Fed Official: Policymakers May Have to Alter Course
The Fed is poised to evaluate and potentially make changes to its massive monetary stimulus, says a top agency official who is critical of the Fed's bond-buying program.
QE3
Fed Sticks to Stimulus Plan, Warns Growth Hampered by Budget Cuts
The Fed is sticking with its bond-buying plan to push down borrowing costs and prop up the economy, citing risks to growth from recent budget tightening in Washington.
Families Dip Into Savings as Incomes Fall, Energy Costs Rise
In January, U.S. incomes dropped, but spending rose as consumers dug into savings to help cover rising utility costs and the increased price of gasoline.
Stock Futures Rise as Fed Chairman Bernanke Heads to The Hill
Futures are rising as Chairman Ben Bernanke heads to Capitol Hill to explain what the Federal Reserve will do to accelerate the economic recovery only days before a series of mandatory budget cuts kick in.
If Fed Ends Quantitative Easing Now, It'll Hurt More Than Housing
Just as we hear that previously occupied home sales hit their second-highest level in three years, we also hear that the Federal Reserve is having second thoughts on its latest round of quantitative easing, also known as QE3.
S&P 500 Has Biggest Decline of 2013 After Fed Minutes Released
Stocks are closing lower on Wall Street following news that several top Federal Reserve officials are doubtful about continuing the central bank's economic stimulus. The S&P 500 index had its biggest loss of the year.
How You Can Take Advantage of the Fed's Low Interest Rate Plans
To keep interest rates at rock-bottom lows and boost the economy, the Federal Reserve is buying $40 billion a month in mortgage-backed securities, and it'll keep buying them for as long as it takes to get the economy back on track. Here's how that plan should affect your personal economy.
5 Ways QE3 Will Affect Your Wallet
Quantitative easing is when the Fed buys securities in the hope of driving down interest rates -- ideally spurring more borrowing and spending. And this time, the Fed says it'll do it until the economy is back on track. But there are side effects to Dr. Bernanke's medicine.
U.S. Trade Deficit Fell 12.1% in Second Quarter as Exports Rose
The U.S. current account trade deficit narrowed in the April-June period, pushed lower by an increase in American exports and cheaper oil imports. The Commerce Department said Tuesday that the deficit in the current account decreased 12.1 percent to $117.4 billion in the second quarter.
And the Number One Threat to the Market Is...
With the market in exuberant, can't lose bull-mode, we asked a group of our favorite investors, strategists, and economists a simple question: What's the #1 threat to the market right now? Here are the answers we got.
Meet the Blogger Who May Have Just Saved the American Economy
The Fed's announcement of QE Unlimited was a clear departure from past strategy. And the economist who deserves the most credit for promulgating the wonky principle behind Bernanke's policy is a professor and blogger named Scott Sumner.
Dow Closes at Highest Level Since 2007 on Fed Stimulus News
The stock market staged a huge rally after investors got the aggressive economic help they wanted from the Fed. The Dow finished up more than 200 points at 13,540, its highest level since December 2007, the start of the Great Recession.
Fed Unveils Bold, Open-Ended Steps to Aid Economy
The Federal Reserve says it will spend $40 billion a month to purchase mortgaged-back securities because the economy is too weak to reduce high unemployment. The Fed says it will keep buying the securities until the job market shows substantial improvement.
Why This Fed Move Was Different From Every Move It Made Before
Everyone expected Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke to announce another round of Quantitative Easing Thursday, and he did. But in the past, there have always been defined limits on how far the Fed would go. This time, there are none. Here's why he said it, and why it's huge.
US Stocks Surge After Fed Announces More Help
The Federal Reserve announced a package of aggressive measures to help the economy. And it was just what investors wanted to hear. The Dow Jones industrial average is up 230 points at 13,563. That's a four-year high.
Expectations High for Major Fed Action Thursday
If the world's investors are right, the Federal Reserve is about to take a bold new step to try to invigorate the U.S. economy. And many expect the Fed to unleash its most potent weapon: a third round of bond purchases meant to ease long-term interest rates and spur borrowing and spending.
Weak Job Growth Makes Bold Fed Action More Likely
August's sluggish job growth could slow the momentum President Barack Obama hoped to gain from his speech Thursday night; it could also make the Federal Reserve more likely to unveil a new bond-buying program at its meeting next week.
World Markets Rally on Fed Vow to Do More
World stock markets rallied Friday after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke signaled that the central bank would do more to stimulate the U.S. economy.
Bernanke Says the Fed Will Do More About High Unemployment
Chairman Ben Bernanke made clear Friday that the Federal Reserve will do more to boost the economy because of high U.S. unemployment and an economic recovery that remains "far from satisfactory."
The Financial Landscape: Debt Woes, Hedge Fund Regs
Politicians in both Greece and the U.S. are struggling to find the common ground necessary to keep their governments from defaulting on their debts; QE2 hasn't ended yet, and already the Fed is considering QE3; and the SEC finally starts to regulate Wall Street's hedge funds.
Silver Prices Soar Amid Inflation Concerns
Silver prices touched a 30-year high Monday as investors sought the safety of precious metals. Inflation concerns are running high after Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said the central bank is considering a third round of qualitative easing.