Monetary Policy
IMF tells Fed to wait until 2016 to hike rates
Fund says keeping rates lower for longer would provide ‘valuable insurance’ against disinflation; encourages Fed to hold more press conferences and publish quarterly monetary policy report
Andrew Sheng: The new politics of central banking
Extraordinary policy actions by the world’s leading central banks have left them politicised and entangled in an increasingly awkward operating environment
Fed’s Brainard sees scope for ‘watchful waiting’
Governor says there may be room to ‘support further healing’ in the labour market before raising interest rates, but notes first hike could still come this year
Former IMF chief weighs up benefits and costs of QE
Quantitative easing is having a profound effect on markets and banking. Jacques de Larosière weighs up some of the benefits and costs of QE
Draghi warns high volatility here to stay
Government bond yields continue to climb as Draghi says ‘we should get used to periods of higher volatility’ with interest rates on the floor; ECB keeps policy unchanged
Jeffrey Frankel argues for NGDP targeting by EMs
Monetary economist says targeting nominal GDP could allow emerging and developing countries to more credibly establish a nominal anchor
Hungarian central bank to adopt new policy rate
From September it will use the rate on a new deposit facility with a longer maturity, to encourage banks to park funds with the government instead of the central bank
BoE paper questions dominance of Normal distribution
Using the t distribution and time-varying variance improves a vector autoregression’s fit with the data and forecasting performance, researchers find
Stanley Fischer praises BoE financial stability set-up as ‘leading model’
Fed vice-chair explores different arrangements for financial stability and concludes separate committee within central bank is a good model; does not rule out leaning against wind
Boston Fed president preaches patience
Eric Rosengren says it is too soon to know whether weaker economic activity at start of year is down to temporary factors or ‘broader changes in the economy’
IMF pushes Belarus to adopt new policy framework
International Monetary Fund tells National Bank of Belarus to adopt monetary targeting framework ‘without further delay’; staff and national authorities disagree over exchange rate
St. Louis Fed’s Bullard makes case for NGDP target
Working paper questions appropriate monetary policy response at zero lower bound and explores the mechanics of a ‘special upward adjustment’ in the price level on credit market
Five problems with floating rate exchange regimes
Robert Aliber bemoans the dangers of sharp moves in major currencies that are the result of floating rate currency regimes, and answers five rhetorical questions related to monetary stability
Kocherlakota sets out path back to maximum employment
Minneapolis Fed president says the FOMC should set policy in a way that allows for at least three more years ‘as good as 2014’ if the labour market is to achieve highs last seen in 2006
Central bank liquidity surge is not without historical precedent
Major central banks have injected $14 trillion of liquidity into the global economic system, but such surges are not without historical precedent
Book notes: Monetary policy and financial repression in Britain 1951–1959, by William A Allen
A fascinating and coherent account of British monetary policy in the 1950s
Book notes: Smart Money, by Andrew Palmer
An important attempt to show how financial innovation is “reshaping our world for the better” all the more important
Swiss National Bank open to buying foreign assets
IMF article IV report suggests buying foreign assets to address deflationary pressures; Swiss National Bank says it is an option but wants to see how outlook develops before easing further
Central Bank of Iceland prepares for ‘substantial’ interest rate increases
Minutes show MPC grappling with uncertainty around pay increases but board members agree interest rates will soon have to move upwards sharply; one member dissented from rate hold
Fischer sees limits to Fed’s global responsibility
Federal Reserve vice-chair says the most important contribution the central bank can make to health of world economy is keeping its own house in order
Kuroda sees little difference between major central banks
Despite the different wording of the major central bank mandates there is ‘little practical difference’ between them, BoJ governor says
Pakistan completes shift to new policy rate
New target rate and tighter corridor aims to improve the transmission of monetary policy; central bank slashes rates as inflation continues to fall
Mester wants new models to get to grips with policy nexus
Cleveland Fed president sets out the kind of structural general equilibrium models needed to help understand interactions between monetary and macro-prudential policy
IMF staff tell BoJ to 'stand ready' to ease further
Statement at conclusion of IMF article IV warns inflation expectations 'broadly flat' in recent months; calls on BoJ to prepare for more easing and improve communication