We went to university together ge money home loans It's not just the end of quantitative easing that markets are watching for; it's the end of near-zero interest rates. The Federal Reserve has maintained an ultra-low federal funds rate since late 2008 in an attempt to stimulate the economy. Powell, who joined the Open Market Committee in January, noted that 15 of 19 forecast participants at the most recent meeting said they don't foresee that rate increasing until 2015 or 2016.