United States
US consumers in good shape, says Greenspan
Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan said on Monday 23 February that the US household sector seemed to be in good shape. Homeowners have done well, with their total debt burden kept under control.
McTeer says Fed wording moves focus from calendar
Dallas Federal Reserve President Robert McTeer said on Saturday 21 February that the shift in the wording of the FOMC's statement represented a an effort to force financial markets to focus on economic conditions rather than on time.
Mel Gibson's father: 'Greenspan should be lynched'
Well-known Hollywood Actor Mel Gibson is about to release a new movie, but in a bizarre interview his father has made some outrageous comments, including a mention for Alan Greenspan.
Cleveland Fed's Pianalto reveals basketball link
Visiting a school recently, Cleveland Fed President Sandra Pianalto was mobbed for autographs by the schoolchildren who crowded round her.
Bies on Financial Markets and Corporate Governance
In a speech on 'Financial Markets and Corporate Governance' given on 19 February, Susan Schmidt Bies of the Federal Reserve said the world of accounting needs to catch up with the growing sophistication of the world of finance. She urged accounting…
Philadelphia Fed Business Outlook Survey, Feb 2004
According to the firms surveyed for the Philadelphia Fed's Business Outlook Survey, February 2004 activity in the region's manufacturing sector continues to expand although indicators for general activity, new orders, and shipments fell from their…
Dallas's McTeer on inflation targets
Dallas Fed president Bob McTeer said on Thursday 19 February that inflation targets were a marketing tool not needed by the Fed, and opposed lobbying to float China's currency.
Poole on the state of the U.S. economy
In a speech on 'State of the U.S. Economy' given on 20 February, William Poole of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis said he saw the U.S. economy growing 4 to 5 percent this year and this growth should generate "significant increases" in employment.
Moskow: Regional, national US economic conditions
In a speech on 'Regional and National Economic Conditions' given on 19 February, Michael Moskow of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago said the Fed would not be deterred from raising interest rates by the proximity of the U.S. Presidential election if it…
Cleveland's Pianalto on the process of policy
In a speech on 'The Process of Policy' given on 13 January, Sandra Pianalto of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland said provided a snap shot of a typical FOMC meeting, from the "go-round" when Committee members give their views on the economic outlook…
St Louis Fed's Central Banker, Winter 2003
The Winter 2003 edition of the St. Louis Fed's Central Banker magazine has been published. The latest issue carries a report on Check 21 which, it says, will speed up and simplify check processing. The Winter edition also reveals why the Bank is…
New York Fed names Christine Cumming First VP
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York named Christine Cumming, a 24 year veteran of the Bank, as its new first vice president on Monday (9 Feb). Timothy Geithner said that her fine judgement and intellectual contribution to the bank is impressive.
Fed says central banks keep buying US debt
Holdings of US government debt held by foreign central banks hit a new record high, the Federal Reserve said on Thursday 12 February. The Fed said it was partly due to the Bank of Japan's heavy intervention in the markets.
Improvements to the Federal Reserve's website
The Federal Reserve Board on Tuesday 10 February announced a number of improvements to its website, including the capability to view and submit comments on regulatory proposals.
Philadelphia Fed Business Review, 1st Quarter 2004
The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia has published its regular Business Review for the First Quarter 2004. In the latest issue President Anthony Santomero discusses how some extraordinary events, including the bursting of the tech bubble, the…
Greenspan sees vigorous growth, warns on deficit
In testimony on Wednesday 11 February, Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan said the U.S. economy has good odds for sustained robust growth, but that policy-makers can be patient about interest-rate rises. He warned there could be problems "in the relatively near…
Economic outlook 'mixed' at Chicago Fed
Chicago Fed president Michael Moskow gave his first speech of 2004 on Tuesday. But while we're sure he got his message across loud and clear, the bank's own website reported it with a spelling mistake in the title. Or is the US economy in more of a…
'Capitalism is not working'
Former US Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill's recent book "The Price of Loyalty" contains various quotes attributed to Alan Greenspan. Although his comments on President Bush got much publicity recently, what the Fed maestro had to say was largely…
Fed's changes to payments system risk statement
The Federal Reserve Board on Thursday 5 February announced that, beginning in July 2006, it will require Reserve Banks to release interest and redemption payments on securities issued by government-sponsored enterprises and international organizations.
Focus on central banks
This article looks at some key events this week in the world of central banking. Ben Bernanke's comments on inflation ruffled some feathers, the author says, with the suggestion that deflation fears had receded substantially. The ECB's latest press…
Bies on enterprise-wide compliance programs
In a speech on 'Enterprise-wide Compliance Programs' given on 4 February, Susan Schmidt Bies of the Federal Reserve warned that it is too soon to assume corporate scandals and profit restatements were a thing of the past in U.S. and global business…
Chicago Fed's Moskow on the economic outlook
In a speech on 'Economic outlook' given on 3 February, Michael Moskow of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago said that worries that inflation is on the rise are premature, and it will take some time for pressure on resources to emerge.
Howard Dean calls Greenspan a political burden
US Democratic presidential contender Howard Dean said on Friday 23 January that Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan had become too political and should be replaced.
Chicago Fed National Activity Index, December 2003
The Chicago Fed National Activity Index (CFNAI) December 2003 was published on 29 January. The December CFNAI was +0.13 in December, the fourth consecutive positive monthly reading.