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AZUZ: The U.S. Federal Reserve has just raised its key interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point. Let's explain that. The Fed is the central bank of the United States and it can influence the U.S. economy. It wants that economy to grow but not so fast that inflation gets out of control.
That's when the prices of things go up and the dollar buys less.
Americans' wages have not increased much in recent years. But analysts say there are other signs the economy is improving. The U.S. employment or jobless rate was at 4.6 percent last month. That's about where it was before the Great Recession hit in 2007. The government says 180,000 jobs have been created each month this year on average, though that's less than the two previous years. The gross domestic product increased in the third quarter of the year and inflation rose 1.6 percent in October.
One way the Fed can try to slow down the rise of inflation is by increasing its key interest rate, which it just did. But that affects consumers because it makes it more expensive for them to borrow money. Mortgage rates on homes will go up. Car loans will be more expensive. Credit card rates increased. On the flip side, savings accounts could start to pay a little more interests. So, those are things to look out for in the months ahead.
