Federal Reserve System
Fed's Gramlich on social security reforms
In a speech on 'Rules for assessing social security reform' given on 12 August, Edward Gramlich of the Federal Reserve said any plans to reform the Social Security retirement program should be self-financed and not rely on general government revenues.
Chicago Fed National Activity Index, June 2004
The Chicago Fed National Activity Index was 0.00 in June, a marked decrease from the May reading of +0.75. The production- and employment-related categories of indicators made negative contributions to the overall index in June, but these were offset by…
Fed's Ferguson on business-cycle recoveries
In a speech on 'A Retrospective on Business-Cycle Recoveries: Are "Jobless" Recoveries the New Norm?' given on 21 July, Roger Ferguson of the Federal Reserve said the slow jobs recoveries that followed the last two U.S. recessions do not suggest a need…
Philadelphia Fed Business Outlook Survey, Jul 2004
According to the firms surveyed for the Philadelphia Fed's Business Outlook Survey, July 2004, expansion in the region's manufacturing sector continues. This month the manufacturers were asked about increases in wages made to attract or retain workers.
The birth of modern monetary policy
For many years, the Fed has used influence on short-term interest rates to contain inflationary pressure in the US economy and promote growth and employment. The genesis of this approach and its theoretical foundation both lie in the work of Knut…
Greenspan notes solid economic growth in US
In closely watched testimony to the Senate Banking Committee on Tuesday 20 July, Fed chairman Alan Greenspan said sharp price increases that may have slowed US consumer spending are "transitory" and "accounted for at least some of the observed softness…
Minehan sees US inflation rise as temporary
Federal Reserve Bank of Boston president Cathy Minehan said on Monday 19 July that disappointing economic data in June was likely to be temporary and the recovery is now self-sustaining.
Fed's Bies on risk management
In a speech on 'Using Enterprise-wide Risk Management to Effectively Execute Business Strategies' given on 16 July, Susan Schmidt Bies of the Federal Reserve said credit cards and bank overdraft protection are drawing the attention of regulators because…
Chicago Fed Letter, August 2004
The latest edition of the Chicago Fed Letter for August 2004, titled 'Economy to continue cruising along,' says the outlook for 2004 is for the US economy to have its best growth in seven years, growing at a rate above potential, and leading to a fall in…
Fed's Bies on business financial conditions
In a speech on 'Business financial conditions and relationships with bankers' given on 15 July, Susan Schmidt Bies of the Federal Reserve said the economic expansion is now broad based, and the financial strength of businesses should help provide the…
Kansas Fed's Economic Review, 2nd Quarter 2004
The Kansas City Fed's Economic Review 2nd Quarter 2004 includes an article "What Impact Will E-Commerce Have on the U.S. Economy?" which examines the economic factors that have contributed to the rapid growth of e-commerce and assesses how the future…
Fed's Roger Ferguson on productivity:
In a speech on 'Productivity: Past, Present, and Future' given on 7 July, Roger Ferguson of the Federal Reserve said the recent increase in U.S. inflation should not be sustained but the Fed is ready to act if that view proves wrong.
St Louis Fed's Regional Economist, July 2004
The Quarterly Review of Business and Economic Conditions, The Regional Economist, July 2004 edition from the St Louis Fed includes the article "Fannie, Freddie and the FHLB". These government-sponsored enterprises continue to make headlines because of…
'The Region' from the Minneapolis Fed, June 2004
The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis has published its regular magazine, The Region, for June 2004. The issue includes 'Prospects for economic expansion' in which Gary Stern speaks on the concepts of resilience, flexibility and productivity. In …
Fed Reserve Bank of St Louis Review, Jul/Aug 2004
The latest edition of the St Louis Fed's Review for July-August 2004 contains proceedings of the Twenty-Eighth Annual Economic Policy Conference of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and includes articles "Is inflation targeting best-practice monetary…
St Louis Fed's Central Banker, Summer 2004
The Summer 2004 edition of the St. Louis Fed's Central Banker magazine has been published. The latest issue carries an article "The FACT Act Helps Bankers Mitigate Risks" which says approximately half of all identity-theft claims in the Eighth District…
Fed's Gramlich on reducing budget deficits
In a speechon 'Reducing budget deficits' given on 24 June, Edward Gramlich of the Federal Reserve said the United States must reduce its budget deficits and enforce a tighter fiscal policy to ensure the long-run health of the economy.
Fed seeks nominations to Consumer Advisory Council
The Federal Reserve Board has announced that it is seeking nominations for appointments to its Consumer Advisory Council. Eleven new members will be appointed to serve three-year terms beginning in January 2005.
Fed's Kohn on regulatory reform proposals
In testimony 'Regulatory reform proposals' given on 22 June, Donald Kohn of the Federal Reserve said that the Federal Reserve Board strongly supports legislative proposals that would authorise the payment of interest on demand deposits and on balances…
Fed's Bies on trends in risk management
In the speech 'Trends in Risk Management and Corporate Governance' given on 22 June Susan Schmidt Bies of the Federal Reserve said America's banks and other financial institutions are making progress in tightening their rules and procedures but still…
Fed's Olson on the economic outlook
In the speech 'Economic Outlook' given on 15 June Mark Olson of the Federal Reserve said the Fed should be able to raise interest rates gradually, although economic events would ultimately dictate the pace. He also said that although US inflation has…
Greenspan's testimony at nomination hearing
In his nomination hearing testimony to the US Senate on 15 June Alan Greenspan of the Federal Reserve said the Federal Reserve must stand ready to deal with a large number of possible threats to the economy, including another terrorist attack on U.S…
Olson on banking insurance & securities activities
In a speech on 'Regulatory update: Banking industry, insurance, and securities activities' given on 10 June, Mark Olson of the Federal Reserve said the U.S. system of risk-focused bank supervision relies heavily on cooperation among multiple state and…
Federal Reserve Bulletin, Spring 2004
The Federal Reserve published its Bulletin for Spring 2004 on 9 June. The Bulletin includes a summary of papers presented at the second Conference of the International Research Forum on Monetary Policy. Among the topics examined were the Great Inflation…