The U.S. Federal Reserve's (Fed) decision of cutting interest rates has sparked mixed reactions among residents, with some celebrating the potential relief from economic burdens while others expressed concerns about the impact on their investment returns. On Wednesday, the Fed announced a 25-basis-point cut to the federal funds rate, lowering the target range to 4–4.25 percent, the first rate reduction since December 2024. Supporters believe the rate cut will ease financial pressure on consumers, especially by making mortgages more affordable for first-time homebuyers. "Well, I think it's fabulous. Number one, for first time home buyers, it's going to make it more affordable for them to go out and get mortgages, etc," said one resident. "Overall, I would say, for the consumer, lowering interest rates is probably better, because it makes it more affordable for certain people," said another resident. While the rate cut aligns with the expectations of many, some residents worry about its impact for U.S. government bondholders and the broader economic impact. "Personally, I think it's kind of not great. I have a lot of SGOV stocks and that's going to lower my return periodically. So I think it's not great," said a resident. "I guess that's pretty much what people were expecting. I don't know if personally, given where inflation is, that I would think that this is the best time to cut rates," said another resident. SHOTLIST: FILE: Washington D.C., USA - Date Unknown 1. Various of U.S. Federal Reserve building; national flag of United States, flag of Federal Reserve; New York City, USA - Sept 17, 2025 2. SOUNDBITE (English) local resident (name not given): "Well, I think it's fabulous. Number one, for first time home buyers, it's going to make it more affordable for them to go out and get mortgages, etc." 3. SOUNDBITE (English) local resident (name not given): "Overall, I would say, for the consumer, lowering interest rates is probably better, because it makes it more affordable for certain people."; FILE: Westbury, New York State, USA - Aug 1, 2025 4. Various of customers shopping for goods, goods on shelves; 5. Various of customers leaving supermarket with shopping carts; New York City, USA - Sept 17, 2025 6. SOUNDBITE (English) local resident (name not given): "Personally, I think it's kind of not great. I have a lot of SGOV stocks and that's going to lower my return periodically. So I think it's not great."; 7. SOUNDBITE (English) local resident (name not given): "I guess that's pretty much what people were expecting. I don't know if personally, given where inflation is, that I would think that this is the best time to cut rates."; FILE: New York City, USA - Oct 2024 8. Various of traffic, pedestrians. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]