#FOMCMeeting The **FOMC (Federal Open Market Committee)** is like the main group within the U.S. central bank (the Federal Reserve) that makes big decisions about money.

Here's the easy way to understand what they do:

* **They control interest rates:** This is their most important job. They decide a key interest rate that then affects almost all other interest rates in the U.S. – like how much you pay for a house loan, a car loan, or how much you earn on your savings.

* **They manage how much money is around:** They can put more money into the financial system or take it out. This also helps control interest rates and how easy or hard it is for people and businesses to borrow money.

**Why are they important?**

* Their decisions directly affect the **U.S. economy** – things like jobs, prices (inflation), and how fast the economy grows.

* What they do also heavily influences **global financial markets** – stock markets, currencies, and even the price of things like oil.

**Their main goals:**

1. To have as **many people employed** as possible.

2. To keep **prices stable** (meaning inflation isn't too high).

The FOMC meets about **eight times a year**. Their next meeting is actually happening **today and tomorrow (June 17-18, 2025)**. Everyone's watching to see if they'll give any hints about whether they plan to lower interest rates soon.