Bank Robber Sought By FBI

The FBI on Tuesday released surveillance images of a wanted bank robber. A reward is being offered for information leading to his arrest and conviction.

Authorities said the man was responsible for at least five bank robberies in the past several months.

Those robberies include:

* LaSalle Bank, 800 East Higgins Road, Schaumburg, Ill., on Nov. 29, 2005

* Harris Bank, 800 East Northwest Highway, Palatine, Ill., on Dec. 27, 2005

* Harris Bank, 1051 Perimeter Drive, Schaumburg, Ill., on Jan. 10, 2006

* American Chartered Bank, 450 East Higgins Road, Elk Grove Village, Ill., on Jan. 20, 2006

* Charter National Bank and Trust, 1400 Irving Park Road, Hanover Park, Ill., on Jan. 30, 2006

The robber is described as a white man, 30 to 40 years old with a large build. He is about 5 feet 8 inches to 6 feet tall, and was seen wearing a long black trench coat and a black knit winter cap, carrying a black briefcase.

Authorities said a $5,000 was being offered in the case.

What are people saying about mortgages today:

Rates on 30-year mortgages edged down last week to a seven-month low. Mortgage-giant Freddie Mac reported Thursday that 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages fell to 6.3 percent, down slightly from 6.31 percent two weeks ago. It put rates at the lowest level since they were at 6.24 percent the first week of March.

Bank of Hawaii, Central Pacific Bank, Territorial Savings Bank and Wells Fargo Home Mortgages all cut their 30-year mortgage rates to 5.75 percent this week.

Most people think of a mortgage as a means to an end. After all, you buy a house, not a home loan. But a mortgage is much more than the path to homeownership. It is a financial instrument that must be managed, just like any other financial investment.