Fed to Wind Down Stimulus Program, but When?
The Fed's bond-buying program has been one of the main drivers of the market rally over the past nine months. Now the central bank has reportedly decided on its next move.
quantitative easing
Dow Closes at New All-Time High of 14,253, Beating 2007 Record
The Dow is closing at a record, beating the previous high it set in October 2007, before the financial crisis and the Great Recession. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 126 points, or 1 percent, to 14,253 Tuesday, beating its previous record by 89 points.
Bernanke Defends Fed's Low-Interest-Rate Policies
Facing criticism from Republican lawmakers, Chairman Ben Bernanke stood behind the Federal Reserve's low-interest-rate policies Wednesday and sought to reassure Congress that the central bank has a handle on the risks. Bond purchases are needed to help boost a still-weak economy, Bernanke said.
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.
Some Fed Officials Worried Bond Purchases May Fuel Inflation
Several Federal Reserve policymakers warned last month that the Fed's plan to keep buying $85 billion in bonds each month until the job market is healthy could eventually escalate inflation, unsettle financial markets or cost the Fed money when it sells its investments.
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.
Vladimir Putin Is Trying to Buy Up the World's Gold
Russia has become the world's biggest buyer of gold. Following a policy set by long-time leader Vladimir Putin, Russia's Central Bank added 570 metric tons of gold, about 25 percent more than second-ranked gold bug China acquired over the same period.
The Fed Likely to Reinforce Low Interest Rate Message This Week
When the Federal Reserve meets this week, it's likely to affirm a message it intends to help lift the economy: that consumers and businesses will be able to borrow cheaply well into the future -- even after unemployment has dropped sharply.
Beware the Coming Emerging Market Bust, Warns Banking Group
A leading lobby group for the world's financial institutions is warning investors not to get caught flat-footed in emerging markets if rich-country central banks end their easy and cheap money policy of the past few years.
Fed Says It Will Keep Interest Rates Low Until Jobs Come Back
The Federal Reserve says it will keep spending $45 billion a month to sustain an aggressive drive to keep long-term interest rates low, with the express purpose of hitting the accelerator on economic growth until unemployment drops below 6.5 percent.
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.
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.
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.