FOMC Rate Decision (Federal Reserve): release dates and time
Eight meetings a year · Statement 2:00 p.m. ET, press conference 2:30 p.m. ET · Source: Federal Reserve Board
Next FOMC release
Official schedule · no forecasts
FOMC decision (27–28 Oct meeting)
Wed 28 Oct 2026 · 2:00 p.m. ET · Wed 28 Oct 2026 · 2:00 p.m. ET · 18:00 UTC
Press conference 2:30 p.m. ET
Often watched inGoldForexUS dollarOil
The Federal Reserve lists the remaining 2026 FOMC meetings on 27–28 October and 8–9 December (with economic projections). The statement is released at 2:00 p.m. ET on the second day and the press conference starts at 2:30 p.m. ET. Source: the Federal Reserve calendar, checked 23 Sep 2026.
Scheduled FOMC releases
| Date (ET) | Time (ET) | UTC | Your time | In | Release |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week of 5 Oct 2026 | |||||
| Wed 7 Oct 2026 | 2:00 p.m. ET | 18:00 UTC | — | FOMC FOMC minutes (15–16 Sep meeting) Fed | |
| Week of 26 Oct 2026 | |||||
| Wed 28 Oct 2026 | 2:00 p.m. ET | 18:00 UTC | — | FOMC FOMC decision (27–28 Oct meeting) Fed · Press conference 2:30 p.m. ET | |
| Week of 7 Dec 2026 | |||||
| Wed 9 Dec 2026 | 2:00 p.m. ET | 19:00 UTC | — | FOMC FOMC decision + projections (8–9 Dec meeting) Fed · Summary of Economic Projections; press conference 2:30 p.m. ET | |
| Week of 28 Dec 2026 | |||||
| Wed 30 Dec 2026 | 2:00 p.m. ET | 19:00 UTC | — | FOMC FOMC minutes (8–9 Dec meeting) Fed | |
Past releases are hidden.
Official schedule: Federal Reserve Board. Dates can change; the agency's page is the authority.
What it is
The Federal Open Market Committee sets US monetary policy, including the target range for the federal funds rate. It holds eight scheduled meetings a year. The policy statement is released at 2:00 p.m. Eastern time on the last day of the meeting, followed by the Chair's press conference at 2:30 p.m. Four meetings a year include a Summary of Economic Projections. Minutes follow about three weeks later.
Markets that often watch it: Gold, Forex, US dollar, Oil.
How markets tend to use it
Analysis, not a forecast
- The decision itself is often expected; markets react to changes in the statement's wording, the projections and the press conference.
- For gold and the dollar, the channel is the expected path of rates and real yields. Reactions can reverse during the press conference.
- Meetings with projections (December 2026) can move expectations more than the decision.
Before the release: a short checklist
- Note both times: the statement at 2:00 p.m. ET and the press conference at 2:30 p.m. ET.
- Read the previous statement so you can spot wording changes.
- Decide your risk before 2:00 p.m.: moves can continue or reverse during the press conference.
- If you trade a funded account, check your firm's news rule for rate decisions first.
Size the trade for the stop you would actually use around a release with the position size calculator.
Trading FOMC in a funded account?
Prop firms restrict trading around some news, but only in some phases and on some account types. What their own pages said on 23 Sep 2026:
- FTMO: FTMO's FAQ names the Federal Funds Rate among its restricted events. On a Standard FTMO Account (not during the evaluation) there is a 2-minute window before and after it.
- FundedNext: no news adjustment in the Challenge. On Stellar funded accounts, only 40% of the profit from trades in the window is counted toward the account balance. Losses in the window count in full. Window: 5 minutes before to 5 minutes after listed high-impact news.
- FundingPips: on master accounts, profits from trades in a 5-minute window around high-impact news (10 minutes around speeches) may be deducted; purposely trading news is prohibited in all phases. High-impact events in the FundingPips Economic Calendar on the trader dashboard.
Rules change and differ by account type. VERIFY CURRENT DATA on the firm's own page before you trade.
Compare news trading rulesSet alerts before FOMC
Mark your levels and set price alerts on a chart before the release, so you are not reacting to the first spike. Check TradingView's current plans on the official site.
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Related
Frequently asked questions
When is the next FOMC meeting?
The Federal Reserve calendar lists the remaining 2026 meetings on 27–28 October and 8–9 December. The December meeting includes a Summary of Economic Projections. Dates are tentative until confirmed at the preceding meeting.
What time is the FOMC decision released?
The statement is released at 2:00 p.m. ET on the second day of the meeting and the press conference starts at 2:30 p.m. ET, per the Federal Reserve's calendar.
When are the FOMC minutes published?
About three weeks after the meeting. The Fed calendar lists 7 October 2026 (September meeting) and 30 December 2026 (December meeting), at 2:00 p.m. ET.
What are the 2027 FOMC dates?
The Federal Reserve lists 26–27 January, 16–17 March, 27–28 April, 8–9 June, 27–28 July, 14–15 September, 26–27 October and 7–8 December 2027. Projections come with the March, June, September and December meetings.
Sources
Official or primary sources used for the facts above. Figures and terms change, so check the source before acting on them.
- Federal Reserve — Meeting calendars and informationAccessed
- Federal Reserve — Calendar: October 2026Minutes 7 Oct at 2:00 p.m.; press conference 28 Oct at 2:30 p.m.Accessed
- Federal Reserve — Calendar: December 2026Press conference 9 Dec at 2:30 p.m.; minutes 30 Dec at 2:00 p.m.Accessed
- Federal Reserve — Federal Reserve issues FOMC statement (17 June 2026)Statement released at 2:00 p.m. EDT.Accessed
Written by
Volodymyr KravchenkoIndependent market researcher focused on Forex, Gold, commodities, macroeconomic data and AI-powered financial intelligence.
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