Core Viewpoint - The Federal Reserve is expected to initiate a series of interest rate cuts starting in 2025, with projections indicating a decline that may continue into the third quarter of 2026 [2][3][4] Interest Rate Cuts and Market Expectations - The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) has reduced the fed funds target rate by 0.25% to a range of 4% - 4.25% [3] - Financial markets anticipate a steady decline in the fed funds rate, potentially bottoming out just below 3% by the end of 2026 [4][10] Impact on Households - Lower interest rates will affect American households in two significant ways: reduced income from investments and lower payments on loans such as mortgages [5][6] - The average yield on money market funds is currently 4.08%, which is favorable compared to the inflation rate of 3.1% [7][8] Money Market Funds Outlook - As the Fed reduces interest rates, yields on money market funds are expected to decline, potentially falling below 3% by late 2026 [9][10] - The current inflow into money market funds, which exceeds $7.3 trillion, may reverse as yields decrease [8] Yield Curve Dynamics - An inverted yield curve has led to higher yields on short-term bonds compared to longer-term bonds, driving inflows into money market funds [11] - A return to a positively sloped yield curve is anticipated, making longer-term bonds more attractive as front-end rates decline [12][14] Mortgage Market Implications - Lower interest rates are expected to facilitate cheaper borrowing, particularly for mortgage refinancing, with average 30-year mortgage rates dipping below 6.5% [16][17] - Increased mortgage refinancing activity is anticipated as homeowners take advantage of lower rates, which are more closely correlated with the 10-year Treasury yield [17][18] Overall Economic Impact - The net effect of lower interest rates is viewed positively, as they provide cheaper borrowing costs while also reducing income from short-term investments [20][21] - The favorable environment for equities and other risk assets is also a significant consideration for investors [22]

However, Mr Powell said his colleagues’ forecasts were “subject to uncertainty” and insisted monetary policy was “not on a pre-set path”.Markets are anticipating another couple of cuts from the Fed by the year’s end, with more to follow in 2026. In its statement announcing the September rate cut, the Fed said only that it would “carefully assess incoming data, the evolving outlook, and the balance of risks”. About half the Fed’s rate-setters expect another two or more quarter-point cuts this year, taking th ...

Howard Schneider with Reuters. So, um, as you mentioned a minute ago, some margins of the job market would suggest that the slides already happening. Black unemployment rate in August was above 7%.Uh, declining work week, difficulty among co college graduates finding work, high rising youth unemployment. Why do you think a quarter percentage point now is going to arrest that. Well, I I hadn't say that I thought a quarter point would make a huge difference to the economy, but you got to look at the whole pat ...

IS 50 BASIS POINTS ON THE TABLE AND IS STEPHEN MIRAN THAT 50 BASIS POINTS. JOE: WE WILL GET TO THAT IN A MOMENT WITH OUR POLITICAL PANEL RICK DAVIS AND JEANNE SHEEHAN ZAINO AND ECONOMY EMILY DICKENS WITH US IN AN HOUR. WE HAVE OUR EYES ON THE U.K. WHERE PRESIDENT TRUMP AND THE FIRST LADY LANDED FOR AN UNPRECEDENTED SECOND STATE VISIT.>> PLENTY IS ON HIS AGENDA. JOE: MORE POMP TODAY AND POLICY TOMORROW WHEN HE GETS TO THE PRIME MINISTER. ANNMARIE HORDERN IS TRAVELING WITH THE PRESIDENT AND WILL HAVE A LIVE R ...

CONCLUDED Last Updated: 4 hours ago S&P 500 Heads Lower as Rally Reverses After Fed Decision By Connor Smith The stock market's Fed decision rally is already reversing. The S&P 500 was down 0.3% after spiking in the wake of the central bank's decision to lower interest rates by a quarter point. The Nasdaq Composite was down 0.9%. The Dow was up 277 points, or 0.6%, and falling. The move was widely expected by markets, and stocks had already hit fresh highs based on expectations of the cut. Now, traders are ...

CONCLUDED Stock Market News From Sept. 17, 2025: Dow Gains After Fed Decision Last Updated: Updated 4 hours ago Stocks Edge Higher After Fed Votes for Rate Cut By Network Connor Smith Stocks perked up after the Federal Reserve said it would cut interest rates by a quarter point for the first time since December. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 400 points, or 0.9%. The S&P 500 was up 0.1. The Nasdaq Composite was still down 0.2%. Heading into the 2 p.m. ET decision, the Dow was up while the S&P and Nas ...

Kevin Dietsch / Getty Images The federal funds rate influences a number of borrowing costs. Key Takeaways The Federal Reserve's policy committee voted to reduce the central bank's key interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point to a range of 4% to 4.25%, the lowest since December 2022. Fed officials have grown more worried that tariffs will spark a wave of unemployment than that they will fuel inflation, at least for the time being. The vote was divided, reflecting the Fed's dilemma: lower inter ...

CONCLUDED Stock Market News From Sept. 17, 2025: Dow Gains After Fed Decision Last Updated: 4 hours ago Treasury Market Is Fully Prepared for a Cut By Karishma Vanjani The Wall Street Journal The move in Treasuries suggest the market is ready for the Federal Reserve to start cutting interest rates again. The 2-year yield, which is most sensitive to changes in rates, has fallen 0.246 percentage points since the Fed Chair Jerome Powell gave a speech at the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium. Powell, on the morni ...

When the Fed cut rates with stocks within 2% of record highs, the S&P 500 finished the next 12 months higher every single time.20 out of 20 (100% win rate) 🚨📈CC: @RyanDetrick https://t.co/o9vw7KdprC ...

On Sep. 17, the Federal Reserve announced its much-awaited decision on interest rates. As expected, the central bank has decided to cut rates by 25 basis points. Though Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP rose following the announcement, all these cryptocurrencies soon made a retreat on the charts. Nonetheless, traders on the popular crypto-based prediction market, Polymarket, nailed the Fed's latest announcement. Related: What is tokenization? Explained Users on Polymarket had predicted that there is a 91% chan ...