Current briefing · Money
The Federal Reserve raised its rate. Your borrowing rate is a different number.
The federal funds target is now 3.75% to 4.00%. A business loan still depends on its own benchmark, margin, terms, and risk.
Apply this to your situation
What this means for your business
This matters most if you use a credit line, have a loan with a rate that can change, or expect to borrow soon. The effect depends on your agreement and when you need the money.
- If you already have a loan
- Check whether the rate is fixed or variable. For a variable rate, find the benchmark, the amount added by the lender and the next reset date. Ask the lender to confirm how those terms affect your next payment. An existing fixed rate does not rise simply because the Fed raises its rate.
- If you plan to borrow
- Compare written offers using the amount you receive, payment schedule, fees, guarantees and total repayment. Put the proposed payments beside the weeks you expect customers to pay you, including a slower-sales scenario.
Keep in mind: The headline rate is not your borrowing rate. It cannot tell you whether a lender will approve you or whether your business can afford the debt.
Compare loan payments with your cash forecast →The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) raised its target range for the federal funds rate by one quarter of a percentage point to 3.75% to 4.00% on September 16. The vote was 12 to 0.
That range is a monetary-policy target for overnight transactions between banks. It is not an advertised small-business loan rate. A business may see the decision flow through to bank prime rates, variable-rate loans, credit lines, cards, savings yields, and lenders' funding costs, but each product has its own terms and timing.
What the source reports
The Federal Reserve said economic activity was expanding at a solid pace, domestic spending had been resilient, inflation remained elevated, and the rate increase supported its return to a 2% inflation goal.
The related implementation note set the rate paid on reserve balances at 3.90% and the primary credit rate at 4.00%, effective September 17.
What a business may actually pay
A lender can price a business loan using a benchmark plus a margin. The benchmark might be the prime rate, a Treasury yield, the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR), or another reference. The margin can reflect the borrower's credit, collateral, cash flow, loan size, term, guarantees, industry, and lender policy. Fees and required deposits can change the effective cost.
A policy-rate increase therefore does not mean every business rate rises by exactly 0.25 percentage point. Fixed-rate debt may not change at all. A variable-rate loan may reset on a specified date under a specified formula. A new offer can change for several reasons at once.
Check the actual documents
For each current or proposed borrowing arrangement, record:
- principal outstanding or amount requested;
- fixed or variable rate;
- benchmark, margin, floor, and cap;
- next reset date;
- maturity date and amortization period;
- monthly payment and total scheduled interest;
- origination, annual, unused-line, prepayment, and late fees;
- collateral and personal-guarantee requirements;
- financial covenants and reporting deadlines.
Then model the payment at the contractual rate and at a plausible higher rate. Do not use the federal funds target range as the loan rate unless the contract actually says so.
A small change can matter over time
On a $250,000 balance, an increase of 0.25 percentage point represents about $625 of additional annual interest before compounding, principal reduction, fees, or day-count rules. That rough calculation is useful for scale, but it is not a payment quote.
The larger decision is whether the borrowing funds something that can support the payment under realistic conditions. Compare the debt schedule with the 13-week cash forecast and a longer operating forecast. A temporary cash gap, a recurring operating loss, and a long-lived asset are different financing problems.
What this decision does not prove
The rate decision does not prove that an individual lender will approve a loan, that borrowing is appropriate, or that a business should delay an investment. It does not predict the next policy decision. The Federal Reserve's economic description is national and does not replace the business's own sales, margins, invoices, and cash schedule.
Sources
- Federal Reserve, FOMC statement issued September 16, 2026
- Federal Reserve, implementation note issued September 16, 2026
This briefing is general information, not a credit offer or financial advice.