Federal Reserve

The biggest announcement central bankers have made in perhaps the past two decades comes down to this – a game-time decision.

The Federal Open Market Committee said it will hold its benchmark interest rate near zero until it sees more improvement in the U.S. economy.

Some analysts believe the Fed's decision to delay raising rates has exacerbated the strong sense of uncertainty that has permeated markets in recent weeks.

While no one actually knows what the Janet Yellen-led Federal Reserve will do on Thursday about raising short-term interest rates, one thing is for sure: There is no shortage of opinions.

The initial rate hike – whenever it comes – isn’t going to have a dramatic financial impact on the global economy. Not for some time.

As it stands, whatever the Fed decides  Thursday when FOMC releases its policy statement will come as a surprise to markets. It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

Will they or won’t they? That’s the question that will be on everyone’s mind next week as the Federal Reserve meets for two days to decide whether to raise interest rates for the first time in nearly a decade.

The prices charged by manufacturers, farmers and other producers were unchanged in August, the latest evidence that inflation is tame.

When the Fed finally moves interest rates, there will be those who stand to gain from the higher borrowing costs that will follow the rate hike and those who stand to lose.

The Federal Reserve should delay raising interest rates past its September meeting next week or risk setting off “panic and turmoil” in global markets, the World Bank’s chief economist told the Financial Times.  

To some Federal Reserve watchers the Fed’s refusal to provide markets with some clear sign as to what’s going to happen next week speaks for itself.  

With the Federal Reserve edging into the spotlight, Friday's jobs report for August could trigger eventual changes in Americans' financial lives.

"Bond king" Bill Gross believes the Fed will raise rates in September and then leaves rates alone for at least six months.  

It’s possible that no recent piece of economic data will play a bigger role in helping to determine the timing of an interest rate hike than Friday’s jobs report. 

The Federal Reserve's Beige Book concluded that U.S. labor markets were tight enough to fuel small wage gains in some professions in recent weeks. 

Once the Fed starts raising borrowing costs, the upward trajectory of interest rates can be expected to be slow and extremely measured, according to Boston Fed President Eric Rosengren.

Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Stanley Fischer leaves door open for a Fed rate increase in September in Jackson Hole, Wyoming speech.

The U.S. economy is on track to grow 1.2% in the third quarter on data showing a decline in consumer spending on services in July, the Atlanta Federal Reserve's GDPNow forecast model showed on Friday.

The stronger-than-expected revision strengthens the view that the U.S. economy is recovering while global economies are floundering.

In a speech, Fed Vice Chair William Dudley discussed the current state of the global financial markets and the effect on a timeline for rate hikes.