Rubbish Check
CNBC Top News · 23 September 2026
source“Fed’s Collins warns inflation could be ‘notably’ higher after backing rate hike”
R2/ 10
Lightly altered
Rubbish Rating — 1 = base fact, 10 = pure rubbish
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In short
Rubbish Talk rates CNBC's headline that Fed's Collins "warns inflation could be 'notably' higher" a 2/10 because it accurately quotes her own LinkedIn wording and doesn't overstate a Boston Fed official who isn't even a voting FOMC member this year.
The Verdict
Lightly altered, close to base fact. The headline uses Collins's own word, "notably," lifted directly from her post, and correctly frames it as a warning tied to her support for last week's hike. The only soft spot: the headline doesn't flag that Collins is a non-voter this year, a detail buried in paragraph three that slightly inflates her policy weight, but that's a minor omission, not a distortion of what she said.
What actually happened
Boston Fed president Susan Collins wrote in a LinkedIn post that a "somewhat more restrictive federal funds rate will help ensure that inflation durably returns to target." She said she backed last week's quarter-point hike and that she now sees "an increased likelihood of future scenarios in which inflation remains notably above 2%." Collins takes part in FOMC meetings and helps shape the discussion, but is not currently a voting member.
Key facts
- The Fed last week raised its interest rate target by a quarter of a percentage point to the 3.75%-4.00% range, its stated goal being to curb price pressures.
- Policymakers also penciled in another rate increase before the year is out, though the Fed chair gave no explicit forward guidance.
- Collins herself noted "While the upside risks to inflation have increased, labor market conditions seem a bit stronger overall, and the unemployment rate remains low."
- She flagged the broader context: policy can now focus on price stability "especially after five and a half years of too high inflation," per her own post.
- Markets were split on further tightening, with the article citing 53.1% odds of another 25bp hike in October via CME's FedWatch tool.
- In 2025, when it was the Boston Fed's turn to vote, Collins voted with the majority at all eight FOMC meetings, backing a hold in July, and then quarter-point cuts in September, October and December, a reversal from cutting to now backing a hike.
What to watch for
- Watch whether the "second" 2026 hike materialises in October; a roughly even FedWatch split means this is genuinely uncertain, not a done deal.
- Collins's non-voter status this year means her comments carry rhetorical, not ballot, weight; later coverage should keep noting who actually votes on the rotation.
- The Lane/ECB energy-price commentary cited in the same article deserves its own separate check if it becomes a standalone headline.
About this scoreThe R-Score is Rubbish Talk's editorial opinion on how far a headline's framing sits from what the underlying facts support. It is a judgement about presentation and emphasis, not an allegation that any outlet has acted dishonestly. Every figure we rely on is linked under Receipts so you can check it yourself.
