Fed doubles taper rate, eyes three interest rate hikes in 2022 as inflation soars

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday announced plans to accelerate the wind down of pandemic-era stimulus for the U.S. economy and penciled in at least three interest rate hikes next year as policymakers seek to combat the hottest inflation in four decades.

The Federal Open Market Committee said at the conclusion of its two-day policy-setting meeting this week that it would double the reduction of its asset-purchase program to $30 billion a month, a timeline that could phase out the purchases entirely by March rather than the original June trajectory laid out last month.