The Federal Reserve delivered powerful new relief to people and businesses squeezed by the ailing economy Wednesday, cutting interest rates ever deeper in an effort to avert or at least soften the blow of a recession. ...more

January 31, 2008

Individuals and businesses are likely to see their borrowing costs drop further as the Federal Reserve weighs another interest-rate reduction to bolster a sagging economy. ...more

January 30, 2008

The Federal Reserve, confronted by deepening panic in global financial markets about a possible recession in the United States, struck back on Tuesday with the biggest one-day reduction of interest rates on record and at least temporarily stopped a vertigo-inducing plunge in stock prices. ...more

January 23, 2008

Fed chairman Ben Bernanke borrowed a page from Alan Greenspan's crisis playbook when he promised emphatically to cut interest rates further if the weak economy needs the help. ...more

January 11, 2008

The Federal Reserve moved Tuesday to protect homebuyers from dubious lending practices, its most sweeping response to a mortgage meltdown that has forced record numbers of people from their homes. ...more

December 19, 2007

People taking out home mortgages may gain new protections soon against shady lending practices as the Federal Reserve seeks to back even the riskiest borrowers, already hit hardest by the housing and credit crunches. ...more

December 16, 2007

Federal Reserve policymakers are expected to slice a key interest rate for a third time this year in an effort to prevent troubles in the housing and credit markets from sinking the nation's economy. ...more

December 11, 2007

Since the Federal Reserve last met in October, credit has become harder to obtain, Wall Street has convulsed again and the housing slump has intensified. And policymakers at the central bank now appear to have changed their minds about the need to drop interest rates again. ...more

December 10, 2007

The Federal Reserve sliced an important interest rate Wednesday - its second reduction in the last six weeks - to help the economy survive the strains of a deepening housing slump that is likely to crimp growth in coming months. ...more

November 1, 2007

For the first time in more than four years, the Federal Reserve appears ready to lower interest rates to prevent a housing meltdown and a painful credit crunch from driving the economy into a recession. ...more

September 17, 2007