Federal Reserve is set to cut key rate but consumers might not feel much benefit anytime soon

Federal Reserve officials on Wednesday will likely signal a slower pace of interest rate cuts next year compared with the past few months, which would mean that Americans might enjoy only slight relief from still-high borrowing costs for mortgages, auto loans and credit cards. The Fed is set to announce a quarter-point cut to its benchmark rate. The latest move would follow a larger-than-usual half-point rate cut in September and a quarter-point reduction in November. Wednesday’s meeting, though, could mark a shift to a new phase in the Fed’s policies: Instead of a rate cut at each meeting, the Fed is more likely to cut at every other meeting — at most.