From the category archives:

Federal Reserve

Making Money In a Deflationary Environment

March 1, 2010 · 4 comments

in Federal Reserve, US dollar, US economy, consumers, deflation, depression, economy, financial planning, interest rates, investing, market trends, money supply, recession, stimulus, unemployment, wealth protection, wealthbuilding

The rally has been over for a good two months, and the markets have been stuck in a trading range since the New Year.  Recent concerns over the potential of sovereign debt crises, however, show that we’re not out of the woods yet.
Just consider some of the following areas for potential setbacks in the markets: [...]

{ 4 comments }

The New Volatility, or Are Stock Markets Affected by Political Influences Reaching A Tipping Point?

January 26, 2010 · 4 comments

in 2010, DJIA, Federal Reserve, Obama Effect, S&P 500, VIX volatility, banks, central banks, earnings, economics, economy, market reports, market trends, news and updates, politics, recession, special dates, stocks

State of the (Economic) Union 2010: is political news now a leading indicator of stock markets?
I can’t remember where I read it recently, perhaps even in the End of Influence, but the consensus among some who know more about it than I do is that stock markets, and most notably the U.S. stock market in [...]

{ 4 comments }

Market Jitters: Are We About to See the End of the Risk Rally and Bear Market Bubble?

January 20, 2010 · 13 comments

in 2010, Federal Reserve, US economy, bull market, central banks, economy, exchange rates, financial planning, forex, hedging, inflation, interest rates, international economy, market crash, market reports, market timing, recession, risk

Highest ever one-month inflation rise in the UK for December, fiscal imbalances in Greece, weakened macro-economics in Germany, a Canadian housing market bubble, higher than 50% gains in the commodity currencies since last March (2009), and the return of hubris and risk-taking in the U.S. investment banks… what do these all have in common?
Is it [...]

{ 13 comments }

Biggest Foreign Buyers of U.S. Debt

January 4, 2010 · 5 comments

in China, Federal Reserve, GDP, US Treasury, US debt, US dollar, central banks, currencies, debt, deficits, hyperinflation, interest rates, international economy, money supply, wealth transfer, world reserve currency

Aside from American financial institutions and the Fed (the buyer of last resort), the largest buyers of US Treasuries and notes are all Asian countries.  You can probably guess which ones.
#1 – China
.
China, more than anyone, is probably most concerned with the value of the US dollar and the stability of their US dollar investments.  [...]

{ 5 comments }

When the Fed Is Expected to Raise Interest Rates

December 23, 2009 · 0 comments

in Federal Reserve, US dollar, US economy, central banks, financial planning, government, inflation, interest rates, money supply, stimulus

With long-term U.S. bond yields rising and much of the recovery seemingly in place, analysts are increasingly wondering when the U.S. Federal Reserve (the Fed) will begin to implement its quantitative easing exit strategy and start raising interest rates.
Currently the Fed baseline interest rate fluctuates between zero (0) and 0.25%and has done so since late [...]

{ 0 comments }

Week-Long Auction of US Treasuries Amount Expected to Increase, Demand To Fall With USD

October 27, 2009 · 0 comments

in Federal Reserve, US Treasury, US debt, US dollar, US economy, world reserve currency

Each month, the US Treasury holds a week-long auction of US notes and bonds to foreign investors and the Fed.  In the past two years alone, there has been a record increase in monthly amounts of debt auctions from $18 billion to $44 billion a month.  But this is still nothing compared to this week’s [...]

{ 0 comments }

A New Trick For Stemming Inflation? The Fed Now Pays Banks Interest For Masses of Excess Reserves

August 7, 2009 · 1 comment

in Federal Reserve, banks, capitalism, inflation, interest rates

Here’s a graph showing the amount of “excess” (beyond required amounts) reserves held by U.S. banks.  It covers quite a span of time, but it’s the best-looking one I found showing the relevant data.  The graph also gives just a bit of sense of the extent of the unprecedented nature of money-pumping going on at [...]

{ 1 comment }