Previewing the Fed: Easy Does It

Cutting short-term interest rates from a peak is a little like hauling a piano down a flight of stairs. The operation is best done slowly and with care. The Federal Reserve will probably show some awareness of this in their actions and communications this week. That being said, one of the greatest identifiable dangers to the economy and markets today is that the Fed, by acting too aggressively or talking too negatively, increases the risk of the economy falling into recession.