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.

Consumers paid more for food and gas last month, although inflation outside those volatile categories was tame. The Labor Department says the Consumer Price Index rose 0.3% in September, below August's 0.4% rise. Excluding food and energy, so-called core prices increased 0.1%, the smallest rise since March.

After Ben Bernanke pulled a trick from the 1960s Fed handbook to twist down long-term interest rates, experts are mixed on how it will affect the U.S. economy. Wall Street reacted negatively to the news. The Dow fell 284 points.

A year after the Federal Reserve enacted new rules to rein in abusive bank overdraft practices, fees remain high and some institutions actually have slapped on additional penalties, according to a new survey by the Consumer Federation of America.

In a much-anticipated announcement, the Federal Reserve said economic weakness will require it to keep interest rates low until 2013. Stocks fell initially on the news, but later soared.

Everyone now knows the federal government is about to run up against its limit for borrowing money, but everyone also knows that governments can -- and do -- just print the stuff. Washington owns the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. Could the way to sidestep this looming crisis be just making more money?

This week brought a bit of good news for some troubled homeowners in the form of two separate settlement activities. The FTC has begun mailing refund checks to 450,000 Countrywide customers, and Wells Fargo reached an $85 million settlement with the Fed that will provide relief to up to 10,000 customers.

A stock that does well when the rest of the market tanks -- that's the appeal of Annaly Capital management. While other stocks wilt under the heat of unemployment and an uncertain economy, Annaly thrives under these conditions. Then there's the company's dividend yield: a cool 14.2%.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said Wednesday that the central bank is prepared to provide additional stimulus if the current economic lull persists. Delivering his twice-a-year economic report to Congress, Bernanke laid out three options the central bank would consider. Bernanke said the...

Banks received some long-awaited news last week: the Federal Reserve voted to cap fees charged to retailers on debit card transactions at roughly 24 cents per transaction, down from an average of 44 cents. Financial institutions had feared the Fed's initial proposal of a 12 cent cap would go...