By Michael S. Derby NEW YORK (Reuters) -Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said on Thursday he continues to believe the U.S. central bank should cut interest rates at the end of this month amid mounting risks to the economy and the strong likelihood that tariff-induced inflation will not drive a persistent rise in price pressures.

A top White House budget official said President Trump is "troubled" by Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell's management, as Mr. Trump pressures him over interest rates.

For a moment on Wednesday, it looked like President Donald Trump would finally attempt the improbable and fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.

A new report shows inflation has picked up and analysts believe the prices of many goods increased, in part, because of President Trump’s tariffs. It will play into decisions by the Federal Reserve about when and whether to cut interest rates and comes as the president and his team have ramped up their pressure campaign on Fed Chair Jerome Powell.

High housing costs, soaring interest rates, and a shortage of available homes continue to challenge potential buyers across the country. With 30-year mortgage rates nearing 7%, many are left wondering about relief.

If, as expected, they show a continued fall in vacancies, then that strengthens the argument for going ahead with a cut in rates. Bloomberg is predicting a 4.9% unemployment rate, up from the 4.6% reported last month. But as always it is important to keep all the figures in perspective.

Potential homebuyers may be able to save money with a little-known financing option, but they still need to watch their credit.

New tariffs on key building materials and persistently high interest rates are squeezing project budgets and increasing costs for the US construction industry.

Interest rate swaps create cash flow stability for borrowers at a lower interest rate than if they had entered into a fixed-rate loan directly. At the same time, lenders are guaranteed to get their payments at the floating market rate.

Financial markets are betting the Federal Reserve sticks to its "wait and see" approach to interest rates this summer, but that by September it will have waited and seen enough to start cutting borrowing costs.

The higher yields found in the bond market provide a bigger buffer against volatility compared with a few years ago — and greater potential for upside than downside as interest rates change, according to Vanguard.