The Federal Reserve will have its last meeting of 2013 this week, with expectations increasing that the central bank could start to trim its $85 billion-a-month bond-buying program.
That long-awaited "taper" was actually expected in September, but the Fed was not quite ready at the time.
Things have changed since, though, and there is increasing confidence that at least some reduction in the program may be at hand.
Read more on the taper:
Get ready, here it comes: A December taper
Time for bond market to put down bets
The Fed's taper tests