Federal Reserve

Federal Reserve Leaves Fed Funds Rate Unchanged

Michael Santo — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:06:24 -0600

As expected, the Federal Reserve kept its benchmark federal funds rate unchanged. While it said the economy had "continued to pick up" since its last policy-setting meeting in September, the Fed maintained the rate in a range of zero to 0.25 percent.

Enter the Financial Frontier of Ignorance and Kiss Your Asset Classes Goodbye

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 22:07:05 -0500

In 1987 when I started as a "retail stock broker" there were hundreds of high quality “investment ideas” to show customers on a daily basis – literally hundreds. There were dozens of AAA rated fixed income products, many quality high yielding stocks, and pages of conservative, safe, AAA rated insured municipal bonds. Oh how things have changed.

Mortgage Rates On The Rise Working Againts Fed

vladdubchak — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 11:11:39 -0500

Economy is at the state where every small development is a big deal for this country. Mortgage rates could help this economy or hurt it. Today it is story about rising fears in our economy.

Fed Holds Steady As Economic Data Remains Weak

Armen Hareyan — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 09:52:02 -0500

Yesterday's Fed meeting yielded no surprises. The Fed said it would keep interest rates near zero "for an extended period" and would proceed with its previously announced plans to buy up to $300 billion in long-term US Treasuries by autumn and up to $1.25 trillion in MBS. Meanwhile, over the pond, the ECB injected an unprecedented $622 billion in one-year liquidity to boost its sagging economy.

Fed Takes a Hit in Extended Stay Hotel Chain Bankruptcy

Armen Hareyan — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:52:20 -0500

Chalk this bankruptcy filing up to yet another really leveraged commercial real estate deal crafted at the peak of the market, based on unrealistic expectations for future growth. Extended Stay Hotels filed for bankruptcy on Monday. Who were the crack real estate lenders who facilitated this transaction? Why Bear Stearns and Wachovia. Hmmm, those names sound sort of familiar.

Organized Suppression of Wages Causes Financial Crisis

Thu, 28 May 2009 21:04:18 -0500

Americans are sick of being lied to. Politicians, bureaucrats, Wall Street CEO's, we can't trust a word that comes out of any of their mouths. As a nation we're stuck in an endless skeptical limbo. We're like a plane-load of passengers held captive on a red-eye circling high above La Guardia desperately wanting to land but the pilot keeps coming up with excuses blaming the delay on everyone from the flight attendants to the ground crew.

Fed Rate Cut: Another 1/2 Point

Michael Santo — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:01:04 -0500

Hoping to combat the ongoing financial crisis and what looks to most (though some still deny it) a recession, the Federal Reserve announced another rate cut, this one of 1/2 point. This fed rate cut brings the federal funds rate, the interest banks charge on overnight loans, to 1%, a rate last seen in 2003-2004.

Led by the Federal Reserve, Central Banks Cut Interest Rates Worldwide

Michael Santo — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 08:58:53 -0500

As markets worldwide continue to plummet, the Federal Reserve, along with six other major central banks from around the world slashed interest rates simultaneously Wednesday.

Dow Jones Drops Another 500 Points

Michael Santo — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:29:07 -0500

Despite attempts to staunch the blood flow, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) and all other stock market indices continue to bleed heavily, as the market closed down another 500 points on Tuesday.

The Federal Reserve’s Fire Sale: Selling America Short

Armen Hareyan — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:36:43 -0500

For some time now the Federal Reserve has been devaluing the currency and practically giving away American dollars through incredibly cheap money policy. We have just emerged from an era of one interest rate cut after another. The mortgage loan crisis, and the failure of Bear Sterns, made the Fed an interest rate cutting machine of fate that drove the value of our dollar ever lower and the price of oil into the stratosphere.

Fed Eases Rates, Then Confuses

Armen Hareyan — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 21:43:24 -0500

The Fed lowered the fed funds target to 2%, then issued a policy statement that may as well have been written in Urdu for all of its clarity.

Fed Rate Cut Leaves Interest Rates At 2%

Armen Hareyan — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:11:24 -0500

The Federal Reserve cut interest rates by a quarter point this afternoon in yet another (7th to be exact) attempt at saving an economy in free fall. The rate now stands at 2% less than half of what it was in September.