[servantboy777]

The world economy is in recession and likely the U.S. economy. The Feds are out of ammunition if and or when we fall into recession.

Raising interest rates is only a ploy to give SOME SORT of room to drop rates once again.

I've watched the economic calender for months, 8 of 10 reports have been negative/heading negative or unexpectedly negative for months.

Folks...we’re being deceived by our own gubbamint.

[CurlyDave]

...or lost momentum in a business cycle which, at 78 months, is already longer than 29 of the 33 expansions the U.S. economy has experienced since 1854.

What expansion?

We have been in the great recession for every one of those 78 months.

Labor participation is at a low, We have not managed two add a single manufacturing job in years, and all of the new service jobs have gone to immigrants, legal and other.

[FlingWingFlyer]

As long as they come down before four hours is up, I don’t see a problem. Obama’s economy is really goofy anyway.

[Bob434]

and my bladder might explode IF I go to sleep- therefore I have sworn off sleeping

[TomGuy]

20 years ago I took out an insurance annuity. It had a provision that it would never pay lower than 3%. I laughed at the time, because regular bank money market rates were about 8%.

Now, I am elated every year when I get my annual statement. The annuity averages about 4% return. My money market account it currently paying about 0.75% return.

==

Borrowers benefit from the low rates.

Savers get shafted from the low rates.

[cloudmountain]

Don't economies, even like ours, rise and dip over the months and years? Any economy that doesn't is either so wonderful that its base company is LYING or is so horrible that its economy only exists in the hands of few wealthy families OR a few corrupt politicians.

[LongWayHome]

If rates creep up to that point retirees need to grab some 10 year CDs cause I expect will go to zero again.

[Georgia Girl 2]

I can almost promise them they will be back at zero real quick. Raising now as we move into what is likely a deflationary depression is not wise.

[MtnClimber]

Way to go on the economy bath house Barry!

[Iron Munro]

Zero, or near zero, interest rates are nothing less than theft and wealth redistribution.

It steals value from savers, gives low cost or no cost loans to banks and select borrowers and artificially inflates the stock market to the benefit of stock owners, investors and speculators.

Savers actually lose value in the process.

As inflation devalues the purchasing power of the dollar the value of their savings decreases without interest as an offset.

[expat_panama]

Tx fer the post!  imho the key was here:

Inflation has run below the Fed's 2% target for more than three years. In normal times the Fed would push rates up as an expansion strengthens to slow growth and tame upward pressures on consumer prices. With no signs of inflation, officials haven't felt a need to follow that old game plan.

Yeah I know, even though when actual price trends are added up it may look like deflation, everyone knows we got run-away inflation because we feeeel it.  That's the FR fantasy but the WSJ repeats the goofy DC fantasy that the fed is supposed to do something about jobs, that somehow the Fed's here so that

 "unemployment and inflation can be kept low and stable".