Federal Reserve System
Fed's Olson says loan standards easing
In a speech given on Friday 3 June Mark Olson of the Federal Reserve said some underwriting standards held by U.S. community banks for commercial real estate lending have been "under assault" by competitive pressure to win borrowers.
Gramlich unsure on what 'inning' Fed is in
Federal Reserve governor Edward Gramlich said on Friday 3 June that he did not know what stage the US central bank was at in its interest-rate rise cycle.
Fed's Ferguson says US house prices to slow
House prices seem high in much of the United States and price growth is likely to slow, Federal Reserve Vice-Chairman Roger Ferguson said on Friday 27 May in a speech at the seventh Deutsche Bundesbank spring conference.
Fed's Bies on capital and risk management
In the speech 'Capital and risk management' given on 26 May, Susan Schmidt Bies of the Federal Reserve said she sees no reason to replace Basel I for the vast majority of banks in the United States.
Olson on Federal Reserve in an electronic world
In the speech 'The Federal Reserve in an electronic world' given on 19 May, Mark Olson of the Federal Reserve said the role of the private sector is growing in all segments of the payments system, from providing payments services, to setting industry…
Fed's Gramlich on politics of inflation targeting
In the speech 'The politics of inflation targeting' given on 26 May Edward Gramlich of the Federal Reserve said there was little political support in the United States for adopting a formal inflation target and such a step would yield only modest…
Fed's Bies on benefits & implementation of Basel 2
In the speech 'Financial stability benefits and implementation challenges of Basel II' given on 17 May Susan Bies of the Federal Reserve said in preparing for Basel II, supervisors realize that they must address their own capital needs--that is, human…
Fed's Olson on Basel II
In the speech 'Basel II' given on 16 May Mark Olson of the Federal Reserve said U.S. regulators would delay further or seek to change Basel II international bank soundness rules because of an uneven response by banks to a dry run of the rules.
Fed's Greenspan on energy
In the speech 'Energy' given on 20 May Alan Greenspan of the Federal Reserve said a modest easing in oil demand in response to higher prices should keep inventories rising in the U.S. and elsewhere for some months.
Fed's Kohn on modeling inflation
In a speech on 'Modeling inflation: A policymaker's perspective' given on 20 May, Donald Kohn of the Federal Reserve called for improvements in inflation modeling, saying an increase in core US inflation in 2004 and 2005 caught him and many other…
Fed's Greenspan on government-sponsored enterprise
In the speech 'Government-sponsored enterprises' given on 19 May Alan Greenspan of the Federal Reserve levelled criticisms at the two mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Greenspan on leaving the Fed
In a speech given on 15 May Alan Greenspan of the Federal Reserve expressed his intention of leaving office when his current term ends in January next year.
Fed's Ferguson on globalization
In a speech on 'Globalization: Evidence and policy implications' given on 12 May, Roger Ferguson of the Federal Reserve said central banks will not be coordinating monetary policy any time soon nor is it desirable.
Fed's Bies on the Basel II Accord and H.R. 1226
In testimony 'The Basel II Accord and H.R. 1226' given on 11 May Susan Bies of the Federal Reserve said a key US banking regulator is aiming to issue rules implementing an international banking agreement about how much capital banks hold by this fall.
Fed Reserve Bank of St Louis Review, May/June 2005
The latest edition of the St Louis Fed's Review for May-June 2005 includes the articles "Monetary policy and commodity futures" and "Using implied volatility to measure uncertainty about interest rates".
Greenspan on risk transfer and financial stability
In a speech on 'Risk transfer and financial stability' given on 5 May, Alan Greenspan of the Federal Reserve said the huge mortgage holdings of home finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac pose risks to the liquidity of the derivatives market where…
Philadelphia Fed Business Outlook Survey, Apr 2005
According to the firms surveyed for the Philadelphia Fed's Business Outlook Survey, April 2005, activity in the region's manufacturing sector continues to expand.
Fed's Roseman on developments in payment systems
In testimony on 'Recent developments in the payments system' given on 20 April, Louise Roseman of the Federal Reserve said the payments system in the United States is continuing to change and become increasingly efficient. However, the shift away from…
Fed's Ferguson on central banking in the US
In a speech on 'The evolution of central banking in the United States' given on 27 April, Roger Ferguson of the Federal Reserve said that central banking practice adapts over time as markets evolve and this had been the Fed's experience and would likely…
Fed's Ferguson on the US current account deficit
In the speech 'U.S. current account deficit: Causes and consequences' given on 20 April, Roger Ferguson of the Federal Reserve said that America's current account deficit does not mean the world economy is doomed because its root is likely the…
Fed's Kohn on imbalances in the US economy
In a speech on 'Imbalances in the US economy' given on 22 April, Donald Kohn of the Federal Reserve said the central bank would likely keep pushing US interest rates up at a "measured pace" to keep inflation under control.
Chicago Fed National Activity Index, Mar 2005
The Chicago Fed National Activity Index for March 2005 was +0.11, down from +0.22 in February. Three of the four broad categories of indicators that comprise the index made positive contributions last month, according to the CFNAI.
Fed's Gramlich on growing retirement costs
In the speech 'A first step in dealing with growing retirement costs' given on 21 April, Edward Gramlich of the Federal Reserve said the United States should remove a cap on wages subject to the Social Security payroll tax and raise the retirement age to…
Dilemma facing Southeast Asia's central banks
This article published on Thursday 21 April looks at the situation of Asian central banks. A cocktail of rising inflation, slower economic growth and "an aggressive" Federal Reserve is forcing local central banks to raise interest rates when their…