United States
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.
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.
The rising financial power of emerging markets
Jacques de Larosière puts the rising financial power of emerging markets in perspective and considers the implications for the international monetary system
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.
Controlling inflation stabilises growth
Monetary policy's dual objectives - stabilising inflation and stabilising economic activity - complement rather than contradict one another, said Frederic Mishkin, a governor of the Federal Reserve.
US Treasury supports IMF gold sales, urges reform
The US Treasury has shifted its stance on International Monetary Fund (IMF) gold, saying it will now back the sale of about 8% of the Fund's reserves.
Emergency Fed cut an effort to appear decisive
The Federal Reserve voted to slash rates by 75 basis points to demonstrate decisiveness, minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee's (FOMC) January meeting reveal.
How the Fed is tackling turmoil
The Federal Reserve has acted in line with its dual mandate in taking the four measures made to rein in the recent bout of market turmoil, said Frederic Mishkin, a governor at the central bank.
Fed's Kroszner on risk and responsibility
America's banking industry and its regulators must together ensure that effective risk management practices are in place, said Randall Kroszner, a governor at the Federal Reserve.
Hanke attacks Fed at IEA seminar
Professor Steve Hanke of Johns Hopkins University rebuked the Federal Reserve for its conduct of monetary policy at a conference on Tuesday 26 February on "The State of the Economy" hosted by the Institute of Economic Affairs in London.
Fed's Fisher warns on inflation expectations
Richard Fisher, the president of the Dallas Federal Reserve, has said that the Fed must be careful to avoid "stirring the embers of inflation".
FDIC's Bair calls for mortgage transparency
Sheila Bair, the chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the body responsible for deposit insurance in the US, has called for a return to common sense and back-to-basics lending standards.
Stagflation problem for the Fed?
The Federal Reserve faces a problem that the United States has not seen for many years: stagflation.
Fed's Evans sees pause in rate cuts
Charles Evans, the president of the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank, said that the recent interest rate reductions taken by the Fed should be sufficient to help promote moderate growth over time and mitigate the risks to economic activity.
Mishkin on Fed flexibility
In a speech on 15 February, Fed governor Frederic Mishkin explained how the Federal Reserve has used four different tools to accomplish its objectives of achieving price stability and maximum employment in recent months.
Chances of big cut diminish on Bernanke testimony
Market predictions of another cut to the federal funds rate of at least 50 basis points looked far from certain, following comments from Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve.