The Fed is heading into its October meeting in the dark. The government shutdown, now in its fourth week, has prevented the release of most key economic data that the central bank relies on to make its rate decisions.

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) will meet Tuesday and Wednesday, as it is independently funded and operates outside the rest of the federal government. Last month, the Fed made its first cut of 2025 — by 25 basis points — bringing the federal funds rate to 4.00%-4.25%. The Fed is widely expected to cut rates again by a quarter of a percentage point to 3.75%-4.00% at its Oct. 28-29 meeting. But it would be doing so without a complete picture of how the economy performed in September.

Rate cuts are important for consumers, borrowers and savers. The Fed’s actions

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