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United States Central Bank Policy Rate
The United States policy interest rate is the benchmark rate set by the Federal Reserve to influence borrowing costs, credit conditions, and inflation throughout the economy. It is the single most important price in United States's financial system.
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Why Central Bank Policy Rate matters for USD
Policy rate differentials between countries are the primary driver of carry-trade positioning and long-run FX equilibrium. When the Federal Reserve is hiking while others are on hold, the usd typically appreciates on an interest rate differential basis.
How to interpret this series
A surprise rate hike is usd-positive; a surprise cut is negative. Forward guidance and the policy statement accompanying each decision are often more market-moving than the rate change itself, as markets are usually well-positioned for the expected move.
Historical Central Bank Policy Rate
Source: Federal Reserve. Cadence: ~8x/year. Unit: %. History from 1999-06-30 (27.0 years).
Recent announcements
Each release gets a durable child page so data, forecast, previous value, and raw fields can be cited directly.
Related United States indicators
Move to adjacent releases in the same macro category.
Central Bank Total Assets
Total assets on the central bank's balance sheet, reflecting the scale of monetary policy operations including quantitative easing programs.
Foreign Exchange Reserves
Assets held by the central bank in foreign currencies, used to support the exchange rate and manage monetary policy. Key indicator of a country's external financial position.
Gold Reserves
Quantity of gold held by the central bank as part of its foreign exchange reserves, measured in value terms.
Risk Free Rate
Overnight lending rate between banks.
Common questions
Editorial context for readers and AI agents using this page as a cited country indicator source.
How do I get the Federal Reserve policy rate history via API?
Policy rate history for United States is available at /api/v1/announcements/usd/policy_rate, with announcement_datetime for every meeting decision.
What happens to the usd when the Federal Reserve raises rates?
Rate hikes attract capital inflows seeking higher yield, which typically strengthens the usd in the short run. However, very aggressive hikes can raise recession fears and eventually weaken the currency.