WASHINGTON – The Federal Housing Finance Agency and U.S. Treasury Department said they have agreed to let mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac retain capital buffers of $3 billion each, marking the first changes to their bailout arrangements in five years. The change, announced Thursday, came after months of warnings by FHFA Director Mel Watt, who said having no buffers at the government-controlled companies risked disrupting the mortgage market if they had to take more bailout money from the U.S. Treasury. Some Democratic senators had also called for Fannie and Freddie to keep buffers, while some Republicans said such a change was unnecessary.

Long-term U.S. mortgage rates were flat to slightly lower this week, as the key 30-year rate marked a new low for the year.

Long-term U.S. mortgage rates rose this week for the first time in five weeks. The benchmark 30-year rate pushed back above the key threshold of 4 percent.

Fannie Mae said Friday that it will pay the U.S. Treasury a $5.5 billion dividend next month after its profit doubled in its latest quarter.

Long-term mortgage rates slipped again this week. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac says the rate on 30-year, fixed-rate loans eased to 4.15 percent from 4.17 percent last week. The benchmark rate stood at 3.65 percent a year ago and averaged 3.65 percent through 2016, lowest in records going back to 1971.

Long-term U.S. mortgage rates rose this week for a second straight week.

U.S. homebuyers pulled back in July, as sales declined amid a shortage of available properties and steadily rising prices.

A federal appeals panel should reconsider its reversal of a fraud verdict against Bank of America Corp. and $1.2 billion penalty resulting from the bank’s actions during the 2008 financial crisis, prosecutors say.

g-term U.S. mortgage rates declined this week after rising for three straight weeks, continuing to lure prospective homebuyers.