The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady at its January meeting following three consecutive rate cuts amid uncertainty over inflation and economic conditions.

Consumers and traders are waiting to learn if the Fed’s pause is a one-meeting hold or the start of a longer stretch.

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday hit pause on interest rate cuts in its first key decision of President Donald Trump’s second term.

The decision reflects a cautious stance as the Fed assesses the direction of inflation and policies President Trump may implement.

Economists expect the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates unchanged as its Open Market Committee is set to conclude its meeting on Wednesday afternoon.

Federal Reserve governor Michelle Bowman said she still expects declining inflation to allow further interest rate cuts this year, but feels rising wages, buoyant financial markets, geopolitical risks,

It's important to understand that the Fed's decision to pause rate cuts will not directly impact mortgage rates. Mortgage rates are actually driven by a range of factors, including the Fed's rate changes. This week's Fed rate decision does, however, have a big influence on where mortgage rates could head.

Policy changes: When the Fed adjusts the federal funds rate, it spills over into many aspects of the economy, including mortgage rates. The federal funds rate affects how much it costs banks to borrow money, which in turn affects what banks charge consumers to make a profit.

U.S. stock index futures held on to their gains on Friday, as an in-line inflation reading did little to alter market expectations about the Federal Reserve's interest-rate path.

We recently published a list of Jim Cramer Discusses These 10 Stocks, The Fed Chair & Lower AI Costs. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) stands against other stocks that Jim Cramer discusses along with insights on The Fed Chair & Lower AI Costs.

Key takeaways Looking at the past four decades, the average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage peaked in 1981, rising just above 16 percent. The average 30-year fixed rate bottomed in 2021 at just under 3 percent.