The Federal Reserve is widely expected to raise its benchmark interest rate this week for the first time in nearly a decade, marking the end of the central bank’s emergency response to the financial crisis but raising new questions about its next steps.

The Fed dove into uncharted territory in 2008 when it took its target interest rate all the way to zero as the country slid into recession. It experimented with unconventional ways to stimulate the economy, pumping roughly $3.5 trillion into the recovery to boost the flagging economy.

Read the article “The Federal Reserve Will Likely Raise Interest Rates This Week. This Is What Happens Next.” on washingtonpost.com.