Notes from the Fed’s most recent meeting

News from the recent Federal Reserve meeting on January 31st, 2024 and what it means for us. The Federal Reserve decided not to change interest rates this time, keeping them at a certain level. They’re also continuing with their current financial policies. This wasn’t a surprise, as it’s what we’ve been expecting based on their recent actions and statements.

However, there were a couple of important points from the meeting:

• They’ve changed how they talk about their future plans, indicating they’re not planning to tighten financial conditions further.
• They mentioned they want to be more sure that inflation (the rate at which prices rise) is going down to their target of 2% before they consider making it easier for people to borrow money.
• The head of the Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, made it clear that they’re not in a rush to reduce interest rates, especially not as soon as March.
• Even though there was a lot of focus on whether they’ll lower rates in March or May, the big picture is that the economy is doing okay, inflation is getting closer to where they want it, and they’re starting to think about making it easier to borrow money. This is good news for the economy.

The meeting wasn’t as strict as anticipated. The Federal Reserve is seeing inflation continue to trend down and they want to make sure it keeps going that way. They’re being careful, but things are moving in the right direction.

So, what does all this mean for us? The Federal Reserve is cautious but optimistic. They’re likely to start making it easier to borrow money soon, which is good for the economy and the stock market. The recalibration of Fed policy, coupled with strong growth and cooling inflation, presents a bullish backdrop for equities.

We’ll keep an eye on how things develop, especially with new information on inflation and the economy. Our plan is to take advantage of the situation as it gets clearer and keep focusing on our long-term goals.

As always, we are here to support your financial journey and welcome any questions or discussions about how these developments affect your portfolio.