5 Things to Watch at the Fed Meeting

At last. The Federal Reserve, after holding its benchmark federal-funds rate near zero for seven years, is likely to raise it this week by a quarter percentage point. The widely expected move “will be a testament…to how far our economy has come in recovering from the effects of the financial crisis and the Great Recession,” Chairwoman Janet Yellen said earlier this month. Looking past liftoff, the U.S. central bank will seek to shape expectations for how quickly interest rates will rise in the coming months and years. On Wednesday, the Fed will release its policy statement and updated economic projections at 2 p.m. EST, followed by Ms. Yellen’s press conference starting at 2:30 p.m. EST. Here are five things to watch.

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