How the 30-Year Mortgage Became Standard

When President Trump proposed the introduction of a 50-year mortgage, he challenged a bedrock of the American housing market and financial system. He also revealed how desperate the administration is to lower prices for consumers.

Conor Dougherty, who covers housing and development, explains what’s attractive about the idea and its potential drawbacks — and why housing affordability is such an intractable problem.

Guest: Conor Dougherty, a reporter for The New York Times covering housing and development for more than a decade.

Background reading: 

• The Trump administration is facing backlash from U.S. consumers as higher costs from tariffs blunt wage gains.
• Many Americans bought their first houses during the pandemic, when mortgage rates dipped to record lows. Now, some feel trapped.

Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

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