Federal Reserve System
Olson on bank challenges with low interest rates
In a speech on 'Bank Management Challenges in a Low-interest-rate Environment' Mark Olson of the Federal Reserve said the most pronounced effect of the current climate has not been prominent in the headlines but is well known to the industry. We have…
Chicago Fed National Activity Index, May 2003
CFNAI Indicates Economic Activity Improved in May - The Chicago Fed National Activity Index (CFNAI ) was -0.39 in May, a marked improvement from the downward-revised April level of -1.04. Most of the increase reflected better readings on the output…
ECB won't follow Fed on rates - Duisenberg
Speaking on German TV, Wim Duisenberg said euro zone interest rates were currently appropriate, Reuters reports, and that the ECB would not follow the lead of the US Federal Reserve by cutting interest rates soon.
Fed should focus on systemic risk from banks-Stern
Minneapolis Fed President Gary Stern said in an article on regulatory reform this week that "Risk is not evenly distributed across banks", according to a report from Reuters, and that the largest banks, or those focused on payments system processing,…
Minutes show some on FOMC wanted rate cut in May
Minutes from the Fed's May 6 policy meeting, reported by the Washington Post, showed that members would not wait indefinitely for the clouds to clear before lowering rates again in response to falling inflation rates and sluggish economic growth. The…
'Money in Motion' from the Philadelphia Fed
"Money in Motion" is a new financial and historical exhibition that is free, fun, and interactive. The exhibit's 16 displays feature interactive games, rare artifacts, and historical narrative that trace the history of money and central banking in the U…
Fed cuts funds rate to lowest level since 1958
The Federal Reserve's 13th rate cut on Wednesday 25 Junecould be the last in a cycle that began in January 2001, analysts said, according to Associated Press. However, the Fed signalled its intention to avoid the threat of deflation, suggesting rates…
Philadelphia Fed Business Review, 2nd Quarter 2003
The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia has published its regular Business Review for the Second Quarter 2003. In the first article President Anthony Santomero asks: What is the root of the corporate governance problems that have recently gained the…
St Louis's Central Banker, Summer 2003
The Summer 2003 edition of the St. Louis Fed's Central Banker magazine has been published. The latest issue carries a feature about the St Louis Fed's "There's a Lot to Learn about Money" campaign. The Fed and the Treasury are once again teaming up to…
Fed Reserve Bank of St Louis - Annual Report 2002
The Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis has published its Annual Report for the year ended 2002. In his message President William Poole described the previous year as a good one for the St. Louis Fed, in almost all regards.
Fed's Bernanke on soft hearts, hard data
In a speech entitled 'Soft Hearts, Hard Data: The Use of Quantitative Analysis in Community Development' Ben Bernanke of the Federal Reserve said the collection and especially the analysis of data present difficult challenges to community organizations…
Central Bank Talk: Does it Matter and Why?
Paper 'Central Bank Talk: Does it Matter and Why?' presented by Donald Kohn and a senior Federal Reserve economist. Statements released by the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) and congressional testimony by Chairman Greenspan are found to…
Philadelphia Fed Business Outlook Survey, Jun 2003
Manufacturing activity improved in June - Activity in the region's manufacturing sector improved modestly, according to the firms surveyed for June's Business Outlook Survey from the Philadelphia Fed. The reading for overall business activity increased…
Ferguson testimony on Basel II and H.R. 2043
In testimony on 'Basel II and H.R. 2043' Roger Ferguson of the Federal Reserve said plans for U.S. negotiators to meet with their international counterparts in November may not leave enough time for U.S. agencies to consider feedback from domestic banks…
Economic Review from the Atlanta Fed
The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta has published its Economic Review for the second quarter 2003. The latest edition includes an article titled 'Are On-Line Currencies Virtual Banknotes?'. This article examines the likely success or failure of on-line…
Fed awards contract for bank data modernisation
Regulators award contract in first step to modernize and streamline how federal bank regulators collect, process and distribute quarterly bank financial reports, 17 June.
Ferguson on some issues for Basel II
In a speech on 'Basel II: Some Issues for Implementation' Roger Ferguson of the Federal Reserve said that Basel I must be replaced, particularly in a world whose financial markets are so interrelated that substantial difficulties at any one of the…
Reconciling Bagehot with Fed's response to Sept 11
Walter Bagehot, an elder statesman of central banking theory, stated that central banks should lend money at penalty rates to prevent bank panics. Yet the Fed lent for next to nothing following 9/11. Why this departure from received central banking…
Kansas City Fed gets approval to move to new HQ
President Thomas M. Hoenig of the Kansas City Fed said on Monday 16 June that the Federal Reserve had approved plans for an estimated $200 million project to build a new headquarters for the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, according to the Kamsas…
Minneapolis Fed president upbeat about economy
Gary Stern of the Minneapolis Fed said he thinks there is a low probability of deflation in the US, but would not rule it out, according to Associated Press. The problem in Japan, he said, is inadequate growth of the money supply and allocation of too…
Rate commitment could hit Fed credibility-Broaddus
Richmond Fed president Alfred Broaddus has warned the Federal Reserve may lose credibility if a commitment to hold interest rates down to fight deflation becomes difficult to maintain due to an unexpected shift in the economy's fortunes, according to…
Fed Res Bank of Minneapolis - Annual Report 2002
The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis has published its Annual Report for the year ended 2002. The Annual Report contains an article 'Between Two Worlds How Do Credit Markets Work? - An investigation into credit availability in the Minneapolis-St. Paul…
Fed can push harder against deflation- Fed's Poole
St. Louis Fed President William Poole told Reuters in an interview that the Federal Reserve "can push harder" if necessary to prevent a deflationary spiral from happening.
Fed's- Beige Book: US economy struggling
The Federal Reserve Beige Book released 11 June said the US economy has struggled to gather pace since the end of the Iraq war and the performance of output and employment has been disappointing.