As the Federal Reserve Bank has increased short-term lending rates 17 times since a four decade low in 2003, the rationale has been the restraint of inflation.
Inflation may be defined as a sustained increase in the aggregate price level, or as a loss in purchasing power of a currency unit such as the U.S. dollar. In simple terms, it means that your nest egg has less and less real buying power over time. In calculating rate of return targets as part of an Investment Policy Statement for pre-retirees and retirees, as well as for families accumulating capital for future mega-expenses like new cars, home renovations, college, weddings, religious observances like bar or bat mitzvahs, and retirement, inflation assumptions matter!
With the recent jumps in commodity costs, such as energy and base metals, inflation rates are rising.