The Impact of the Federal Reserve’s Interest Rate Hikes on U.S. Inflation Rate

Abstract

The Federal Reserve’s interest rate hikes have a significant impact on domestic economic activities and monetary policies in the United States. Since March 2022, the Federal Reserve has raised interest rates multiple times to counter domestic inflationary pressures. In this article, data on the U.S. inflation rate and the federal benchmark interest rate from January 2010 to March 2024 were extracted, and an ARIMA model was used for analysis to predict how the U.S. inflation rate will develop under the condition of interest rate hikes. The study found that after the Federal Reserve raised interest rates, the inflation rate in the United States also rose. The reasons for this situation may be due to increased inflation expectations and external factors such as COVID-19. To mitigate risks brought by the rise in inflation, such as asset devaluation, commodity price volatility, and reduced investment returns, investors can adopt strategies like diversifying their investments, closely monitoring the Federal Reserve’s interest rate hikes, and avoiding high-leverage investments.