How Fed Rates Influence Mortgages, Credit Cards, Savings and More

The Federal Reserve is expected to keep its key rate steady on Wednesday, after a series of cuts that lowered rates by a full percentage point last year.That means consumers looking to borrow are likely to have to wait a bit longer for better deals on many loans, but savers will benefit from steadier yields on savings accounts.Economists don’t expect another rate cut for a while, as the central bank waits for more clarity on an increasingly uncertain outlook given President Trump’s policies on tariffs, immigration, widespread federal job cuts, among other things.The Fed’s benchmark rate is set at a range of 4.25 to 4.5 percent.In an effort to tamp down sky-high inflation, the central bank began lifting rates rapidly — from near zero to above 5 percent — between March 2022 and July 2023.

Prices have cooled considerably since then, and the Fed pivoted to rate cuts, lowering rates in September, November and December.More recently,Mr.Trump’s inflation-stoking polices could prompt the Fed to delay more rate cuts.

But at the same time, longer-term interest rates set by the markets have been drifting down, influencing a wide range of consumer and business borrowing costs....