U.S. Economy

The U.S. Federal Reserve holds tremendous power over the U.S. economy. By setting benchmark rates, it dictates the terms for interbank lending — and in turn, the borrowing costs for virtually every business and household in America. But aside from raising or lowering those rates, the Fed has very few meaningful ways to interact with the larger economy (excluding emergency measures, of course). So controlling the flow of information, controlling the perception and expectation of rate cuts, becomes one of the Fed’s most powerful tools.