Its not psychological, Fed rate cut adds liquidity and lowers borrowing all across the board. There is more circulation of money than before , billions of dollars. Its the instrument that drives the economic conditions in our country.
Mortgage rates and liquidity will gradually improve as well. [/B]
There's a post on this site that said $250 million was borrowed last week at the discount window. Tony Crescenzi at Miller Tabak said yesterday that the average weekly withdrawal is $187 million, which comes to 0.5% of GDP.
Almost all interest rates are keyed off the fed funds rate, not the discount rate. The discount window has usually been used as a last resort for ailing banks.
Since the discount rate was cut and not the funds rate, the effect is psychological.
Liquidity should improve, but that's because it was frozen in the inter-bank and money markets.
It may presage a cut in the fed funds target though. I only think that will happen, however, if the economy is really slowing.