2026 FOMC Decisions Through September: Meeting Timeline
The Federal Reserve released scheduled policy decisions on January 28, March 18, April 29, June 17, July 29 and September 16, 2026, raising its target range by a quarter point at the September meeting.
Timeline
- January 28, March 18 and April 29, 2026: The FOMC released policy statements and maintained a 3.5–3.75 percent target range.
- June 17 and July 29, 2026: The scheduled statements continued the year's meeting sequence; the July decision maintained the same target range.
- September 16, 2026: The FOMC voted unanimously to raise the target range by 0.25 percentage point to 3.75–4.00 percent.
Through September 2026, the Federal Open Market Committee released scheduled monetary-policy statements on January 28, March 18, April 29, June 17, July 29 and September 16. The Federal Reserve's annual press-release index is the simplest official chronology. It separates policy statements from minutes, implementation notes and economic projections that can appear around the same meeting. [1][2]
The January meeting maintained the federal funds target range at 3.5 to 3.75 percent. March and April also kept that range, and the July statement confirmed it remained unchanged at 3.5 to 3.75 percent. Individual votes differed at several meetings, showing that an unchanged target does not necessarily mean every committee member preferred the same course. [1]
On September 16, the committee changed direction and raised the target range by one quarter of a percentage point, to 3.75 to 4 percent. The published statement recorded a 12–0 vote. It said economic activity was expanding at a solid pace, the labor market had changed little and inflation remained elevated, while uncertainty included geopolitical developments. [2]
A target range is not the interest rate charged directly on a mortgage, credit card or savings account. It guides the overnight federal funds market and influences broader financial conditions through expectations, bank funding and bond yields. Consumer and business rates can move before or after a meeting and may respond to inflation data, economic news and risk premiums as well as the decision. [1][2]
Some meetings also publish a Summary of Economic Projections. In 2026, projections accompanied the March, June and September meetings. Those materials collect participants' individual assessments of growth, unemployment, inflation and an appropriate policy path. The so-called dot plot is not a committee promise, and it can change as data and policymakers' judgments change. [1]
Minutes arrive after the decision and provide a fuller account of discussion, while the statement gives the immediate action and vote. Implementation notes explain the operating steps used to maintain the chosen range. Mixing these release types can create false dates, so a timeline should anchor each rate decision to the statement's publication day rather than the later minutes date. [1][2]
The sequence through September is therefore five scheduled releases before the September increase, with the official index recording all six dates. This article stops at September 16 and does not predict later meetings. For current policy, readers should consult the newest Federal Reserve statement because a historical target range can become outdated at the next scheduled or unscheduled action. [1][2]