Banking
Fed lowers interest rates with surprising jumbo half-point cut
6 min read
The Federal Reserve and Your Money
The Fed just cut interest rates for the first time since 2020. Here are the most important steps you should take with your wallet.
The latest on the Fed from Bankrate’s experts
“The Fed was behind the curve when raising interest rates to corral inflation and the lesson appears to have been learned. By making a larger half-point interest rate cut right from the get-go, the Fed is taking out some insurance against being behind the curve again.”
Fed Lowers Interest Rates With Surprising Half-Point Cut
In a more aggressive move than expected, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) cut their benchmark borrowing rate by half of a percentage point, bringing the key federal funds rate to a new target range of 4.75-5 percent. In the weeks leading up to the meeting, economists thought the Fed would stick with a more modest quarter-point hike, even as investors upped their bets on the bigger move, according to CME Group’s FedWatch tool.
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Recent interest rate trends
Every time the Federal Reserve adjusts interest rates, borrowing and savings rates move in lockstep. Compare Bankrate data to see how the latest Fed decision is impacting rates on key consumer products.
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