The Fed May Meeting

The Fed promised, and they delivered.

At their most recent meeting, the Fed moved policy rates up by 0.5%, just as they’ve been saying. Because it was expected, interest rates had moved in advance, including those for home mortgage loans. For the time being mortgage rates eased but they are likely to continue to rise throughout the year.

What’s next?

It’s expected the Fed will continue moving rates on an upward path at each successive meeting of the Open Market Committee, so long as conditions warrant. Most analysts anticipate the increases will continue until the Fed has met its directive of containing inflationary forces in the economy.

Background on the Fed:

• The Federal Reserve Board (the Fed) controls the federal funds rate and discount rate, which are charges for overnight loans from bank to bank or from the Fed to member banks.
• The rate was lowered to near zero in March 2020 in response to the pandemic. These historic measures are now being reversed.
• This is the second increase this year.

What this may mean for you:

If you are planning a home purchase or any type of refinancing, including accessing cash from your home’s equity, it may pay to act before further increases. You may want to explore alternatives, such as a lower rate, hybrid adjustable mortgage (ARM) or home equity line of credit (HELOC).

I monitor interest rates and the markets every day. Please reach out if I can answer questions or be of service to you or your friends and family. I’ll be glad to help.