Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke arrived for a two-day meeting for the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) in Washington D.C on Wednesday.
This week, most economists expect the Fed will take steps to decisively ease policy again with a third round of bond purchases to give the recovery another kick start.
It will also offer a fresh batch of forecasts for growth, unemployment and inflation - as well as projections for when interest rates will finally rise - this time stretching them over four years into 2015. Previously, the Fed waited until November to add a fourth year.
