The Fed delivered a 0.25% rate cut at its December meeting—but deep division among policymakers and missing economic data made this one of the most unusual decisions in years. Tim Lucas and Craig Berry unpack what the Fed’s split vote means, why housing won’t feel much relief, and what buyers should watch heading into 2026.
In this episode you’ll learn:
- A divided Fed: Three members dissented—the most disagreement since 2019. One wanted a bigger cut; two wanted none.
- Data blind spots: The Fed acted without full employment data due to the government shutdown, making the decision unusually risky.
- Labor market weakness: The U.S. added only 58,500 jobs per month recently—far below the 153,000 needed to keep pace with population growth.
- Powell’s housing message: A quarter-point cut won’t fix the market—inventory, not rates, is the real problem.
- Rate outlook: Mortgage rates remain in the low-to-mid 6% range, with major agencies expecting around 6.2% in 2026.
- The inflation/employment puzzle: Lower rates may boost jobs—but could reignite inflation, especially with tariff-driven price spikes expected into early 2026.
Read the full article:
https://www.mortgageresearch.com/current-rates/mortgage-rates-today-dec-10-2025/
