Summary Box: Fed to keep record-low rates for now; debate how and when to signal rate hikes

Summary Box: Fed debates how to signal rate hikes

THE GREAT DEBATE: Likely to dominate the Fed’s discussion at its meeting Tuesday: how and when to signal higher interest rates are on the way. The challenge: doing so in a way that doesn’t confuse or jolt ordinary Americans and Wall Street investors.

HIGHER RATES MONTHS AWAY: The Fed has said record-low rates are still needed to foster the recovery. But once the recovery is firmly rooted, the Fed will need to start bumping up rates to keep inflation at bay.

ROCK-BOTTOM RATES: The Fed on Tuesday is expected to hold rates at record lows, where they have stood since December 2008.