Federal Reserve System
Minutes show Fed unsure on future rate path
Federal Reserve officials were uncertain about future interest rate steps at their last meeting, minutes released Thursday 20 July showed.
Federal Reserve bank pay & staffing trends
A new report from the Financial Markets Center, published Tuesday 18 July, says that the last decade has seen the Fed lose almost 20% of the jobs at its regional Reserve Banks. At the same time, it says, average pay levels have risen for the remaining…
Fed's Warsh on corporate cash balances
In the speech 'Corporate cash balances and economic activity' given on 18 July Kevin Warsh of the Federal Reserve said US companies are at last starting to borrow more and cut the cash hoards they maintained during the economic recovery, a trend that is…
Bernanke's testimony to Congress
In testimony given on 19 July Ben Bernanke of the Federal Reserve warned that stubbornly high inflation could harm the U.S. economy and that the U.S. central bank must guard against rising prices taking hold.
Federal Reserve's Monetary Policy Report, Jul 2006
The Federal Reserve published its July 2006 Monetary Policy Report to the Congress on Wednesday 19 July. The U.S. economy continued to expand at a brisk rate, on balance, over the first half of 2006, the report said.
Upset about death of Fed watching? Come to Asia
According to this article from Bloomberg, published Wednesday 19 July, the Federal Reserve has so comprehensively demystified what it does, that anyone can become a Fed watcher.
Comment: Bernanke focuses on risks
In his remarks following the delivery of the Fed's semi-annual monetary policy to Congress, Fed chairman, Ben Bernanke, adopted an approach very much in keeping with his predecessor, Alan Greenspan. What does this mean for the Fed's inflation targeting…
St Louis Fed paper on forex intervention
This Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Working Paper "Authorities' beliefs about foreign exchange intervention: Getting back under the hood" presents the results of a survey of monetary authorities with respect to their beliefs about foreign exchange…
Volcker says Bernanke faces tougher time than him
In an interview with Bloomberg television, former Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker said Ben Bernanke faces an even tougher challenge than he did as leader of the Fed.
Stern says Fed will remain diligent
The Federal Reserve is committed to its responsibility of avoiding a damaging rise in inflation, Minneapolis Fed president Gary Stern said on Thursday 13 July.
Alvarez's testimony on industrial loan companies
In testimony given on 12 July Scott Alvarez of the General Counsel said U.S. lawmakers should determine who can use industrial loan companies before commercial firms decide for themselves.
Mishkin says he will stick to Fed's goals
Federal Reserve nominee Frederic Mishkin told a hearing on Wednesday 12 July that he would keep faith with the Fed's responsibilities for ensuring price stability, full employment and a stable financial system.
Comment: Is the Fed's message getting clearer?
The chairman of the US Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke, has received much criticism for allegedly failing to explain the Fed's view to markets clearly. Are there signs that after a shaky start, Bernanke is starting to get his message across more clearly?
Fed Reserve Bank of St Louis Review, Jul/Aug 2006
The latest edition of the St Louis Fed's Review for Jul/Aug 2006 includes the article 'Is the United States bankrupt?' The paper offers three policies to eliminate the nation's enormous fiscal gap and avert bankruptcy.
Kohn with reflections on globalization & policies
In the speech 'Reflections on globalization and policies' given on 6 July Donald Kohn of the Federal Reserve said he was aware of the risk of raising rates more than necessary but saw a need for higher global interest rates to maintain stability.
Bies on the challenges of Basel II implementation
In the speech 'Addressing challenges raised by Basel II implementation' given on 4 July Susan Schmidt Bies of the Federal Reserve said US bank regulators are moving smoothly through proposed rules implementing Basel II bank capital standards and are on…
Richmond Fed's Economic Quarterly, Spring 2006
The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond has published its Economic Quarterly for Spring 2006. The latest issue includes the article 'Implementation of optimal monetary policy'.
St Louis Fed's Regional Economist, July 2006
The Regional Economist, July 2006 edition, from the St Louis Fed includes the article "Inflation's economic cost: How large? How certain?" Central bankers believe that low inflation and long-term economic growth go hand in hand. The evidence about the…
Decoding Fed's statements requires experts
According to this article published Sunday 2 July, trying to decipher the Federal Reserve's policy statements can be like trying to understand hieroglyphics.
Fed's 17th increase leaves India with no choice
According to this article published Monday 3 July by Bloomberg, the Reserve Bank of India cannot afford to skip another quarter-point increase in July, with the Federal Reserve boosting rates last week.
Comment: Bernanke's ally
The nomination of Frederic Mishkin to fill one of the two vacant seats on the Fed's board of governors will bolster the chairman, Ben Bernanke, in his attempts to quantify the central bank's inflation objective and move towards a more rule-based monetary…
Mishkin nominated to Fed board
US president Bush nominated Frederic Mishkin, a professor at Columbia University, to join the Federal Reserve Board on Friday 30 June.
Comment: Talking points in June
June has been a particularly eventful one for many emerging markets, with talk of increase risk aversion and reduced international liquidity driving a reversal of market sentiment towards emerging market currencies. The month also saw some important…
Fed raises rates, suggests may be nearing end
The Federal Reserve raised US interest rates to the highest point in more than five years Thursday 29 June and suggested the rate hike cycle may be nearing the end.