With mortgage interest rates on the rise in recent weeks, some borrowers have turned to less-than-traditional mortgage types — balloons, adjustables, 20- or 25-year notes and more — to try to complete one last money-saving refinancing deal.

But most people go shopping for a mortgage only a few times in their life, so they frequently enter the mortgage search without a full understanding of what's available and what key terms mean.

To ramp up that knowledge, get a copy of "Choosing the Mortgage that's Right For You," part of a pamphlet series from the Fannie Mae Foundation that helps investors and consumers learn about credit and borrowing.

The pamphlet is available at www.fanniemaefoundation.org or by calling 800-611-9566.

Syndicated columnist Chuck Jaffe produces Financial Housekeeping.