Finance

The Federal Reserve just announced a third rate cut; fewer are expected in 2025

Published

4 months ago

December 19, 2024

Business Finance News

Rates were cut by a quarter of a percentage point. (iStock )

The Federal Reserve just cut interest rates one more time this year. In their recent meeting, the Fed decided to cut rates by a quarter of a percentage point, dropping rates to 4.25% to 4.5%. This move was largely expected by economists.

The Fed cited indicators of an expanding economy and an easing labor market after its other rate cuts. This is the third time rates have been cut this year, but economists don’t expect as many cuts in 2025.

“The median member now expects that there will only be two cuts in 2025 and that the federal funds target will be 3% in the long run,” MBA Senior Vice President and Chief Economist Mike Fratantoni said in a statement. “MBA forecasts that the federal funds rate will only drop to 3.75% this cycle.”

The unemployment rate also remains low, and inflation is making slow but steady progress towards the committee’s 2% goal, both factors that created a bottleneck in the final decision to cut rates.

“While the unemployment rate has increased over the past year, and inflation has trended down, in recent months, inflation has plateaued,” Fratantoni said. “It was not surprising to see a dissent at this meeting, with one member voting to keep rates steady.”

With the latest rate cut, The Federal Reserve hopes to inch closer to their inflation growth and ease the unemployment rate.

Worried about the state of the economy? You could consider paying down high-interest debt with a personal loan at a lower interest rate. Visit Credible to speak with a personal loan expert and get your questions answered.

INFLATION SEES THE LOWEST ANNUAL RISE SINCE 2021

Home sales likely to increase in 2025

The housing market has faced a roller coaster of a year, but certain aspects are expected to raise home sales in 2025. Real estate experts predict a slow thaw for mortgage rates, giving prospective buyers who have been priced out of the market in recent years more wiggle room.

Many housing market measures are trending closer to historical norms, showing signs of an improved market in the new year. Listings are still lower than before the pandemic, but there are significantly more than in March, when there was a 25% deficit, according to Zillow.

Buyers shouldn’t expect an entirely smooth path when buying in 2025, however. For many, 2025 looks eerily similar to the volatile market of 2024.

“There’s a strong sense of déjà vu on tap for 2025. We are once again expecting mortgage rates to get better gradually, and opportunities for buyers should follow, but be prepared for plenty of bumps on that path,” Zillow Chief Economist Skylar Olsen said.

Shoppers looking to move in the slower winter months have an advantage. Sellers who have been waiting for rates to drop may be looking to unload their homes while interest rates are on the decline.

“Those shopping this winter have plenty of time to choose and a relatively strong position in negotiations,” Olsen said.

If you’re looking to purchase a home, consider visiting Credible to find the best mortgage rate for your financial situation.

THE US ADDED 818,000 FEWER JOBS THIS YEAR THAN ORIGINALLY ESTIMATED

Mortgage rates and home prices expected to fluctuate over the next year

More listings may be on the horizon, but buyers shouldn’t expect rock bottom mortgage rates any time soon. Prices also aren’t set to drop just yet. Prices are expected to grow by 3.7%, Realtor.com recently reported.

Mortgage rates are also expected to remain in the 6% range, with fluctuations over the year, much like 2024. Due to these small improvements, single family home listings are expected to grow by nearly 14%, according to Realtor.com.

Sellers in certain highly desirable areas will still hold the power in 2025. Inventory is improving, but it’s still limited compared to years past. This gives sellers the upper hand when negotiating prices.

How the newest presidential administration will factor in the housing market recovery process is difficult to predict, but there’s a potential for a “Trump Bump”, as Realtor.com calls it.

“While President-elect Trump can work quickly with his administration to implement some regulatory changes, other policies that will affect housing, such as tax changes and broad deregulation, require the cooperation of other branches and levels of government,” Realtor.com Chief Economist Danielle Hale said.

“The size and direction of a Trump bump will depend on what campaign proposals ultimately become policy and when,” Hale said. “For now, we expect a gradual improvement in housing market dynamics powered by broader economic factors. The new administration’s policies have the potential to enhance or hamper the housing recovery, and the details will matter.”

If you think you’re ready to shop around for a home loan, use Credible to help you easily compare interest rates from multiple lenders in minutes.

FHFA ANNOUNCES HIGHER MORTGAGE LOAN LIMITS FOR 2025

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Finance

More Americans buy groceries with buy now, pay later loans

Published

4 hours ago

April 26, 2025

Business Finance News

People shop for produce at a Walmart in Rosemead, California, on April 11, 2025.

Frederic J. Brown | Afp | Getty Images

A growing number of Americans are using buy now, pay later loans to buy groceries, and more people are paying those bills late, according to new Lending Tree data released Friday.

The figures are the latest indicator that some consumers are cracking under the pressure of an uncertain economy and are having trouble affording essentials such as groceries as they contend with persistent inflation, high interest rates and concerns around tariffs.

In a survey conducted April 2-3 of 2,000 U.S. consumers ages 18 to 79, around half reported having used buy now, pay later services. Of those consumers, 25% of respondents said they were using BNPL loans to buy groceries, up from 14% in 2024 and 21% in 2023, the firm said.

Meanwhile, 41% of respondents said they made a late payment on a BNPL loan in the past year, up from 34% in the year prior, the survey found.

Lending Tree’s chief consumer finance analyst, Matt Schulz, said that of those respondents who said they paid a BNPL bill late, most said it was by no more than a week or so.

“A lot of people are struggling and looking for ways to extend their budget,” Schulz said. “Inflation is still a problem. Interest rates are still really high. There’s a lot of uncertainty around tariffs and other economic issues, and it’s all going to add up to a lot of people looking for ways to extend their budget however they can.”

“For an awful lot of people, that’s going to mean leaning on buy now, pay later loans, for better or for worse,” he said.

He stopped short of calling the results a recession indicator but said conditions are expected to decline further before they get better.

“I do think it’s going to get worse, at least in the short term,” said Schulz. “I don’t know that there’s a whole lot of reason to expect these numbers to get better in the near term.”

The loans, which allow consumers to split up purchases into several smaller payments, are a popular alternative to credit cards because they often don’t charge interest. But consumers can see high fees if they pay late, and they can run into problems if they stack up multiple loans. In Lending Tree’s survey, 60% of BNPL users said they’ve had multiple loans at once, with nearly a fourth saying they have held three or more at once.

“It’s just really important for people to be cautious when they use these things, because even though they can be a really good interest-free tool to help you kind of make it from one paycheck to the next, there’s also a lot of risk in mismanaging it,” said Schulz. “So people should tread lightly.”

Lending Tree’s findings come after Billboard revealed that about 60% of general admission Coachella attendees funded their concert tickets with buy now, pay later loans, sparking a debate on the state of the economy and how consumers are using debt to keep up their lifestyles. A recent announcement from DoorDash that it would begin accepting BNPL financing from Klarna for food deliveries led to widespread mockery and jokes that Americans were struggling so much that they were now being forced to finance cheeseburgers and burritos.

Over the last few years, consumers have held up relatively well, even in the face of persistent inflation and high interest rates, because the job market was strong and wage growth had kept up with inflation — at least for some workers.

Earlier this year, however, large companies including Walmart and Delta Airlines began warning that the dynamic had begun to shift and they were seeing cracks in demand, which was leading to worse-than-expected sales forecasts.