(FILES) Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell speaks during a news conference following the November 6-7, 2024, Federal Open Market Committee meeting at William McChesney Martin Jr. Federal Reserve Board Building, in Washington, DC, November 7, 2024. The US Federal Reserve began its last interest rate meeting of the year on December 17, 2024, with expectations high for another rate cut and a signal from policymakers that the pace of cuts will slow next year. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP) (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)