Rising Oil Prices Threaten Economic Stability

After dropping below $70 a barrel (bbl) in early summer, the price of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude has been steadily marching higher. Last week, the price breached $90/bbl for the first time in a year, and there are no signs that the rise is slowing. Further increases would negatively impact consumers, especially for gasoline and transportation costs. While the Federal Reserve’s rate hikes have helped curb inflation, factors like oil supply dynamics are outside their control. Rising oil prices put the Fed’s attempts to engineer…