Economy Talk

Rent vs buy with mortgage rates where they are — does buying still make sense?

Civil engineer, 30s, renting in a mid-size US city. I've been saving for a down payment for a few years, and now with Treasury yields at post-2008 highs and mortgages following, the monthly payment on the same house is a lot higher than I planned.

Everyone tells me rent is "throwing money away". I'm not convinced. Interest is also money you don't get back. How are you all thinking about it?