Federal Reserve System
Central banks announce second joint effort
The Federal Reserve will accept banks' mortgage-backed securities as part of a raft of liquidity measures announced by five of the world's most powerful monetary authorities on Tuesday 11 March.
Sound risk management essential: Fed's Kroszner
The current financial market turbulence underscores the importance of getting the fundamentals of sound risk management right and being ever vigilant about their consistent application, execution, and improvement in light of new data and experiences,…
Research indicates racial bias in lending
Issuers are providing less credit to consumers in Black neighbourhoods than those living in predominantly white areas with similar credit scores, research published by the Boston Federal Reserve finds.
Rapid deterioration led Fed to go it alone: Kohn
The deterioration in money markets was so rapid that the Federal Reserve last Friday did not have time to coordinate a joint announcement of liquidity measures with other central banks in the same way as last December and which had such a favourable…
Former NY Fed director to succeed White at BIS
Stephen Cecchetti, a former director of research at the New York Federal Reserve, is the new head of the Bank for International Settlements' (BIS) monetary and economics department.
Fed's Hoenig notes monetary policy's limits
Thomas Hoenig, the president of the Kansas City Federal Reserve, said he has been struck by the heavy burden placed on monetary policy to cope with the current crisis and its potential spillover effects.
Fed to add funds as liquidity pressures re-emerge
The Federal Reserve is set to pledge up to $140 billion in extra funds in a bid to soothe the third wave of rising money market tensions since August.
Inflation expectations up: Fed's Geithner
Timothy Geithner, the president of the New York Federal Reserve, has acknowledged that inflation expectations have risen in the US.
Majority of US districts experienced slowdown
The latest edition of the Beige Book reveals two-thirds of regional Federal Reserves reported a softening in the pace of business activity in the first quarter.
Kohn on Fed's recent regulatory initiatives
The Fed and other banking agencies have encouraged mortgage lenders to pursue prudent loan workouts in order to help struggling homeowners, said Donald Kohn, the vice chairman of the central bank.
Fed's Mishkin on economic outlook
Frederic Mishkin, a governor of the Federal Reserve, expects a period of economic weakness in the near term that should be offset in future quarters by the monetary easing already in place and the fiscal stimulus package.
EU's Barroso notes concern over euro's strength
Jose Manuel Barroso, the president of the European Commission, has acknowledged that the euro is now worryingly strong.
Interbank rates creep up in Europe
Money market tensions are showing signs of re-emergence, with interbank rates hitting levels not seen since mid-January for euro and sterling borrowing.
Credit crunch set to hamper US lending
US growth could fall by up to 1.5 percentage points over the next year as a result of tighter borrowing conditions, a report prepared for the US Monetary Policy Forum has found. The report also estimates the losses on mortgage securities will total $400…
Fed's Kroszner on liquidity risk management
Liquidity risk should be evaluated and addressed on an enterprise-wide basis and should be tightly integrated with capital planning, said Randall Kroszner, a governor at the Federal Reserve.
Simply the best for policy, says Fed's Plosser
Simple rate-setting rules based on publicly observable information are the best to use, said Charles Plosser, the president of the Philadelphia Federal Reserve.
Fed auctions to run into March
The Federal Reserve is set to continue its Term Auction Facility operations into March, pledging another $60 billion to alleviate money market tensions.
Credit crunch – phase two
The credit crisis that started in August last year has moved into a destabilising second phase, with equity markets and the real economy looking increasingly shaky. This section analyses central banks’ response to the long-running crisis
News analysis: Forced into action
Claire Jones, the editor of Central Bank News, analyses how uncertainty threatened to cripple the interbank market and called for a unique response from the central banks
Bernanke spooks markets with bank failure warning
The dollar hit a record low against the euro after Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, warned that small banks could fail in the coming months.
Fed exacerbating stagflation risk: Meltzer
The Federal Reserve's current policies mark a return to the dark days of the 1970s and carry the same threats, says Allan Meltzer, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University.
Bernanke changes tack, cautions on inflation
Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, has said that the inflation picture in the US has worsened since the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) last met.
Further Fed cuts likely on Kohn comments
Donald Kohn, the vice chairman of the Federal Reserve, has hinted that more rate cuts are needed in order to insure against an economic calamity.