The U.S. economy needs to grow faster to maintain job market momentum, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said in a speech Monday; as a result, the Fed will continue its low-interest rate policy, hoping to spur consumer demand …
federal reserve
Where the Fed’s Profits Come From
Stimulus policies such as Quantitative Easing have had the side effect of boosting the Fed’s net income, but they have also created a couple of big risks.
Break Up The Banks! Dallas Fed President Calls for The End of “Too Big To Fail”
Since 2008, there have been plenty of calls to forcibly dismantle the “Too Big To Fail” (TBTF) Banks, but few of those calls have come from those in positions of real power. But the Dallas Federal Reserve Bank President, …
U.S. Federal Reserve Earned $77 Billion Profit in 2011
The Federal Reserve turned a profit of $77.4 billion last year, driven by a dramatic increase in its balance sheet due to its policy of buying up securities to help stimulate economic growth. The central bank’s profits came from …
Should We Find Comfort in the Fed’s Stress Tests Results?
The Federal Reserve announced late Tuesday the details of its latest “stress test” of major American financial institutions, and the markets greeted the results with qualified optimism. Nineteen banks submitted capital plans to …
Why the Fed’s Latest Interest-Rate Strategy Won’t Have Much Effect
Sterilized bond buying could help lower interest rates and boost the economy a bit without adding to inflation, but don’t expect a major impact.
Stock Market Deja Vu: Why It Feels Like 2011 All Over Again
Last year was a rollercoaster ride for the stock market. In 2011, the Dow Jones Industrial Average raced to a high of 12,810 in April before skidding to 10,404 in October. Then, in the final three months of the year, the Dow …
Occupy the SEC: Moving From the Campsite to the Weeds of Regulatory Reform
The surest way to rankle a supporter of the Occupy Wall Street movement is to repeat the common claim that the movement has no defined goals, a criticism that has dogged the group since its inception. But last week an offshoot of …
Is It Time to Start Worrying About Inflation Again?
The greatest threat to any long-term investor is inflation. It not only erodes the value of stocks and bonds, but also depresses economic growth and misleads policymakers.
JPMorgan Chase Agrees to Pay $110 Million in Overdraft Class-Action Lawsuit
JPMorgan Chase & Co. is one step closer to a possible settlement of a class-action lawsuit brought against a number of banks over their so-called transaction-ordering practices. “We’re pleased to have reached an agreement in …
Study: If Would-Be Home Buyers Have to Put 20% Down, 60% of Them Ain’t Buying
To prevent a repeat of the housing debacle of 2007-2010, when some 5 million homes were lost to foreclosure, federal agencies are considering a mandate that would require borrowers to put 20% down before being OK’d for certain …
Bernanke to Income-Starved Retirees: Tough Luck
If it wasn’t clear already, it is now: securing decent retirement income in a low-yield environment is going to be a problem for a long time. Seniors who have been eking by through temporary measures like drawing down an …