Fed expected to leave benchmark rate unchanged at June meeting. Is that risky?

Jun 10, 2024
The latest jobs report is unlikely to change the Fed's mind when they meet Tuesday and Wednesday.
The latest jobs report is unlikely to change the Fed's mind when they meet Tuesday and Wednesday.
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Why the European Central Bank is cutting interest rates now

Jun 6, 2024
Inflation has eased in Europe as prices fall for electricity and other items that were affected by supply shortages from the Ukraine war.
Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank. Energy prices, lifted by supply shortages caused by Russia's war in Ukraine, played a big role in inflation on the Continent.
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The European Central Bank cut interest rates. What does that mean for the Fed?

Jun 6, 2024
When the Fed meets next week, they will be more focused on what's happening here in the United States.
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What does the Phillips curve tell us about the economy?

Jun 5, 2024
The Phillips Curve says that low unemployment is linked to high inflation. But history shows that the economy doesn't always work that way.
Economist A.W. Phillips came up with what’s known as “the Phillips curve” in 1958. It says that low unemployment is linked to high inflation.
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Fed steers interest rates on path toward "neutral"

Jun 3, 2024
The central bank seeks the right rate for controlling inflation while promoting economic growth. It's a moving target.
The interest rate we'd have in "normal" times is called the neutral rate. But it's an elusive, theoretical idea that changes with economic conditions. Above, Fed Chair Jerome Powell.
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What motivates companies to replace workers with machines?

May 30, 2024
A labor shortage in manufacturing seems to be tempting them.
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New research finds Native households are more financially stressed

May 21, 2024
The Fed's annual Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking doesn't include breakout data on American Indian and Alaska Native households. New research aims to fill that data gap.
The SHED survey does capture responses from Native people, but they make up just about 1% of the total sample.
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The problem of sticky inflation resides with housing, Fed's Goolsbee says

May 15, 2024
Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee talks the latest CPI release and what it means for the Fed's continued fight against inflation.
Austan Goolsbee, the president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.
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Why isn't the cost of borrowing money included in the consumer price index?

May 15, 2024
Loans are a big cost, but they would muddle the data in the CPI. Fed rate hikes would essentially create inflation, despite their intention.
Borrowing is a major expense for many Americans. One example is the interest on car loans.
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If the Federal Reserve waits to cut interest rates, will the European Central Bank follow suit?

Apr 11, 2024
Inflation’s up again in the U.S. while the EU is edging closer to its target. That brings the ECB to a bit of a fork in the road.
If the U.S. and EU economies are diverging, the central banks may pursue different policies, said finance professor Bill English.
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