- The Fed is expected to hike its short-term rate by a quarter point on Wednesday.
- That’s down from the half-point hike in December and the four consecutive three-quarter percentage-point increases before that.
- Consumers have already felt the impact of those rate hikes and are reeling.
The Federal Reserve is expected to whittle down the size of its rate increases again, but the slowdown is unlikely to help already squeezed consumers.
The Fed is predicted to boost interest rates for an eighth consecutive time on Wednesday, but only by a quarter point, down from the half-point hike in December and the four consecutive three-quarter percentage-point increases before that.
