In September, the US Federal Reserve maintained interest rates at 5.5%, the first pause in what has been a rising rate environment since early 2022. Similarly, the Bank of England kept its interest rate at 5.25%, the first time since 2021 that the rate had paused.
So, in October, we asked our readers whether they thought that this marked the end of the recent rising interest rate environment.
In a rare turn of events, Life Risk News readers were split; 42.1% said they thought that the rising rate environment had now seen its peak, and 42.1% said that there were more increases likely. Only 15.8% were unsure.
The ayes were right – in the short term. On 2nd November, the Bank of England voted to maintain interest rates at 5.25% and on 3rd November, the US Fed also voted to maintain the country’s status quo. Whether the ayes or the nays are right in the medium term remains to be seen.