interest rates

The Federal Reserve left the benchmark interest rate unchanged following a Wednesday meeting, but amid economic uncertainty, signaled that future cuts could be warranted. During a news conference following the meeting, Fed chairman Jerome Powell stated that due to uncertainties in the economic outlook, the Committee will “closely monitor” the economy and “act as appropriate to sustain the system.”

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell is open to cutting interest rates if necessary, due to trade disputes between the U.S. and others. Powell opened a Chicago Fed conference stating “we do not know how or when these issues will be resolved,” adding “we are closely monitoring the implications," according to Bloomberg News.   Powell s...

With the Federal Reserve hinting at leaving interest rates unchanged in 2019, the farm economy has one less chance for deterioration.  Low-interest rates have been cited as the reason the current farm economy has not reached the crisis seen in the 1980's.  Po...

According to the Federal Reserve’s Agricultural Finance Databook, the volume of non-real estate farm debt continued to increase in the fourth quarter of 2018.  Total non-real estate farm loans were up nearly 8% from a year ago, which was the seventh consecutive quarter of annual growth in loan volumes.   The Fe...

Farmers National Company's Flo Sayre takes a look at how interest rates impact your effort to purchase a home or agriculture property.       If you have a story idea for the Washington Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail gvaagen@cherrycreekradio.com...

Farmers National Company's Flo Sayre takes a look at how interest rates impact your effort to purchase a home or agriculture property.       If you have a story idea for the Washington Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail gvaagen@cherrycreekradio.com...

Economists with the American Bankers Association expect several more years of gradual interest rate hikes from the Federal Reserve.  ABA Vice President Brittney Kleinpaste anticipates three or four bumps in 2019.   "We expect that to continue into 2022, just, the Fed to continue to push the economy as it improves to get us back to that normalization level.  So far,...

Economists with the American Bankers Association expect several more years of gradual interest rate hikes from the Federal Reserve.  ABA Vice President Brittney Kleinpaste anticipates three or four bumps in 2019.   "We expect that to continue into 2022, just, the Fed to continue to push the economy as it improves to get us back to that normalization level.  So far,...

Long-term interest rates are moving higher.  But, ask Curt Covington, Executive Vice President and Chief Credit Officer at Farmer Mac, he’ll tell you the farming community saw the writing on the wall about interest rates well before hand.   “...

It came as no surprise when the Federal Reserve recently moved interest rates higher, a one-quarter-percent hike in short-term interest rates.  The Fed said the increase is to keep the overall U.S. economy strong.  But for the farm economy, rate hikes in the past have tended to have the opposite affect.   ...