Fed Discount Rate Minutes Show Hike Requests Grew From 2 Banks to 7 in September

Federal Reserve Board minutes show Reserve Bank requests for a 4.00% discount rate grew from two banks in August to seven by the September 16 meeting.

Federal Reserve Board minutes show Reserve Bank requests for a 4.00% discount rate grew from two banks in August to seven by the September 16 meeting.

The federal government spent $1.360 trillion on interest in fiscal 2026, Treasury's closing accounting shows, up $140.4 billion from fiscal 2025 and a record high.

Treasury bills ended fiscal 2026 at $7.118 trillion, or 22.36% of marketable federal debt, the largest fiscal year end share since 2020. Bills grew $721.1 billion over the year.

Fed Governor Christopher Waller said 16 of 18 officials who filed September projections expect another 2026 rate increase, and that the hikes need not come at back to back meetings.

Total public debt outstanding reached $40,305,316,210,829.72 on October 8, 2026, the first reading ever above $40.3 trillion and up $133.49 billion in six business days.

Treasury's blended rate on all interest bearing federal debt reached 3.531% on September 30, the highest since April 2009, while new 30-year bonds cleared 5.618%.

Minutes of the September FOMC meeting show a unanimous 12 to 0 vote to raise rates and most officials expecting one more increase before the end of 2026.

The federal debt grew $2.46 trillion in fiscal 2026 and closed at $40.097 trillion, the first fiscal year to end above $40 trillion. Here is what it costs.

Core PCE inflation held at 3.0% in August while consumer spending jumped 0.9% and the saving rate fell to 4.1%, leaving the Fed a split signal before the October FOMC meeting.

Every Treasury maturity from three years out to 30 years closed at or above 5.00% on September 28, 2026, the first time since July 2007. The 10-year reached 5.24%.