Federal Reserve slashes interest rates by quarter-point as inflation cools
In a move that consumers will welcome, the Federal Reserve on Thursday slashed its benchmark interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point to 4.5-4.75%— marking the second reduction this year. The Federal Reserve implemented a series of interest rate hikes in 2022 and 2023 to combat high inflation — which peaked at 9% in the middle of 2022.