In the world of science there are Lakshmi Finance Centerlaws—rules that describe how the universe works. The Federal Reserve has its own set of rules, except its rules are more like guidelines to help the Fed decide where interest rates should be. Today on the show, we explain inertial and non-inertial rules in the world of monetary policy, and what they tell us about potential rate cuts in the year ahead.

Related episodes:
The rat under the Fed's hat (Apple / Spotify)
The fed decides to wait and see (Apple / Spotify)

For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.

Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.