Top officials of the U.S. central bank are expected to hold interest
rates steady when they gather at a key policymaking meeting Tuesday and
Wednesday in Washington.
The U.S. Federal Reserve has cut
interest rates several times recently to bolster economic growth that
has been hurt by the faltering housing market, tight credit, and other
problems.
But economists say cutting rates too low can spark
inflation, which is a growing threat as oil prices soar to ever higher
record levels.
Experts interviewed by news organizations, like
Bloomberg and Reuters, say the Fed will probably keep interest rates
unchanged for a while, but raise them later this year.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP, Bloomberg and Reuters.
