A history of the Fed's interest rate hikes

Jun 19, 2019
When it fears inflation might be getting too high, the Federal Reserve typically raises interest rates.
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 30:   Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell pauses during a news conference after a Federal Open Market Committee meeting January 30, 2019 in Washington, DC. The Fed has decided to leave interest rates unchanged. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Credit card companies will lower your interest rates — if you ask them

Jun 14, 2019
A new survey finds 81% of people who asked for a better rate got one.
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Corporate debt may pose risks if economy goes south

Apr 24, 2019
AT&T has $169 billion in debt on its balance sheet. That’s high, even for a telecom company, and until it whittles that debt down AT&T won’t be able to focus on priorities like expanding HBO or developing a 5G network. Part of the reason the company wound up with this massive debt — the biggest of […]
The AT&T logo.
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Low interest rates have cost savers roughly half a trillion dollars

Apr 10, 2019
The post-crisis financial policy has a downside.
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The problem with low inflation

Mar 21, 2019
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell spoke Wednesday about low inflation, which he called “one of the major challenges of our time.” Historically, inflation concerns have more often been around too-high inflation, such as the U.S. experienced in the 1970s and early 1980s. But too little inflation can also be problematic, especially for the Federal Reserve’s ability […]
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The Fed holds interest rates steady, reflecting moderate economic slowdown

Mar 21, 2019
In a sharp turn from December’s forecasts, the Federal Reserve announced yesterday that it will hold short-term interest rates steady. The announcement comes amid signs of a slowing economy and weakening consumer and business spending. For workers and the housing market, however, the economy is still healthy.
Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell speaks during a news conference on March 20, 2019 in Washington, DC. Powell said the Fed will not raise interest rates this quarter as was previously expected.
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How will shutdown affect Fed decision-making?

Jan 28, 2019
Fed Chairman Jerome Powell and the other members of the agency's Open Market Committee meet Tuesday for the first time this year.
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and the other members of the agency's Open Market Committee meet Tuesday for the first time this year.
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For Ukraine, IMF delivers a gift with strings

Dec 25, 2018
You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen. How about the International Monetary Fund? The global financial lender is about to deliver to Ukraine the first installment of almost $4 billion in low-interest loans approved last week. It’s a complicated Christmas present, and there are conditions attached. Click the audio player above to hear […]

Can Trump fire Fed Chair Jerome Powell?

The president isn’t happy with the Federal Reserve’s interest rate hikes.
President Donald Trump looks on as his nominee for the chairman of the Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, speaks during a press event at the White House last year.
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Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari says raising interest rates too soon could lead to a recession

The Federal Reserve has raised interest rates for the fourth time this year.
Neel Kashkari, then the acting interim assistant secretary for financial stabilization at the Treasury Department, arrives for a hearing on Capitol Hill back in 2009.
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