Federal Reserve System
Fed's Olson on loan quality and the economy
In a speech on 'Loan quality and how it reflects the overall economy' given on 28 February, Mark Olson of the Federal Reserve said economic growth is steady while inflation remains under control.
Fed's Gramlich on raising national saving
In a speech on 'The importance of raising national saving' given on 2 March, Edward Gramlich of the Federal Reserve said the United States would seem well-advised to minimize risks by raising its own national saving to finance its own investment.
Greenspan promotes consumption tax idea
Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said in testimony on Thursday 3 March that some form of a consumption tax - such as a national sales tax - could spur greater economic growth but stressed a move to such a system would pose considerable problems.
Greenspan stresses need for spending cuts
Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan said on Wednesday 2 March that the US economy is growing at a reasonably good pace but the country must tackle its "unsustainable" budget deficits, primarily through spending cuts.
Fed Reserve Bank of St Louis Review, Mar/Apr 2005
The latest edition of the St Louis Fed's Review for March-April 2005 includes the article "Communication, transparency, accountability: Monetary policy in the twenty-first century" by Otmar Issing. The issue also includes a paper by Ellen Meade titled …
Chicago Fed National Activity Index, Jan 2005
The Chicago Fed National Activity Index for January 2005 was +0.21, down from +0.59 in December. However, all four broad categories of indicators that comprise the index made positive contributions to the January CFNAI.
Philadelphia Fed Business Outlook Survey, Feb 2005
According to the firms surveyed for the Philadelphia Fed's Business Outlook Survey, February 2005, expansion in the region's manufacturing sector is growing at a slightly faster rate than in January.
Phil Fed's Survey of Professional Forecasters
The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia has published its First Quarter 2005 Survey of Professional Forecasters. Economic growth in the first half of 2005 looks stronger now than it did three months ago, according to 36 forecasters surveyed.
A framework for financial stability
Five questions must be answered by those looking for a way to formulate policy in financial stability, says Andrew Haldane.
Federal Reserve's Monetary Policy Report, Feb 2005
Presenting the Federal Reserve's Monetary Policy Report to the Congress on Wednesday 16 February, Alan Greenspan said in the seven months since he last testified before the Committee, the US economic expansion has firmed, overall inflation has subsided,…
Bernanke on inflation in Latin America: A new era?
In the speech 'Inflation in Latin America: A new era?' given on 11 February, Ben Bernanke of the Federal Reserve said he could not gauge the chances for the Fed adopting a numerical target for inflation.
Fed's increase is case of perfect transparency
The FOMC's recent action to raise interest rates had been fully anticipated with not a single point move on the yield curve, from two years to 10 years. This article describes the move as a case of perfect transparency.
Atlanta Fed's Guynn says FOMC language may change
Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta President Jack Guynn said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal that the bank may soon need to remove the word "measured" from its policy statement regarding interest-rate increases.
Fed's Bies: Behind the scenes at the FOMC
In a speech 'Behind the scenes at the FOMC: How the Federal Reserve determines monetary policy' given on 7 February, Susan Schmidt Bies of the Federal Reserve said interest rate policy may need to be more accommodative than expected to ensure the economy…
Fed's Greenspan on Adam Smith
In a speech titled 'Adam Smith' given on 6 February Alan Greenspan of the Federal Reserve said that 18th-century philosopher Adam Smith was "a towering contributor to the development of the modern world."
Fed's Greenspan on the current account
In a speech on 'Current account' given on 4 February, Alan Greenspan of the Federal Reserve said the dollar's decline and fiscal restraint by the US government may soon begin to reduce the US current account deficit, which stood at a record in the third…
Fed's Bies on the economy and retirement savings
In a speech on 'The economy and challenges in retirement savings' given on 18 January, Susan Schmidt Bies of the Federal Reserve said she foresaw a moderation of inflationary trends, which would allow the Fed to continue being "measured" in raising…
Chicago Fed National Activity Index, Dec 2004
The Chicago Fed National Activity Index (CFNAI) for December 2004 was +0.39, up markedly from +0.05 in November. Three of the four broad categories of indicators that comprise the index made positive contributions in December, while the employment…
Philadelphia Fed Business Outlook Survey, Jan 2005
According to the firms surveyed for the Philadelphia Fed's Business Outlook Survey, January 2005, manufacturing activity in the region continues to expand, but at a slower pace than reported at the end of 2004. Many of the indicators, including general…
Fed's Consumer Advisory Council appointments 2005
The Federal Reserve Board on Friday 7 January named eleven new members to its Consumer Advisory Council for three-year terms and designated a new Chair and Vice Chair of the Council for 2005.
PBOC, modelled on Fed, bows to politics
When China's top policy makers set out to streamline the country's 57-year-old central bank system six years ago, they chose the U.S. Federal Reserve as a model, this article says. But while the People's Bank may be gaining clout as China's economy grows…
Philadelphia Fed Business Outlook Survey, Dec 2004
According to the firms surveyed for the Philadelphia Fed's Business Outlook Survey, December 2004, activity in the region's manufacturing sector continues to grow. In this months survey the participants were asked about the impact of the weak dollar on…
Fed's Bernanke on productivity
In a speech on 'Productivity' given on 19 January, Ben Bernanke of the Federal Reserve said that there is an emerging consensus that productivity growth could remain at its current elevated level.
Cleveland Fed says US trade gap may hit growth
The massive trade deficit in the United States will eventually be reversed and implies a weaker dollar and higher interest rates, a Cleveland Fed report said, warning this could quell growth unless US exports grow.