U.S. Federal Reserve

The Federal Reserve is holding off on any new actions to help the economy because stronger growth is giving it time to gauge the impact of steps it's already taken. Fed policymakers made the announcement after a two-day meeting.

The U.S. services sector is growing strong, providing additional evidence that the U.S. economy is recovering and might not need more stimulus funding. But that's contingent upon oil staying below $120 per barrel.

The Fed%u2019s latest Beige Book report finds that economic growth has increased but also that the economy is still growing well below its potential and too slowly to substantially lower unemployment.

Plenty of good news may be getting overlooked in a market gripped by one form anxiety after another. That pervasive fear has investors crowding into government bonds. It could also create a good window to get into undervalued stocks.

In testimony on Capitol Hill, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said that the central bank is ready to act in an economy that is "unusually uncertain." Bernanke's comments spooked the markets, which dropped precipitously as he spoke.

The minutes from its June meeting raise some warning flags about growth and unemployment. Still, the Fed's latest forecasts are just slightly more pessimistic, and it has ruled out any further stimulus actions -- at least for now.

New York Times (NYT) columnist Paul Krugman (pictured), an economist by training, an Ivy League academic by profession, and no stranger to bold proposals, has offered another big idea, recommending that the U.S. Federal Reserve double its already record-high balance sheet. Krugman wants the Fed...

The Federal Reserve this week again pledged to keep interest rates close to zero, which means borrowing money remains cheap for banks. What, though, does it mean for U.S. stocks and economy? "Interest rates are artificially low," said Michael Pento, chief economist at Delta Global Advisors in...

Experienced investors know that most economic recoveries occur slowly, almost imperceptibly, kind of like the arrival of dawn. Case in point: The three-month Libor, or London interbank offered rate, which dipped below 0.50 percent for the first time Friday since the financial crisis began last...

These are some scary low U.S. factory numbers. Output at U.S. factories declined 1.5 percent in March, the U.S. Federal Reserve announced Wednesday, as the nation's industrial sector continued to contract amid what is rapidly becoming the United State's worst recession since World War II. Further,...