Federal Reserve System
IMF to review central bank response to turmoil
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is set to investigate the reaction of leading central banks to the interbank turmoil that hit markets in the wake of the subprime crisis.
Canadian banks may not match central bank cut
Some of Canada's biggest commercial banks say they are considering leaving borrowing rates unchanged even if, as expected, the Bank of Canada cuts rates next Tuesday.
Paper highlights influence of Taylor rule
The rise in influence of the Taylor rule, which shows how monetary policy should adjust to ensure growth and inflation remain near target levels, played an important part in the shift towards a more transparent, more independent era of central banking,…
Fed and BoE auction results show interbank easing
Tensions in money markets showed further signs of abating on Tuesday after the Federal Reserve and the Bank of England revealed the results of their latest open-market operations.
Greenspan joins Paulson & Co
Alan Greenspan, a former chairman of the Federal Reserve, is set to advise Paulson & Co, a hedge fund which made billions last year from betting against the United States housing market.
Hawkish Hoenig stresses inflation risks
The likelihood of a recession in the United States is smaller than others are suggesting, says Thomas Hoenig, the president of the Kansas City Federal Reserve.
Central banks with dual role face tough choices
Central banks, such as the Federal Reserve, with the dual mandate of maintaining price stability and economic growth, should not give equal weight to their inflation and unemployment goals, a study by the Kansas City Federal Reserve finds.
Injections were vital: Deutsche Bank's Ackermann
Central banks' liquidity injections were crucial in averting the collapse of financial institutions, said Josef Ackermann, the chairman of Deutsche Bank.
Fed ready to act on worsening outlook: Bernanke
The Federal Reserve looks set to cut rates further after its chairman, Ben Bernanke, said central bank policy would look to counter the increasing risk of an economic slowdown.
France renews onslaught on ECB policy
The French government has resumed its campaign calling for the European Central Bank (ECB) to cut rates.
Fed's Rosengren calls for banks to declare losses
Banks must fully disclose their losses to limit the damage of the subprime fallout, says Eric Rosengren, the president of the Boston Fed.
Fed's Plosser stays hawkish on rates
Charles Plosser, the president of the Philadelphia Federal Reserve and a voting member of the rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), hinted that he would back a rate hold when the committee meets later this month.
Fed pledges more cash to combat interbank woe
In a bid to further ease money market tensions, the Federal Reserve said on Friday that it will increase the amount of extra funds on offer through its additional open market operations after both of its December auctions were heavily oversubscribed.
Fed minutes: dissenters' views
Eric Rosengren and William Poole, two presidents of regional Federal Reserve's and voting members of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), both disagreed with aspects of the central bank's recent decisions regarding monetary policy and open market…
Differences are a strength of Fed strategy: Kohn
Recent disparities in speeches by FOMC members on the economic outlook in the United States reflect the pace of change rather than any failure in the Fed's communication strategy, says Donald Kohn, the vice-chairman of the Federal Reserve board.
Northern Rock shows fallibility of communication
The run on Northern Rock, a British mortgage lender, illustrates the potential downside of central bank communication around stability issues, says Gary Stern, the president of the Minneapolis Federal Reserve.
Global slowdown may hamper US deficit financing
It may be harder to continue financing United States current-account deficits on such favourable terms if the recent wave of financial globalisation were to subside, research published by the New York Federal Reserve finds.
Fed minutes reveal clear shift in outlook
The minutes of the December meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), published on Wednesday, reveal a more dovish Federal Reserve than was suggested at the time.
Interbank rates plummet as year-end passes
Pressure on the banking industry eased on Wednesday with spreads between money market and central banks' benchmark interest rates narrowing as the end-of-year liquidity panic passed. The falls indicate that the central banks' efforts to alleviate some of…
The blame game
The decision of many central banks, most notably the Federal Reserve, to lower rates in the wake of the dotcom crash, has drawn criticism from some quarters post-credit crunch. But, Claire Jones, editor of Central Bank News, argues blame for the crisis…
Fed to conduct auctions for "as long as necessary"
The Federal Reserve said on Friday it will continue to run Term Auction Facility auctions twice a month "for as long as necessary to address elevated pressures in short-term funding markets."
Federal Reserve hardens rules on subprime lending
The Federal Reserve on Tuesday issued a set of proposals for firmer regulations on subprime lending practices aimed at protecting consumers from unfair and deceptive home mortgage lending and advertising.
Fed's Lacker "troubled" by US inflation
Jeffrey Lacker, the president of the Richmond Federal Reserve, said on Wednesday that he was uncomfortable with the inflation picture in the United States.
US markets unconvinced by 1980s inflation fall
Financial markets were sceptical of the Federal Reserve's commitment to low inflation even after the period of disinflation in the early 1980s, research published by the Kansas City Federal Reserve finds.