Briefly

* It’s official: California consumers will have more protection against unscrupulous moving firms beginning Jan. 1 now that outgoing Gov. Gray Davis has signed Assembly Bill 845.

* The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose to 6.05% last week from 5.95% the week before, Freddie Mac said. The average 15-year fixed rate was 5.36%, up from 5.26%. The average one-year adjustable-rate was 3.79%, up from 3.69%.

* Rents in Southern California continue to rise with the Inland Empire posting an annual increase of 6.8%; Los Angeles 3.8% and Orange and San Diego 3.3%, said RealFacts, a multifamily research firm in Novato.

From Times wires reports