More than half of Americans (56 percent) say they believe that the U.S. economy is headed in the wrong direction, according to Bankrate’s new Consumer Sentiment Survey. That’s virtually unchanged from a similar Bankrate poll published before the November 2024 presidential elections, when 55 percent felt the economy was on the wrong track.

Trump has demanded the U.S. central bank lower its benchmark overnight interest rate immediately by a full percentage point, a dramatic step that would amount to an all-in bet by the Fed that inflation will fall to its 2% target and stay there regardless of what the administration does and even with dramatically looser financial conditions.

The forecasts could change again before the formal COLA announcement in October if higher U.S. tariffs cause prices to increase over the summer. The official announcement of 2026s

Americans are growing increasingly concerned about the effect tariffs will have on their finances. Look at their tariff-related fears and how to address them.

The Federal Reserve is widely expected to hold interest rates steady next week, with investors focused on new central bank projections that will show how much weight policymakers are putting on recent soft data and how much risk they attach to unresolved trade and budget issues and an intensifying conflict in the Middle East.

Inflation moved up in May as Trump's tariffs threatened to filter into consumer prices, CPI report shows. Gasoline prices declined for fourth month