A Fed president on remedies for inflation, banking supervision, and the possibility of recession

A conversation with Susan M. Collins, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.
Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Chair Susan Collins stands with "Marketplace Morning Report" host David Brancaccio in Washington, DC.
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When it comes to inflation, monetary policy might not be getting the job done

Mar 9, 2023
"It's clear there have been some shifts in the economy that just make their policies less effective," says Neil Irwin of Axios.
On Tuesday, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell appeared before the Senate Banking Committee.
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The Federal Reserve's economic policy powers might be limitless, but should they?

Feb 27, 2023
In her book "Limitless," New York Times reporter Jeanna Smialek asks how the Fed arrived at this powerful state.
"[Fed Chair Jerome] Powell and his colleagues knew, even as business news channels cheered on the forceful March 23 response that morning, that it would open his institution up to political criticism and possible mission creep," writes Jeanna Smialek in her new book. Above, Powell during an interview on Feb. 7.
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The Fed's Lael Brainard is leaving monetary policy for fiscal policy

Feb 14, 2023
It takes a versatile person to go from setting interest rates to setting an economic agenda, one expert says.
Economist Lael Brainard will be the next director of the National Economic Council, the White House announced Tuesday.
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Formerly a cash cow, the Fed is now losing "about $2 billion a week"

Feb 1, 2023
The central bank invested in securities to get the economy through the pandemic recession.
The U.S. Federal Reserve is seen in Washington, DC. The bank has been a source of government revenue for years following the 2008 financial crisis, but rising interest rates may soon change that.
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Should the Federal Reserve slow interest rate hikes?

Jan 19, 2023
We don’t yet know if the Fed's rate hikes have fully shown up in the economy. That could take many months.
For now, markets are assuming the Federal Reserve will ease up on rate hikes at its next meeting on Feb. 1.
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How a “divorce” between the Treasury and Fed helped build the modern economy

Dec 13, 2022
In the 1950s, the U.S. Treasury and the Federal Reserve reached an agreement that helped create the economy we have today.
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The Fed's heightened rates are still way below historic levels

Jun 23, 2022
Trevon Logan, professor of economics at The Ohio State University, says we're looking at a "new normal" for the federal funds rate.
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How looking back at the Fed’s past can help us understand its future

May 17, 2022
Former Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke's new book charts a history of “remarkable innovation and change.”
The Marriner S. Eccles Federal Reserve building in Washington, D.C.
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What does it mean when the Federal Reserve uses its “tools”?

Mar 29, 2022
The Fed’s tools can only go so far. “All of this activity relies on the other institution at the end of the transaction,” said economics professor Nina Eichacker.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell speaking last week at the NABE Economic Policy Conference. "We aim to use our tools to moderate demand growth, thereby facilitating continued, sustainable increases in employment and wages," he said.
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