Fed December Rate Hike Could Reach 50 Basis Points, Bank of America Warns

The central bank of the United States, which sets US interest rates and supervises banks.

Because the dollar is used worldwide, its rate decisions affect borrowing costs and markets in many other countries.

The price of borrowing money, expressed as a percentage of the amount borrowed. A central bank sets a benchmark rate that other rates follow.

It decides how much people pay on loans and mortgages and how much savers earn, and it is the main tool for fighting inflation.

The rate at which the general level of prices for goods and services rises over time, usually measured over twelve months.

When prices rise faster than wages, households can buy less with the same income, and central banks may raise interest rates in response.