Economy

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell speaks during a news conference after the Fed's meeting on Nov. 2, 2022, in Washington, D.C. The Fed raised interest rates by a quarter percentage point on Wednesday, its smallest increase in 11 months.

Economy

The Fed raises interest rates by only a quarter-point after inflation drops

8:00pm February 01, 2023

by Scott Horsley

The Federal Reserve raised interest rates by a quarter-percentage point as part of its ongoing effort to fight inflation. Price hikes have begun to ease, but the Fed says inflation is not yet tamed.

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Credit card logos are seen on a downtown storefront as a pedestrian passes in Atlanta in 2012.

Miss a credit card payment? Federal regulators want to put new limits on late fees

1:13pm February 01, 2023

by Joe Hernandez

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau wants to cap late fees at $8. Banking groups say the proposal would result in higher costs for consumers.

Economy

Inflation is coming down but the Fed isn't about to declare victory just yet

7:17am February 01, 2023

The Federal Reserve is expected to continue its crackdown on inflation by raising interest rates, but only by a quarter percentage point. That would be the smallest rate hike since last March.

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Morning news brief

6:54am February 01, 2023

President Biden meets with House Speaker McCarthy to discuss the debt ceiling, thousands are expected to attend Tyre Nichols' funeral in Memphis, the Fed is expected to raise interest rates again.

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A look at how inflation may be starting to ease

6:14pm January 31, 2023

by David Gura

There has been a string of negative news about the economy this month — but nonetheless, stock and bond markets are headed for big gains in January. What gives?

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How the pandemic changed the rules of personal finance

5:34pm January 31, 2023

by Paddy Hirsch

A new book says the Great Resignation was really the Great Reshuffle.

Economy

The Fed kicks off a 2-day meeting with another interest rate hike expected

10:09am January 31, 2023

NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to Ken Kuttner, economics professor at Williams College, about the Federal Reserve's next expected interest rate hike. It would mark the eighth increase since March of 2022.

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Encore: Examining the state of global shipping and what it might mean

6:42pm January 30, 2023

During the pandemic, the cost to fill and transport a shipping container skyrocketed. Now, shipping rates have dropped by roughly 80% over the last six months.

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A delivery rider picks up his customers' online order as residents line up outside a store to buy Lunar New Year desserts in Beijing, Jan. 17. China's economic growth fell to its second-lowest level in at least four decades last year under pressure from anti-virus controls and a real estate slump.

With COVID lockdowns lifted, China says it's back in business. But it's not so easy

5:02am January 30, 2023

by Emily Feng

China has been trying to woo back foreign investors and businesses after nearly three years of self-imposed isolation, but a quick economic recovery will also hinge on domestic consumption.

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Economy

What prices at a Walmart in Georgia tell us about inflation

9:16am January 28, 2023

NPR has been tracking prices at a Walmart in Georgia for four years. The latest shopping trip tells us a lot about what's been happening in world trade and the U.S. economy.

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