2015.10.2701:12:30UTC+00Fed under pressure to better manage rate expectations

As 2016 draws near, Federal Reserve officials and Chair Janet Yellen are under pressure to better manage market expectations for interest rates and the US economy.

Policymakers are widely anticipated to announce short-term rates will remain near zero, leaving mid-December as their last chance to increase rates this year.

That timetable poses two challenges for Fed chief to decide whether the US economy is ready for a rate hike, as well as signal their intentions without further confusing the market.

Several investors criticized the mixed signals transmitted by central bank officials before and after the decision. In September, the Fed decided not to increase rates due to shaky economic conditions.