Real Estate Blog

After ten rate hikes since March of last year, the Fed left their benchmark Federal Funds Rate unchanged at a range of 5% to 5.25% at their meeting last Wednesday. The Fed Funds Rate is the interest rate for overnight borrowing for banks and it is not the same as mortgage rates. When the Fed hikes the Fed Funds Rate, they are trying to slow the economy and curb inflation.

What’s the bottom line? The Fed kept the Fed Funds Rate unchanged to give themselves more time to assess incoming data. In his press conference following the meeting, Fed Chair Jerome Powell stressed that the Fed is “strongly committed” to returning inflation to their 2% target as measured by the Core Personal Consumption Expenditures Index.

Powell also noted that “nearly all Committee participants view it as likely that some further rate increases will be appropriate this year to bring inflation down to 2 percent over time.” Upcoming labor and inflation data will be key factors in whether the Fed chooses to hike the Fed Funds Rate at its next meeting on July 25-26.

-by Brian Cushing of Guild Mortgage