Personal Finance

Markets priced a 92.5% probability of a quarter-point federal-funds rate increase at the September 15–16 FOMC meeting, which would lift the target range to 3.75%–4.00% after five consecutive holds. The decision matters differently depending on what you owe or save: HELOCs and variable-rate credit cards adjust more directly to Fed moves, while 30-year fixed mortgages track the 10-year Treasury and existing fixed-rate auto loans are unaffected. A new Summary of Economic Projections releases alongside the decision, showing where each participant sees rates heading, though those dots represent individual judgments rather than committee commitments.

A final consent judgment effective August 31, 2026, permanently bars Andrew Metcalf and related entities from collecting debts in Massachusetts, blocking collection activity on approximately $52.8 million in debt across roughly 6,479 consumer accounts. The judgment requires defendants to file court dismissals and satisfaction of judgments on their own, with no action needed from affected consumers, though it does not automatically correct credit reports. A separate class-action settlement involving additional consumers remains conditionally pending court approval.