Lately there has been a lot of talk about the federal funds rate. This is something that dominates headlines whenever there is a change in this rate. Most recently the Federal Reserve made a huge rate drop. The 1st drop was 3/4ths of a percent, then shortly after by another ½ percent bringing the rate all the way down to 3%. Why such the hype? How does this affect individuals finances?
What is the Federal Funds Rate?
The federal funds rate is the interest rate that banks lend balances to other depository institutions, usually overnight. This rate is the rate that banks can borrow from the Federal Reserve, or in other words, it is the lowest possible rate that banks can charge on interest. Changing this rate is one of the primary tools that the Federal Reserve uses to regulate the supply of money in the US economy.
