Actions are starting to match words. For the second time in three months, the Federal Reserve raised the federal funds rate — the benchmark rate for other interest rates — this past Wednesday. Specifically, the Fed raised the range on the fed funds rate 25 basis points (a quarter of a percentage point) to 0.75% to 1%. The previous range was 0.50% to 0.75%. Now, all attention turns to anticipating future interest-rate increases. As for the future, low odds are being given for another fed funds rate increase the next time Fed officials meet in early May. But for the meeting after that, in June, the odds jump to 50/50. Traders in fed funds rate futures contracts are betting another 25-basis-point increase in June, or soon after. They’re also betting that another 25-basis-point increase will occur before the year ends. In other words, they’re betting that we’ll end 2017 with three rate increases, which would put the range on the fed funds rate at 1.25% to 1.5% heading into 2018. So, what does this mean to us?
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