Forecast when the Fed Reserve will increase interest rates again & how often?

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but I'm going to go with they won't raise the rates.

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That's definitely a possibility.

Most of the "experts" on CNBC are going the other way and saying the Fed will raise rates 4 times this year starting in March.

They say the Fed's credibility is on the line after saying for almost two years it was going to institute the tightening process.

Futures are pointing to no rate increases this year but I'm also gonna go with your same prediction of 2 rate hikes in 2016.

I say zero.

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Even with the O&G plunge and Asia market volatility, FED needs to raise the rates. Otherwise they will have zero mechanism to adjust rates to spur activity in the next big downturn

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What if the next big downturn has already started?

The Fed has painted themselves into a corner. Traditionally raising rates is a tool to fight inflation.

I believe there is an internal interest rate for a normal functioning economy. When it gets too hot, raise rates, when it gets too cool, lower them.

But because the Fed left the rates low for so long, I think it has effectively changed that internal rate. The whole mother's milk thing.

Interest rates were left so low for essentially 7 years. That's basically about the time of a typical economic cycle.

Our economy is by no means booming. Thus, raising rates will choke down growth. We don't really have any room to lower them, either.

I can't predict what the fed will do with any accuracy, because of the corner they are in. If I have to guess, I'll say no raises until after the fall elections.

As to the question of influence, I think if there was no politicial influence, rates would have gone up long before now.

Rates were back under 4%today on 30 year and right at 3% on 15.

Does anyone want to change his prediction?

I do.

No rate increases this year.

2 times max for '16

Sweden just went negative on their rates. How the hell does that work?