Interest Rates

April’s CPI report showed inflation climbing to 3.8%, the highest level since 2023, largely fueled by sharp increases in energy prices tied to Middle East oil disruptions. While core inflation remains more contained, elevated energy costs continue to create uncertainty for consumers, markets, and Federal Reserve policy decisions.

Interest rates influence everything from borrowing costs to bond prices and stock valuations. Understanding how Federal Reserve rate changes ripple through the economy can help investors stay disciplined and focused on long-term financial goals.

With the Federal Reserve’s recent announcement that is will drop interest rates, many investors are asking how a rate change could impact their portfolios. One of the most important — yet often misunderstood — relationships in finance is that between interest rates and bond prices. In this article, we’ll break down how they interact and why changes in rates can directly affect the value of your bond holdings.

It seems that the topics of inflation and interest rates have been all over the news this year, as buying groceries and owning a home...

A few highlights to hit before we dig into "market stuff" over the following few paragraphs. This last Friday, the Whitaker-Myers Wealth...