Inflation has inched higher in the past six months, but that's not a danger sign, but rather a harbinger of improving economic conditions and a strengthening recovery. And that, in turn, should lead to higher wages and more hiring in the year ahead.
As earlier bouts of alarmism over Europe, then a double-dip recession and then deflation fade away, a new bogeyman is taking their place: Inflation, and the damage it could do to profits and stocks. Yes, prices are rising, but the main pain will be felt most among America's poorest.
After years of exhorting China to increase the value of its yuan, the currency is finally rising. Why that's so is the result of the Fed's quantitative easing program. Here's how Bernanke managed to succeed where political wrangling fell short.
The U.S. economy has strengthened, but not enough for the government to pare down its bond-buying program, according to the latest Fed minutes. In late 2010, investments rose and the job market improved -- but the housing market remained depressed.
While most of the world's central banks are still fighting the last war, Sweden's Riksbank has moved on to the next one. Rather than looking at conventional inflation gauges, the world's oldest central bank is basing its actions on asset-price growth in an effort to prevent the next bubble.
Gold is on a record bull run, up from $328 in 2002 to $1,375 an ounce today. What caused that steep rise wasn't any inherent increase in gold's value to society, but a clever marketing scheme that allowed it to be traded easily without the hassle of physical delivery: The SPDR Gold ETF.
Republican leaders may be worried about the Federal Reserve's second round of quantitative easing, but the stock and credit markets are delighted: They've improved significantly since the plan was announced. But can the rally be solely attributed to QE2?
A rapidly growing list of reports shows a U.S. economic recovery that's far stronger than most had anticipated just months ago. And both deflation and inflation seem less likely to explode. All this is boosting the dollar -- and could soon dim the gold bugs' argument.
For the 22nd-straight month, the central bank kept its target interest rate at 0% to 0.25%. It made no new asset purchases and no changes to QE2, its $600 billion, eight-month bond-buying program. Housing and hiring are two main areas of concern in a slow-growth economy.
Led by a jump in energy, producer prices rose 0.8% in November -- a gain that suggests policymakers may be winning their battle to avoid deflation. It's the straight monthly rise. However, minus energy and food increases, inflation pretty much vanishes.
Noted economist Gary Shilling just released a new book, The Age of Deleveraging, in which he explains why inflation isn't what investors should be fearing, but rather deflation. He also recommends 10 investments investors should now make. [Video]
The Fed says it expects the U.S. economy to grow weakly in both 2010 and 2011, with as many as six years needed to return unemployment to normal levels.
When the economic gurus at the Fed move the levers of U.S. monetary policy, they do so with two often-conflicting goals in mind: promoting maximum employment and keeping prices stable. Many critics are now arguing that that Fed should focus solely on prices.
Manufacturing activity in the mid-Atlantic region unexpectedly surged in November. The Philly Fed's Business Outlook Survey index jumped to 22.5 in November from 1 in October, its highest reading since December 2009.
While everyone hates inflation, deflation has instant emotional appeal: Who doesn't like a bargain? But deflation is a far more serious economic problem than inflation -- and, as we found, most folks don't really know why. Do you? If not, no worries: Economist Gary Shilling will explain the reasoning. [Video]
The nation's struggle to prevent deflation is apparently only just beginning. The 12-month core rate (excluding food and energy prices) fell to a record low 0.6% from 0.8% in September. Clearly, the Fed has more work to do.
ING Investment Management forecasts that stock markets will rise between 8% and 12% in 2011, thanks to a low-inflation, low-interest environment supported by the Fed, despite weak GDP growth. And for those looking for to increase their investment yields, they have a few suggestions.
Producer prices rose less than expected, with much of the hike coming from energy. Excluding food and energy, PPI fell 0.6% in the month. Overall, wholesale prices are up just 1.5% in the past year -- still too close to deflation for the U.S. Federal Reserve.
The seemingly symbiotic relationship between the China and America -- dubbed Chimerica -- is now clearly chimerical. What was once billed as the ideal partnership is quickly turning into a competition for global influence. Investors, beware.
The Federal Reserve bought $7.3 billion worth of U.S. Treasuries Friday as it started a second round of quantitative easing meant to stimulate the nation's economy, media reports indicate. The QE2 plan, designed to boost job creation and prevent deflation, has been highly criticized.
As the G-20 meets in South Korea, many world leaders have stepped up their complaints about the Fed's $600 billion quantitative easing program, as well as the rapid flow of capital into emerging markets. Some countries are installing capital controls in response, but those won't be enough, says global finance expert Peter Cohan.
A day after announcing a second round of quantitative easing, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke responded to critics in a Washington Post op-ed that explains how the program will work and why it won't spark inflation.
U.S. Federal Reserve launched the second phase of its quantitative easing program, the so-called QE2, saying it will buy up to $600 billion more in long-term U.S. Treasury bonds to help stimulate a U.S. economy that's growing too slowly.
It's clear the U.S. economy is suffering from a lack of demand. So, this poor report will likely bolster Fed officials who want to keep interest rates low and employ more quantitative easing.
Perhaps the greatest debate over the economy this year, has been whether the U.S. is in for a period of inflation or deflation. Gary Shilling explains why he believes deflation is the biggest threat and talks about what you can do to protect your portfolio.
Even as consumers celebrate lower prices, economists fear that widespread price decreases signal more problems ahead for the U.S. economy. To show the breadth of price declines, we've compiled a list of popular products that have dropped in price over the last year.
The Fed's latest Beige Book report confirms what earlier economic data has indicated. Eight of the 12 regional Fed banks, including San Francisco and Chicago, reported some form of growth in the September/October period. But nothing to write home about.
Besides the unemployed, nobody is getting hurt worse in this economy than seniors. Prices on many commodities are skyrocketing, but the Consumer Price Index, which is the yardstick used to adjust Social Security for inflation, is virtually unchanged.
