By DAVID PAYNE, Staff Economist June 13, 2019
Short-term interest rates are headed down because of expectations that the Federal Reserve will cut the federal funds rate next month. The Fed probably will lower the rate, at either its July 31 or September 18 meeting. The central bank wants to counteract the slowdown in manufacturing caused by the trade war.
The Fed could also cut rates in 2020 if an expected economic slowdown threatens to snowball. GDP growth should slow from 2.5% this year to about 1.8% next year, but could drop more if a U.S.-China trade deal doesn’t happen, or some other negative economic shock occurs.