#FOMCMeeting The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) is the U.S. central bank’s policy‑making body responsible for setting short‑term interest rates and guiding monetary policy to achieve stable prices and maximum employment. It consists of twelve voting members: the seven members of the Board of Governors, the president of the New York Fed, and four of the remaining eleven Reserve Bank presidents (on a rotating basis).

Each quarter, the FOMC holds eight scheduled meetings (approximately every six weeks) to review economic conditions, financial markets, and risks to the outlook. Members examine data on inflation, unemployment, GDP growth, and global developments. Based on that analysis, they vote on whether to raise, lower, or maintain the federal funds rate target range.

After each meeting, the FOMC issues a policy statement summarizing its economic assessment and decision. Four times a year it also releases updated “dot plots” showing each member’s projections for the federal funds rate over the next three years. These communications shape market expectations and influence borrowing costs across the economy.

Meeting transcripts are published with a five‑year lag, offering insight into participants’ deliberations. The FOMC’s actions affect mortgage rates, business investment, and overall financial conditions, making its meetings among the most closely watched events in global finance.