Fed seen keeping options open on stimulus Economists say the Federal Reserve is almost certain to keep buying 85 billion dollars worth of bonds each month to stimulate the US economy and to bring down the unemployment rate. Chairman Ben Bernanke and the other Fed policymakers are due to announce their plans on Wednesday at the end of a two-day meeting. They are expected to keep their options open on scaling back the programme later this year, depending on how the US economy - and particularly the labour market - improve. Economic data since the 19 officials met in May has been mixed. Employment growth was steady and consumers kept spending despite recent tax hikes and government spending cuts, but inflation has slowed further beneath the Fed's 2.0 percent target. More about: Federal Reserve, USA