Rates held steady Thursday as fourth quarter GDP and weekly Jobless Claims came in close to expectations. Stocks inched higher. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner announced plans to expand Federal oversight of large hedge funds, private equity firms, and derivatives. Public outrage over the AIG debacle may bring additional regulation of non-bank firms. Retail mortgage rates remain stubbornly high relative to mortgage-backed securities’ yields due to high refinancing demand. Borrowers may wish to consider waiting until their application is through underwriting before locking their rate, as short-term locks, such as 15 days, are priced about 1/4% to 3/8% below longer-term locks.