by Carol Champagne | Sep 20, 2026 | Interest Rate Swaps & Caps, Swap & Cap Contract Negotiation
The Federal Reserve raised rates by 0.25 percent last week in an attempt to slow inflation. This is the first time since 2023 that the benchmark rate has gone up. The federal funds rate is now in the range of 3.75 to 4.0 percent. The rate hike was unanimous, and the...
by Carol Champagne | Aug 30, 2026 | Interest Rate Swaps & Caps, Swap & Cap Contract Negotiation
The annual economic symposium at Jackson Hole, Wyoming was held last week. It was Kevin Warsh’s first appearance as the Chair of the Federal Reserve. His statement indicated the Fed is not done with their fight to contain inflation, and recent price readings have not...
by Carol Champagne | Aug 9, 2026 | Interest Rate Swaps & Caps, Swap & Cap Contract Negotiation
The Department of Labor Statistics reported the US economy lost 23,000 jobs in July, while the unemployment rate ticked down slightly to 4.1 percent. Economists expected a gain of 89,000 jobs. The shortfall renews concerns about the underlying strength of the labor...
by Carol Champagne | Jun 27, 2026 | Interest Rate Swaps & Caps, Swap & Cap Contract Negotiation
The Fed’s preferred inflation index, the PCE, was up 4.1 percent last month, a three-year high. This was the largest annual increase since April 2023. The PCE was up 0.4 percent monthly, the same as seen in April, but down from the 0.7 percent experienced in March....
by Carol Champagne | Jun 1, 2026 | Interest Rate Swaps & Caps
Consumer prices in April were up 3.8 percent, up from 3.5 percent in March and 2.8 percent in February. The number is the highest experienced since May 2023. The core PCI, which excludes energy and food prices, is up 3.3 percent for the month. The Fed’s targeted...