Regions Bank promotes Dawkins

Regions Bank promoted Bill Dawkins, its Triangle area chief, to president for North Carolina, a new position created to oversee the bank's expanding operations in Raleigh, Charlotte, Wilmington and Greensboro. Dawkins will remain in Raleigh and continue to head the Triangle operations he helped launch in 2003. The bank announced in November plans to build a regional headquarters off Glenwood Avenue.

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.