According to some, such as John B. Taylor and Thomas M.

Hoenig, "excessive risk-taking and

the housing boom" were brought on by the Federal Reserve holding "interest rates too low for too
long".[53][54]
In the wake of the dot-com crash and the subsequent 20012002 recession the Federal Reserve
dramatically lowered interest rates to historically low levels, from about 6.5% to just 1%. This
spurred easy credit for banks to make loans. By 2006 the rates had moved up to 5.25% which
lowered the demand and increased the monthly payments for adjustable rate mortgages. The
resulting foreclosures increased supply, dropping housing prices further. Former Federal Reserve
Board Chairman Alan Greenspan admitted that the housing bubble was "fundamentally
engendered by the decline in real long-term interest rates." [55]
Mortgages had been bundled together and sold on Wall Street to investors and other countries
looking for a higher return than the 1% offered by Federal Reserve. The percentage of risky
mortgages was increased while rating companies claimed they were all top-rated. Instead of the
limited regions suffering the housing drop, it was felt around the world. The Congressmen who
had pushed to create subprime loans[56][57] now cited Wall Street and their rating companies for
misleading these investors.[58][59]
Return to higher rates[edit]
Between 2004 and 2006, the Fed raised interest rates 17 times, increasing them from 1% to
5.25%, before pausing.[73] The Fed paused raising interest rates because of the concern that an
accelerating downturn in the housing market could undermine the overall economy, just as the
crash of the dot-com bubble in 2000 contributed to the subsequent recession. However, New York
University economist Nouriel Roubini asserted that "The Fed should have tightened earlier to
avoid a festering of the housing bubble early on."[74]
There was a great debate as to whether or not the Fed would lower rates in late 2007. The
majority of economists expected the Fed to maintain the Fed funds rate at 5.25 percent through
2008;[75] however, on September 18, it lowered the rate to 4.75 percent. [76]