bound of the target range plus 3.00 points in this data.
Why is this table only changes?
Prime stays the same for months or years at a time. Listing each change date keeps the table short while still letting you find the rate on any day with the date lookup.
Can I download the data?
Yes. The Download CSV button exports the table with effective date, prime rate and change in percentage points. Please keep the citation if you republish it.
Reference data, not advice
Figures are copied from the primary sources linked above as of October 1, 2026. Always confirm against the source before relying on a number for a filing, contract or loan.