Shan Ahmed Khan

April 29, 2026, 4:15 PM EDT. During Jerome Powell's eight-year leadership of the Federal Reserve, consumer interest rates and inflation saw notable changes. The Fed increased the key overnight lending rate 15 times and lowered it 11 times, moving the rate from near zero during the pandemic to a peak of 5.25%-5.50% in mid-2023 to counter inflation. Consumer prices rose 32%, with something costing $1,000 in 2018 priced at $1,323 in 2024. Online high-yield savings accounts improved yields from 1.53% in 2018 to an average of 3.43% this year, with top offers at 4.2%-4.4%. The Federal Open Market Committee balances economic data, geopolitical and fiscal factors when setting rates that affect savings returns, borrowing costs, and consumer prices.