Mortgages
FOMC meeting: How the Federal Reserve affects mortgage rates
4 min read
EXPERTISE
- Economy
- Federal Reserve
- U.S. economic policy
- Personal finance
- Taxes
- Unemployment insurance (UI)
EDUCATION
- Bachelor of Science in News-Editorial Journalism, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Master of Science in Journalism, Northwestern University
The Federal Reserve is one of the most complex institutions in the world; yet, its decisions impact consumers’ wallets more than any other policymaker in Washington, D.C. My goal is to remove some of the mystery surrounding the U.S. central bank, so you can be an even smarter consumer.
— Sarah Foster
About the author
Bankrate.com writer Sarah Foster covers the Federal Reserve, the U.S. economy and economic policy. Originally from a small town in rural Illinois, Foster developed a passion for economics while watching her community recover from the Great Recession. She witnessed just how much Main Street is impacted by Wall Street and saw firsthand that the Federal Reserve’s most well-intentioned policies can still leave those most desperate for help behind.
Experience
Sarah previously worked for Bloomberg News, the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Daily Herald and has been quoted in several national and regional media outlets, including Yahoo! News, NBC, the Toronto Star, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and more.
Media mentions
The Federal Reserve is one of the most complex institutions in the world; yet, its decisions impact consumers’ wallets more than any other policymaker in Washington, D.C. My goal is to remove some of the mystery surrounding the U.S. central bank, so you can be an even smarter consumer.
— Sarah Foster
Sarah's Latest Articles
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How the Fed impacts student loans
Some borrowers may want to pay attention to the Fed’s rate cuts.
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Fed keeps interest rates at zero, signals upcoming rate hike
Officials are sounding the alarm that they’re running the economy too hot.
7 min read Jan 26, 2022 -
6 ways the Fed’s interest rate decisions impact you
The Fed’s actions have a great deal of influence on your money.
6 min read Jan 26, 2022 -
January Fed meeting preview: Rising interest rates are looming, but how fast could it happen?
The Fed may indicate how big — and how fast — it plans to hike rates.
6 min read Jan 25, 2022 -
3 ways to lower your student loan interest rate
Learn three tips to score a lower interest rate on student loans.
5 min read Jan 19, 2022 -
2021-2022 tax brackets and federal income tax rates
There are seven tax brackets for most ordinary income: 10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35% and 37%.
4 min read Jan 12, 2022 -
How much is higher inflation hurting you? Here’s how to estimate
Some Americans may be getting stung by inflation that’s even higher than the national rate.
6 min read Jan 12, 2022 -
Higher inflation: Winners and losers when prices rise
Americans don’t have many places to hide from high inflation.
4 min read Jan 12, 2022