The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady for the third consecutive meeting, remaining vague on how soon consumers would get a reprieve from high borrowing costs. As of the end of December’s two-day policy meeting, which wrapped up on Wednesday, central bankers decided to keep the benchmark federal funds rate between 5.25% and 5.5% — a 22-year high first reached in July. The highly-anticipated rate decision was accompanied by a statement minimally changed from the previous meeting, noting that the US economy “is sound a resilient.” The Fed’s remarks also noted a slowdown in economic activity, citing “moderated” US payroll…
