The rate that most directly affects consumer-facing debt rates is the Fed’s target rate, which is manually set. To some extent it even influences short-term Treasury rates. This rate is managed to deliver the Fed’s dual mandate of full employment and low inflation.
Day gig is at a firm that extends consumer credit, so I keep an eye on cost of capital tracking, monitoring the spread, etc. Any debt packaged and sold into debt markets (asset backed securities) competes against treasuries from a yield (and risk premium pricing) spread perspective. Mortgages, auto loans, some credit card books, etc.
When the Fed cuts rates, your deposit account provider is going to start cutting your interest rate paid right away, but they’re going to maintain their credit rate pricing as long as possible (considering competition from other lenders) to maintain their spread and profit as long as possible. You see this with credit card interest rates, for example.
TLDR 10Y treasury sets the rate floor, broadly speaking.
