“Federal Reserve Raises Interest Rates ” This is Something to Think About 09.17.26
Something to Think About
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“Federal Reserve Raises Interest Rates ”
Bill Bunkley’s “This Is Something to Think About
Air Date Thursday, September 17, 2026
A much-speculated September interest rate decision by the Federal Reserve Open Market Committee and its new chairman, Trump appointee Kevin Walsh, is in. The committee raised interest rates by ¼%. All 12 members voted unanimously to tighten monetary policy by implementing higher rates.
Most economists had predicted a ¼% hike.
As the bond market has already been moving higher in rates, it's not a surprise that the Federal Reserve followed.
The move continues their diligence to keep inflation in check, with their ongoing target at 2%.
The decision means higher interest rates for consumer loans, including autos, credit cards, and mortgages.
The next question for markets is whether the Fed will raise interest rates again by the end of the year, since it rarely raises rates only once.
Bill Bunkley is a 20-year veteran Salem Media talk show host based in Tampa. The Bill Bunkley Show airs on weekdays from 3 to 5 pm across central Florida. Bill is also President of the Florida Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission and the legislative consultant to the Florida Baptist State Convention (Southern Baptist Convention Churches), among other churches and entities. He has served as the legislative consultant to the Florida Baptist State Convention for the last 30 years at the state capitol in Tallahassee. By the Grace of his Lord Jesus, he is a cancer survivor diagnosed in 2018 with AML Leukemia, having successfully undergone a bone marrow transplant that same year. In 2025, he underwent successful open-heart surgery to repair a heart valve. His wife is Toni, his son is Zac, and he attends Idlewild Baptist Church.
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