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And the Fed said

September 20, 2006

The federal funds rate, the rate that lenders charge each other on overnight loans, stays at 5.25 percent. That means our consumer interest rates should hold steady, too.

Percent_sign_1Ben Bernanke and his Federal Open Market Committee colleagues said, in a very brief post-meeting statement, that part of the reason they took no action for the second straight month is because economic growth is being
tamped down by "a cooling of the housing market."

The panel also said, though, that it "judges some inflation risks remain." To me, that’s Fedspeak for "we’re hedging our bets when it comes to the Oct. 24-25 meeting."

But you probably should check out Holden Lewis’ translation of the statement. As Bankrate.com’s mortgage writer, he’s been deciphering FOMC language for a long time and I think he actually enjoys it!

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The More Tax Posts tab at the top of this page will take you to, well, more tax posts. You also can search below for a tax topic. 

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TAX-SAVVY WAYS 
TO WRAP UP 2026

It’s over! With October’s extended filing deadline behind us, it is now time to focus on year-end moves to reduce your 2026 tax bill. 

You’ll find ways to do just that on the Tax Tips page (see the More Tax Posts drop-down menu at the top of the blog), as well as the separate tax tip pages for each month, notably October through December. If you’re on the Tax Tips page, you’ll find a monthly list at the end of this column. If you’re on another blog page, you can head straight to the October tips; at the bottom of that tips page you’ll find links to all the other 11 months’ collections of tax advice.

Not to spoil what you’ll find in that tax advice, but it does cover such things as tax deductions for charitable donations, investment moves that could reduce tax due, and ways to max out your tax-favored retirement savings. 

Finally, as the year winds down, things get hectic. There are lots of other things to occupy our time, like the much more fun upcoming holidays. But don’t lose sight of taxes, since timing is key. To be of use, most tax moves must be made by the end of the tax year. That’s Thursday, Dec. 31, which also is the last business day of the year. 

So that you don’t miss that final tax year deadline, also keep an eye on the countdown clock below. It will keep you on top of just how much time is left to make important, tax-saving moves. (Note: I’m in the Central Time Zone, so adjust accordingly for where you live.)

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