Interest rates

With prices increasing faster than they have since the 1990s, the Federal Reserve appears poised to tighten monetary policy. Top industry executives are worried about the chances of either a recession or runaway inflation, depending on whether the central bank moves too quickly or too slowly.

Lawmakers approved legislation designed to protect trillions of dollars of assets when the London interbank offered rate expires.

Borrowers expect the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates next year to contain soaring prices and are locking in favorable terms now, bankers say.

Many banks are still making loans tied to the scandal-plagued benchmark despite years of preparation for its demise. The end of 2021 could prove hectic as bankers scramble to implement changes and explain them to commercial borrowers.

Some progressive lawmakers argue the Federal Reserve’s deregulatory moves under Jerome Powell should disqualify him for a second term as chair. But the Biden administration could let him keep his job because of monetary policies that helped low-income workers.

The legislation would establish a quick process for legacy financial contracts to swap in the Secured Overnight Financing Rate after the London interbank offered rate all but expires in 2023.

The London interbank offered rate will phase out in a matter of months, and lawmakers have to step in to prevent a legal fiasco. They need to make Secured Overnight Financing Rate the sole fallback benchmark.

The London interbank offered rate was a flawed benchmark, but it was nonetheless a centerpiece of finance for decades. Congress should ensure it doesn't replace one interest rate monoculture with another as Libor winds down.

How the pandemic is accelerating trends in financial advice and changing the way Americans manage their money.

Federal Reserve officials held interest rates near zero while signaling they expect two increases by the end of 2023, pulling forward the date of liftoff and projecting a faster-than-anticipated pace of tightening as the economy recovers.