United States
Minutes show Fed unsure on future rate path
Federal Reserve officials were uncertain about future interest rate steps at their last meeting, minutes released Thursday 20 July showed.
Mishkin approved by Senate Banking panel
The Senate Banking Committee on Wednesday 19 July approved the nomination of academic Frederic Mishkin to be a member of the Federal Reserve Board of governors.
Federal Reserve bank pay & staffing trends
A new report from the Financial Markets Center, published Tuesday 18 July, says that the last decade has seen the Fed lose almost 20% of the jobs at its regional Reserve Banks. At the same time, it says, average pay levels have risen for the remaining…
Fed's Warsh on corporate cash balances
In the speech 'Corporate cash balances and economic activity' given on 18 July Kevin Warsh of the Federal Reserve said US companies are at last starting to borrow more and cut the cash hoards they maintained during the economic recovery, a trend that is…
Bernanke's testimony to Congress
In testimony given on 19 July Ben Bernanke of the Federal Reserve warned that stubbornly high inflation could harm the U.S. economy and that the U.S. central bank must guard against rising prices taking hold.
Federal Reserve's Monetary Policy Report, Jul 2006
The Federal Reserve published its July 2006 Monetary Policy Report to the Congress on Wednesday 19 July. The U.S. economy continued to expand at a brisk rate, on balance, over the first half of 2006, the report said.
Upset about death of Fed watching? Come to Asia
According to this article from Bloomberg, published Wednesday 19 July, the Federal Reserve has so comprehensively demystified what it does, that anyone can become a Fed watcher.
Comment: Bernanke focuses on risks
In his remarks following the delivery of the Fed's semi-annual monetary policy to Congress, Fed chairman, Ben Bernanke, adopted an approach very much in keeping with his predecessor, Alan Greenspan. What does this mean for the Fed's inflation targeting…
St Louis Fed paper on forex intervention
This Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Working Paper "Authorities' beliefs about foreign exchange intervention: Getting back under the hood" presents the results of a survey of monetary authorities with respect to their beliefs about foreign exchange…
US says IMF gold revaluation not an option
U.S. Treasury Under Secretary Tim Adams said on Monday 17 July that it would not be appropriate for International Monetary Fund gold reserves to be revalued to support its financing to make up for reduced demand for emergency loans.
Bernanke complicated by regional Fed presidents
According to the article "Bernanke push for unity complicated by regional Fed presidents" published by Bloomberg on Tuesday 18 July, it is becoming more difficult for Ben Bernanke to create consensus with regional Fed presidents gaining influence and…
Hedge funds will be regulated, one way or another
According to this article by Bloomberg, published Friday 14 July, although a US court blocked the Securities and Exchange Commission from regulating hedge funds, the business hasn't permanently escaped the grasp of regulators.
Volcker says Bernanke faces tougher time than him
In an interview with Bloomberg television, former Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker said Ben Bernanke faces an even tougher challenge than he did as leader of the Fed.
Stern says Fed will remain diligent
The Federal Reserve is committed to its responsibility of avoiding a damaging rise in inflation, Minneapolis Fed president Gary Stern said on Thursday 13 July.
Dallas Fed notes 'disappointing' inflation
The Dallas Federal Reserve Bank said on Thursday 13 July U.S. inflation has been "disappointingly" high but slow labor cost growth and hefty profits should keep it from gaining a firm grip.
Alvarez's testimony on industrial loan companies
In testimony given on 12 July Scott Alvarez of the General Counsel said U.S. lawmakers should determine who can use industrial loan companies before commercial firms decide for themselves.
IMF paper on U.S. inflation dynamics
The IMF Working Paper "U.S. inflation dynamics: What drives them over different frequencies?" aims to improve the understanding of U.S. inflation dynamics by separating out structural from cyclical effects using frequency domain techniques.
Mishkin says he will stick to Fed's goals
Federal Reserve nominee Frederic Mishkin told a hearing on Wednesday 12 July that he would keep faith with the Fed's responsibilities for ensuring price stability, full employment and a stable financial system.
Paulson sworn in as US Treasury Secretary
Henry Paulson was sworn in as the 74th U.S. Treasury Secretary on Monday 10 July, saying he would build on the achievements of his predecessor, John Snow.
Comment: Is the Fed's message getting clearer?
The chairman of the US Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke, has received much criticism for allegedly failing to explain the Fed's view to markets clearly. Are there signs that after a shaky start, Bernanke is starting to get his message across more clearly?
Carstens on reshaping the IMF's role in the 21st C
In the speech 'Reshaping the IMF's role in the 21st century' given on 29 June Agustin Carstens of the IMF said the development of a medium-term strategy for the IMF has been a process rich in debate within and, more importantly, outside of the…
Fed Reserve Bank of St Louis Review, Jul/Aug 2006
The latest edition of the St Louis Fed's Review for Jul/Aug 2006 includes the article 'Is the United States bankrupt?' The paper offers three policies to eliminate the nation's enormous fiscal gap and avert bankruptcy.
Kohn with reflections on globalization & policies
In the speech 'Reflections on globalization and policies' given on 6 July Donald Kohn of the Federal Reserve said he was aware of the risk of raising rates more than necessary but saw a need for higher global interest rates to maintain stability.
Bies on the challenges of Basel II implementation
In the speech 'Addressing challenges raised by Basel II implementation' given on 4 July Susan Schmidt Bies of the Federal Reserve said US bank regulators are moving smoothly through proposed rules implementing Basel II bank capital standards and are on…