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Interest rates worldwide might start falling as central banks meet this week

Mar 18, 2024
Switzerland may be the first to start rolling back the recent round of rate hikes.
The European Central Bank is expected to be among the first central banks to start cutting rates, says Sharyn O’Halloran at Columbia Business School.
Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty Images

Fed leaves interest rates unchanged, signals cuts are likely months away

Jan 31, 2024
“We want to see strong growth and a strong labor market,” said Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.
 Investors were hoping for a cut in March, but that now appears off the table.
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Why traders will be hanging on the Federal Reserve's every word Wednesday

Jan 30, 2024
The committee that sets interest rates is meeting this week, and the big question is whether — and when — they'll start cutting.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell. Some investors view the Federal Reserve's interest rate decisions and public statements as a "weather report" on where the economy is headed.
Alex Wong/Getty Images

If the Federal Reserve had a word of the year, what would it be?

Dec 13, 2023
We asked economists to give us a word of the year for 2023 that summed up the zeitgeist for monetary policy.
Economist Skanda Amarnath at Employ America says "fortunate" is the word he'd use to describe the Fed's 2023.
Alex Wong/Getty Images

What the Fed's Summary of Economic Projections can reveal

Sep 20, 2023
The quarterly report gives clues about how members of the Federal Open Market Committee see the economy and what future steps they might take.
In addition to an announcement on interest rates, the Federal Reserve will release its Summary of Economic Projections on Wednesday.
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What kind of signal does FOMC unanimity send to markets and others watching the economy?

Aug 16, 2023
Dissent on interest rate decisions might send mixed messages to Wall Street about where the economy is headed.
Under Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, the FOMC has not had a single dissenting vote on interest rates since June of last year, which former FOMC member Tom Hoenig wasn't surprised by.
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Watch prices and credit ahead of next rate decision, Chicago Fed CEO says

Apr 19, 2023
The intensity of a coming economic slowdown will depend on how much banks tighten credit conditions, says Austan Goolsbee.
Austan Goolsbee jokes that his informal speaking style makes the Fed's media staff sweat. "Every time I stand up, they’re like, 'Oh, no.'”
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What to look for in the Fed's latest meeting minutes

Apr 12, 2023
Fed watchers pore over the document in minute detail in search of clues about future rate hikes.
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell speaks at a news conference following a Federal Open Market Committee meeting.
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Can the Fed lower inflation without getting the economy into a recession?

"A look at the record shows that the Fed often stumbles in its efforts to save the day," says Ben White, chief economic correspondent at Politico.
Recessions have followed many of the Federal Reserve's past interest rate hikes.
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Fed sees faster time frame for rate hikes as inflation rises

Jun 16, 2021
The central bank raised its inflation forecast to 3.4% by year-end and expects to hike its benchmark interest rate twice by late 2023.
Alex Wong/Getty Image