Federal Reserve

Former Fed vice chair Stanley Fischer dies at 81

Former Fed vice chair Stanley Fischer dies at 81

Former Federal Reserve Vice Chair and noted macroeconomist Stanley Fischer, who passed away Saturday at 81.Bloomberg News (Bloomberg) — Stanley Fischer, a professor and practitioner of macroeconomics who helped guide central banks in two countries, Israel and the US, and mentored a younger generation of economic decision-makers, has died. He was 81. He died on […]

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Mortgage rates unfazed by crazy economic headlines

In one of the most chaotic weeks for economic headlines of the year, mortgage rates remained relatively stable, which is a stark contrast to the madness caused by the Godzilla tariffs a few weeks ago. Can this stability last?  Despite elevated rates, having fewer wild fluctuations on a day-to-day basis creates a healthier mortgage market

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Inflation is almost at 2%. Will that prompt a Fed rate cut?

The good news is the preferred measure of inflation for the Federal Reserve keeps trending downward. The bad news is that the economic backdrop that could lead to lower rates keeps getting more complicated. According to new data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), the Personal Consumption Expenditures price index for April rose

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April PCE inflation comes in at 2.1%, nearing Fed goal

April PCE inflation comes in at 2.1%, nearing Fed goal

Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg The Federal Reserve’s preferred measure of inflation continued to inch toward its 2% target last month, but the impact of higher tariffs have yet to reflect meaningfully in government data. The headline Personal Consumption Expenditure, or PCE, index increased 2.1% on an annualized basis in April, according to a report released by the

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Trump to Powell: It’s a ‘mistake’ to not lower interest rates

President Donald Trump met Thursday with Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell at the White House to discuss economic developments, as Trump continues to press the Fed to lower interest rates. During the meeting, Trump told Powell he’s making “a mistake” by not lowering interest rates, the White House said Thursday. The meeting was at Trump’s

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Trump, Powell discuss economic outlook at White House

Trump, Powell discuss economic outlook at White House

Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell met with President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday to discuss the economic outlook and monetary policy. During the meeting, Powell did not discuss his outlook for the federal funds rate, according to a statement issued by the Fed on Thursday afternoon. Instead, the central bank

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FOMC minutes reveal disagreement on possible tariff impacts

FOMC minutes reveal disagreement on possible tariff impacts

Federal Reserve Federal Reserve officials were split about the potential inflationary impact of higher tariff rates during the central bank’s monetary policy meeting last month. Some members of the Federal Open Market Committee voiced concern that elevated import taxes could result in supply chain disruptions that lead to “persistent effects on inflation, reminiscent of such

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Stress-test suit pause lets all sides fight another day

Stress-test suit pause lets all sides fight another day

The Federal Reserve and several industry groups have agreed to put their lawsuit over stress testing on pause, an outcome that gives all sides a reprieve without sacrificing their legal optionality. Late last week, the Fed joined the Bank Policy Institute, the American Bankers Association, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and a pair of Ohio

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FHFA Director Pulte calls on Powell to lower interest rates

On Monday, FHFA Director Bill Pulte called on Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell to lower interest rates. His exact tweet was: “Jay Powell needs to lower interest rates – enough is enough. President Trump has crushed Biden’s inflation, and there is no reason not to lower rates. The housing market would be in much better

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Fed paper flags ‘underappreciated’ risks of private credit

Fed paper flags ‘underappreciated’ risks of private credit

Bloomberg News As banks provide the liquidity that fuels private credit lending — even without originating the loans themselves — researchers at the Federal Reserve say traditional lenders risk being dragged into a financial crisis if defaults among private credit borrowers spike. In a new paper, Boston Fed researchers José L. Fillat, Mattia Landoni, John

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