Opinion

Bernanke's models, and their limits

This article published on Sunday 30 October asks what Ben Bernanke's academic work can tell us about the sort of Fed chairman he will make. He has written repeatedly about ways of using dauntingly complex mathematical models of the economy to set…

Comment: Japan sees return to normal

Japan's monetary policymakers yesterday delivered another instalment of what is becoming an increasingly confident message: after seven years of deflation, they expect prices to start rising again early next year.

Bernanke needs tips from Ian Macfarlane

According to this article published on Wednesday 26 October, President George W. Bush has passed up the chance to put a decent central banker in charge of the Federal Reserve Board. Big Mac is well known in Washington - a central banker's central banker,…

Comment: Turkey treads path towards EU

The decision by the European Union to open membership talks with Turkey earlier this month is "the end of a long beginning", according to the central bank governor, Sureyya Serdengecti. Nonetheless membership is hardly around the corner.

Comment: Talking points in October

October has been a month of change, with high-profile staff announcements at the Bank of England, the Swedish Riksbank and, of course, the U.S. Fed. Here is a check list of these and other topics that have surfaced this month and are likely to remain of…

Missing ingredient in BOK

According to this article published on Wednesday 26 October, although the Bank of Korea's interest rate policy is supposed to be as powerful as the Fed's, few still believe that the BOK operates its monetary policy independently from the government.

Comment: Braced for a bumpy ride

The Bank of England, along with central banks in several other developed countries, has enjoyed fairly benign conditions in recent years. Inflation pressures have been relatively low, avoiding the need for the Bank to make the tough choice between output…

Ben Bernanke has a lot going for him to make it

According to this article published on Tuesday 25 October, Ben Bernanke will have a lot going for him if he becomes, as expected, the next chairman of the Federal Reserve. He is among the most knowledgeable economists in the world about monetary policy…

How can Bernanke succeed Greenspan?

This article published on Tuesday 25 October asks how can Ben Bernanke succeed a man described by President Bush as the most dominant central banker in history?

Comment: 'Ideas guy' takes the reins

The nomination of Ben Bernanke to be the fourteenth Federal Reserve chairman has been met in academic and policymaking circles with warm applause. Bernanke, quite simply, was the candidate the market wanted.

Comment: Bands or point targets?

Relatively little attention is paid to issues regarding optimal institutional arrangements for inflation-targeting central banks, as the big policy debates seem to revolve more around whether or not countries should adopt the framework in the first place…

Comment: FX interventions

Most central banks have moved away from actual foreign exchange market interventions and now use communication, or verbal intervention, as a policy instrument to influence exchange rates when deemed necessary and desirable.

Greenspan isn't signaling rate-increase pause

According to this article published on Thursday 20 October, when Alan Greenspan told business executives in Tokyo this week that from now on "the recent surge in energy prices will undoubtedly be a drag" on economic growth, he wasn't signaling a pause in…

Comment: Slipping behind on the euro

When ten new countries joined the EU in May last year, they did so promising that one day they would adopt the euro as their currency. At the time it seemed they hardly needed any coercing - joining the euro was something policymakers in these countries…

Comment: Oil's well that ends well?

In an increasingly integrated world, the economic fortunes of other countries and the health of the global economy weigh heavily on the minds of domestic policymakers. One of the most important "external" issues for monetary policymakers to deal with is…

G-20 statement following meeting in China

Finance ministers and central bank governors from the G-20 industrial and emerging economies issued a statement on Sunday 16 October after their two-day meeting in the city of Xianghe, south of Beijing, China.

BOJ must tread carefully in the days ahead

According to this Editorial published on Friday 14 October, the Bank of Japan must take great care when scrapping its easy-money policy. And the central bank's monetary policy should be consistent with the government's efforts to regain fiscal health, it…

Comment: Dealing with financial risks

Financial systems around the world have changed dramatically in the last 30 years. Borrowing and lending volumes have increased to levels unimaginable three decades ago, lending rates recently reached historically low levels, and instruments catering to…

Euro losing allure for EU newcomers

According to this article published on Tuesday 11 October, the EU's single currency seems to have lost its allure for several of the 10 countries that joined the bloc in May last year.

Comment: An EMU fairy tale revisited

In 1996, David Lascelles wrote an imaginative and controversial report titled "The Crash of 2003: an EMU Fairy Tale", which was presented as a fictional report into the demise of the single currency.

Comment: "Critical period," says Fukui

Yesterday was an important day for the Bank of Japan. All eyes were on its governor, Toshihiko Fukui, as he spoke after the latest policy board meeting. Also, deputy governor, Toshiro Muto, delivered parliamentary testimony.

You need to sign in to use this feature. If you don’t have a Central Banking account, please register for a trial.

Sign in
You are currently on corporate access.

To use this feature you will need an individual account. If you have one already please sign in.

Sign in.

Alternatively you can request an individual account

.