Washington CNN —It’s a pivotal week for the US economy, with the Federal Reserve expected to cut interest rates for the first time since 2020. Fed officials and investors have long anticipated that borrowing costs would come down in 2024 — at some point — according to their economic forecasts. But nine months in, rate cuts still haven’t happened, drenching Wall Street’s parade and leaving US consumers squeezed by elevated interest rates. Here’s why the Fed didn’t cut soonerIt’s simple: The Fed didn’t cut interest rates sooner because it could have reignited inflation or left it stuck above the central bank’s target. Bond yields, which move in anticipation of the Fed’ decisions on rates, have come down over the past several weeks based on signs encouraging the Fed to cut rates, such as weaker-than-expected employment data and cooling inflation.

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Persons: Washington CNN — It’s, it’s, ” Oscar Muñoz, ” Muñoz, Jerome Powell, Powell, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, “ Jerome Powell’s, ” Philipp Carlsson Organizations: Washington CNN, Federal Reserve, Fed, Wall, TD Securities, CNN, Kansas City, Capitol, White, Boston Consulting Group Locations: —, Jackson Hole , Wyoming