By Brandi Smith
For the first time since June 2006, the Federal Reserve board voted to raise its key rate by a quarter-point to a range of .25 percent to .5 percent. The announcement made on Dec. 16 is something the Fed has hinted at since March, causing months of speculation about the impact of an increase.
“Nearly seven years ago, the Fed put its benchmark interest rate close to zero as a way to prop up the economy,” said John T. Fenoglio, CBRE Capital Markets’ Houston-based executive vice president.