InflationFears

U.S. consumers already have been hit with higher prices for food and fuel. But the rising prices won't stop there. The weak dollar means that prices for imported goods -- and components -- are headed up, further boosting inflation.

The economy appears to be heading into a rare, but oft-predicted, scenario of strong growth and low inflation called "Goldilocks." While it's been called before, experts might be right this time around.

When a Federal Reserve committee meets Tuesday to consider the federal interest rate, it will likely revise its glum outlook into something brighter. But will it also acknowledge the U.S.'s growing inflation problem?

Members of Congress sharply questioned Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke Wednesday over whether the Fed's policies are raising the risk of higher inflation in the months ahead.

Amid a bounce back in manufacturing activity, surging commodity prices are leading to fears of inflationary forces. Those forces are real, but corporate profits -- and therefore, stock prices -- won't suffer too quickly. The pain for struggling Americans, though, could be rapid and severe.

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.

Inflation in 2010 was low, according to the consumer price index. But underlying growth in the cost of energy, raw materials and health care could indicate significant inflation this year. And that could mean higher prices for consumers or lower profits for companies.

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.

As investors sell on fears that China might raise interest rates, the country's top economic official says a plan to rein in double-digit growth in food prices is coming soon.

Recent reports show that several banks have begun advising their wealthiest individual clients to put as much as 10% of their assets into the precious metal. And some are stocking up by the ton.