Borrowers looking for lower costs will have to wait as the Fed is unlikely to cut rates

The inflation-fighters at the Federal Reserve are expected to keep their key interest rate unchanged Wednesday for the fourth straight time. That's likely to shift attention to how many interest rate cuts they forecast for this year.

It's widely expected that the 19 Fed officials that participate in the central bank's interest-rate decisions will project two rate cuts for this year, as they did in December and March. But some economists expect that one or both of those cuts could be pushed back to 2026.

The Fed will almost certainly keep the short-term rate it controls at about 4.3%, economists say, where it has stood since the central bank last cut rates in December. Since then, it has stayed on the sidelines while it evaluates the impact of President Donald Trump's tariffs and other policy changes on the economy and prices.