Federal Reserve System
Fed earns $116bn on QE assets in 2014
Regional Fed banks transfer just under $100bn in earnings to US Treasury, a 27% increase on the previous year; operating expenses totalled $3.6bn
Fed signals rate hike despite drop in inflation
Minutes suggest Fed will tighten policy despite expecting inflation to remain below target for 'some time'; rate hike unlikely for 'at least the next couple of meetings'
Obama to nominate community banker to Fed board of governors
Move follows bipartisan criticism against the prevalence of academics in the US central bank's top ranks; Fed announces new head of monetary affairs
Bernanke laments scripted policy meetings
Former Fed chair tells Mervyn King that meetings are ‘deadly boring’ as most of the work is done in advance; both men reflect on the crisis for BBC Radio 4’s Today programme
2014: The year in review
The past year has seen central banks across the globe grapple with reform, at an institutional and global level – we look back at the biggest stories of 2014
Fed changes forward guidance
Janet Yellen says FOMC ‘can be patient' in normalising monetary policy, but says new language does not signal change in outlook; Fisher, Plosser and Kocherlakota dissent
Bank of Israel researchers propose exchange rate-based forward guidance
Researchers say forward guidance has a mixed track record, especially in small open economies, but linking guidance to external factors would help improve credibility
Fischer questions FSB's democratic credentials
Fed vice-chair says Basel body not democratic ‘in a certain sense' but still a ‘great success'; argues it was set up specifically to circumvent IMF bureaucracy
Kocherlakota announces Fed departure
Minneapolis Fed president and FOMC dove to step down when his term draws to a close in February 2016
Women still hold less than 10% of top jobs
Central banks continue to become 'more equal employers' in 2014, but only 18 of 189 institutions are led by women
Fed proposes tougher capital surcharges on biggest banks
US central bank aims to go beyond Basel framework on loss-absorbing requirements for GSIBs; Failure to comply would lead to restrictions on dividends and bonuses
Bank for International Settlements sees danger lurking beneath exuberant markets
Recent rapid 'flip-flopping' by markets from risk-on to risk-off and back reveals fragility hidden beneath buoyant asset prices, and central bank interventions may make the problem worse
Brainard says Federal Reserve monetary policy can ‘lean against the wind’
FOMC member says limited range of macro-prudential tools means Fed is more likely than some other central banks to use monetary policy for financial stability purposes – but there are risks
People: BoE poaches IMF researcher; Nigeria's central bank deputy stands down
Michael Kumhof leaves the IMF to join the Bank of England as senior research advisor; Kingsley Moghalu leaves the Central Bank of Nigeria after five years; and more
New York Fed consultant slams bank's ‘intensely deferential' regulatory culture
David Beim, a Columbia professor who conducted confidential review into regulatory practices, says employees who speak out are ‘frequently hammered down' by supervisors
The shift to a multi-polar world
Extraterritorial reach of US policies could hasten the use of alternative currencies; decision on renminbi inclusion in SDR may be a tipping point for relevance of Bretton Woods institutions
Dealing with an age of turbulence in emerging markets
Nigerian deputy governor details the options available to emerging markets when reacting to changes in developed-world monetary policies and associated fund movements
Kocherlakota wants Fed to mimic Bank of Canada communication
Minneapolis Fed president calls for ‘symmetric’ inflation target and two-year horizon for achieving it; says FOMC should adopt Canada-style language to characterise inflation objective
Robert Pringle’s Viewpoint: Time to cure central bankers’ deflation phobia
The policies followed since the ‘great crisis’ have not succeeded in restoring confidence. It is time to try a different approach
Dallas Fed president Richard Fisher to step down March 19
Fisher is the second recent dissenter on the FOMC to leave in less than two months; Was required by law to step down before April 30
Plosser: central bankers should take ‘great care' in changing view on neutral interest rate
Distinguishing transitory from permanent changes in growth and real interest rates is a ‘tricky task', says Philadelphia Fed president and FOMC member
Dudley says Federal Reserve could do more to be a ‘better global steward'
Permanent FOMC member suggests dollar's reserve currency status sets the US central bank apart; warns Fed funds rate hike likely to spark ‘market turbulence'
Powell says ‘good deal more’ needs to be done on CCPs
Fed governor Jerome Powell stresses the need for international coordination to ensure that reforms on the central clearing of OTC derivatives live up to their promise
Lagarde approves of BoJ’s ‘brave’ decision to launch more QE
IMF managing director describes ramping up of asset purchases as ‘perfectly legitimate’ and ‘brave’ on high-level panel in Paris; Yellen, Coeuré, Rajan and Carstens also feature