Interest rates are unlikely to rise anytime soon.

A 16-day partial government shutdown that ended Thursday knocked consumer confidence. All told, it took about $24 billion out of the economy, according to Standard & Poor’s.

The shutdown began two weeks after the Federal Reserve surprised financial markets when it said that it would continue buying $85 billion of bonds every month to hold down long-term interest rates until the economic recovery was more entrenched.

Even after four years of ultra-low interest rates and extraordinary monetary stimulus, analysts don’t expect rate increases to start until at least the middle of 2015.

Although rates close to zero may help boost the economy, they’re bad news for savers who need an investment income to cover their expenses. Investors seeking to achieve the steady returns that used to be typically available on savings products now have to look elsewhere.

Income funds, which often consist of a mix of bonds and stocks that pay large dividends, are one way for investors to achieve a similar return.

Linda Bakhshian, who manages Federated Investors’ Capital Income Fund, says that demand for income funds also is being bolstered by an aging population.