A high discount rate causes loans to be more expensive and encourages people to save more money. Rates on credit cards and home equity lines of credit track the fed funds rate … The Fed lowers the fed funds rate to stimulate the economy by making it cheaper to borrow money. Fed slashes key rate to near zero Ben Bernanke & Co. cite the weakness in the economy and the reduced inflation threat as justification to cut rates to a record low range of 0% to 0.25%. Fed rate cuts are generally tailored to demand shocks that cause a slowdown in consumer and business activity. B. the Fed is about to lower the prime rate. This could be considered contractionary monetary policy. Thus far, though, the coronavirus scare has … So by raising or lowering the discount rate, the Fed can basically force banks to keep more money in reserve, which lowers the amount of money in circulation—the money supply. At the beginning of the last recession, the Fed lowered the discount rate to help stressed financial institutions cover costs. The discount rate helps steer the Fed’s monetary policy. A lower federal funds rate means: Fed sees interest rates staying near zero through 2022, GDP bouncing to 5% next year Published Wed, Jun 10 2020 2:00 PM EDT Updated Wed, Jun 10 2020 4:59 PM EDT Jeff Cox @jeff.cox.7528 @JeffCoxCNBCcom At the height of the financial crisis in 2008, loans with the discount rate were as long as 90 days. Then the Fed lowers interest rates when the economy is weak. When the Fed lowers the discount rate, this sends a signal to banks that: A. the Fed is about to raise the prime rate. The Federal Reserve committed Wednesday to do more to help the US economic recovery, promising more asset purchases and lower interest rates for even longer than it previously expected. On March 16, 2020, the Federal Reserve Board of Governors lowered the rate to 0.25% in response to the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak. The Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate to near zero — a dramatic move not seen since the depths of the 2008 financial crisis. The Federal Reserve discount rate is the rate that the U.S. central bank charges member banks to borrow from its discount window to maintain the bank's cash reserve requirements. The Bank of … If the economy is weak, the Fed will lower interest rates to encourage businesses and consumers to buy and borrow. The idea is that lower interest rates will encourage people to take out new loans, refinance existing debt and spur the economy. In those situations, short-term loans tend to get a bit longer.