WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve is figuring out when to start unloading much of its $4.5 trillion in bond holdings — a major turning point for an economy still healing from the 2008 financial crisis.

Some Fed officials want to announce the beginning of the process "within a couple of months," according to minutes of the U.S. central bank's June meeting. Others pushed for more time to first see how the broader U.S. economy fares during the second half of 2017. What Fed officials all agreed upon in June was to publicly unveil its plan to gradually reduce the portfolio of bonds that build up after the Great Recession — part of an effort to make long-term borrowing more affordable and spur growth.

The Fed voted in June to raise short-term rates.