If the Federal Reserve cuts rates next week as predicted, and Kevin Hassett becomes Fed Chair, where will rates be at this time next year?

They’re sounding the alarm about the importance of central bank independence.

Kai Ryssdal spoke with Daniel Tarullo, who served on the Federal Reserve Board for more than eight years, about growing dissent within the FOMC.

For some investors, they bet on a vehicle known as "Federal Funds futures" to hedge. For others, it's just that — a bet.

Start with the fact that most consumers don’t spent a whole lot on imported goods.

The move comes while official statistics on jobs, inflation, and consumer spending are stalled during the government shutdown.

While some regional Fed banks have hard data, many of those figures come from agencies that are closed during the shutdown.

The Fed has been shrinking its pile of securities and Treasurys, but it still needs them to keep the economy’s plumbing in order.

The Fed’s balance sheet, mentioned by Jerome Powell this week, tracks what the Fed owns and owes. And the Fed has stopped its buying spree, mostly to reduce its influence on the market.

The dollar is hovering around a two-month high. Up until a couple months ago its value had been falling since January. What’s behind the uptick? And what forces may end this trend?