Interest Rate

Dec. 17 (ZFJ) — The Fed maintained the target federal funds rate at 5.25-5.50% for the third time in a row on Wednesday, Dec. 13, noting that inflation has eased but is still elevated. “Inflation has eased from its highs, and this has come without a significant increase in unemployment,” said Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. “This is very good news. But inflation is still too high, ongoing progress in bringing it down is not assured, and the path forward is uncertain.

Nov. 5 (ZFJ) — The Federal Reserve maintained the interest rate at 5.25-5.50% for the second time in a row on Wednesday, Nov. 1. This rate was set on July 26 and held steady on Sept. 20. The Fed has been aggressively increasing the interest rate since it raised it from 0.00-0.25% to 0.25-0.50% in March 2022 in order to fight stubborn inflation. Economic activity has been expanding at a strong pace, said Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.