The next Federal Reserve meeting is Dec. 8–9, 2026. The rate decision comes at 2 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Dec. 9, with new economic projections and a press conference. The Fed’s target range stands at 3.75% to 4.00% after a quarter-point increase in September and a hold in October.
Last updated Nov. 1, 2026. Meeting dates are from the Federal Reserve’s FOMC calendar; decisions are from the committee’s statements. Every date is tentative until the committee confirms it at the meeting before.
At a glance
- Current target range: 3.75% to 4.00%. Raised by a quarter point on Sept. 16, 2026, and left unchanged on Oct. 28, 2026.
- Next decision: Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2026, at 2 p.m. ET, after the two-day meeting that opens Dec. 8. This meeting includes the quarterly Summary of Economic Projections, the “dot plot” of where officials expect rates to go.
- Minutes of the Oct. 27–28 meeting: expected Nov. 18, 2026 (the Fed releases minutes three weeks after each meeting).
- First meeting of 2027: Jan. 26–27.
2026 Fed meetings and decisions
| Meeting | Decision | Target range after |
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 27–28 | Held | 3.50%–3.75% |
| March 17–18* | Held | 3.50%–3.75% |
| April 28–29 | Held | 3.50%–3.75% |
| June 16–17* | Held | 3.50%–3.75% |
| July 28–29 | Held | 3.50%–3.75% |
| Sept. 15–16* | Raised a quarter point | 3.75%–4.00% |
| Oct. 27–28 | Held | 3.75%–4.00% |
| Dec. 8–9* | Decision due Dec. 9, 2 p.m. ET | — |
* Meeting with a Summary of Economic Projections.
2027 Fed meeting dates
| Meeting | Decision day | Projections |
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 26–27 | Wednesday, Jan. 27 | No |
| March 16–17 | Wednesday, March 17 | Yes |
| April 27–28 | Wednesday, April 28 | No |
| June 8–9 | Wednesday, June 9 | Yes |
| July 27–28 | Wednesday, July 28 | No |
| Sept. 14–15 | Wednesday, Sept. 15 | Yes |
| Oct. 26–27 | Wednesday, Oct. 27 | No |
| Dec. 7–8 | Wednesday, Dec. 8 | Yes |
The first meeting of 2028 is scheduled for Jan. 25–26.
How a Fed decision day works
The Federal Open Market Committee meets eight times a year. The statement with the rate decision is released at 2 p.m. ET on the second day, and the chair’s press conference follows at 2:30 p.m. Four of the eight meetings (March, June, September and December) also publish the Summary of Economic Projections, where each official pencils in where they expect rates, inflation and unemployment to be. Minutes come out three weeks after each meeting.
The federal funds rate is what banks charge each other overnight. Credit-card rates, home-equity lines and savings yields move with it within weeks. Mortgage rates do not: they track the 10-year Treasury yield, which is why a Fed pause does not automatically lower mortgage rates. For the run-up to the October meeting, see our preview of the Oct. 28 decision. For the jobs and inflation reports the Fed watches, see Jobs & Inflation.
Sources: Federal Reserve, FOMC meeting calendars; FOMC statement, Sept. 16, 2026; FOMC statement, Oct. 28, 2026.
Latest
Denise Powell (D) defeated Brinker Harding (R) and Eric Michael Foreman (L) in the general election for Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District
Denise Powell (D) defeated Brinker Harding (R) and Eric Michael Foreman (L) in the general election for Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District on November 3, 2026. Incumbent Don Bacon (R), first…

Federally backed loans cover two in five first-time mortgages
(The Center Square) – Two in five first-time homebuyers who took out a mortgage over the past year used a loan backed by the federal government, according to a new…

Fed pause won’t lower mortgage rates, economists say
(The Center Square) – The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady Wednesday, a decision that does little for homebuyers facing mortgage rates near 7.3% and builder confidence that is at…

Mortgage rates fall to 7.32% in first weekly drop since August, Freddie Mac says
The average 30-year fixed rate eased from 7.40% in the week before Federal Reserve officials meet Oct. 27-28, but it remains more than a full percentage point above a year ago.

When is the next Fed meeting? Rate decision due Oct. 28 after September hike
Federal Reserve policymakers meet Oct. 27–28, after most officials signaled in September that another rate increase would likely be appropriate by year end.

Housing starts fell 5.2% in September as mortgage rates held near 7.4%
The Census Bureau put September 2026 housing starts at a 1.22 million annual rate, 7.4% below a year earlier, a week before the Federal Reserve’s Oct. 27–28 meeting.

Fed minutes show most officials expected another rate increase by year-end
Minutes of the September 15-16 meeting, released Oct. 7, show the committee unanimously backed a quarter-point hike and leaned toward one more in 2026.