September Federal Open Market Committee

The FOMC, Federal Open Market Committee, is a group made up of the 7 Board of Governors, the President of the New York Reserve Bank, and 4 other Reserve bank presidents who switch with other Reserve Bank’s on one year terms. Together these members meet and vote on the policies in which they believe they should enact given the current and predicted future state of the economy.

During the Federal Reserve meeting in April 2016, the range was left unchanged for federal funds at 0.25 percent to 0.5 percent (TRADING ECONOMICS, 2016). Labor markets experience growth confirmed by policy makers, yet economic activity was monitored as being slow (TRADING ECONOMICS, 2016). The risks associated with the financial developments of the country have ceased (TRADING ECONOMICS, 2016). The average percentage of interest rate in the U.S. averaged at 5.8. March of 1980 a record high was recorded at 20% (TRADING ECONOMICS, 2016). The lowest interest rates were recorded in the month of December 2008 at 0.25% (TRADING ECONOMICS, 2016).

Generally speaking, the Federal Reserve (hereinafter alternatively "the Fed") Board of Governor's current assessment of economic activity across all of the Fed Districts is slow to moderate with the sole exception of the St. Louis District which reported a decline in economic activity (Beige book,

The Chairman holds a press briefing after the Federal Open Market Committee meeting to present their current economic projections and to provide additional context for their policy decisions four times per year. For each Federal Open Market Committee meeting a full set of minutes is published three weeks after the conclusion of each regular meeting. Five years after the meeting, complete transcripts of FOMC meetings are published.

The first editorial, “The Federal Reserve Politicians,” discussing the expanding power the federal reserve has. The federal reserve officials have become the most important economic decision makers in the government. The author believes that under a healthy government the Fed or any party should not have so much power without more accountability.

Being born in August 13th of 1946, she is the sixty nine year old that is the current chairwoman of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. Since the Federal Reserve is the central bank of the United States its responsibilities do include regulating other banks and financial institutions as well as dictating the monetary policy. In order to get into the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, one has to have a background in Economics. From her undergraduate education, she showed an interest for Economics, in 1967 she received her Bachelor of Arts from Brown University where Yellen received distinction of summa cum laude. Few years later, continuing the path towards pursuing Economics at the graduate level, she gained her Ph. D. in Economics in1971 from Yale University. Afterwards, Yellen served as assistant professor for Harvard University for its School of Business from 1971 to 1976 as well for the University of California, Berkeley from 1980 to 2004. Teaching at the Berkeley Hass School of Business involved teaching Macroeconomics, Introduction to International Business International for undergraduate and graduate. In collaboration with her husband George Akerlof, she published “How Large Are the Losses from Rule of Thumb Behavior in Model of the Business Cycle” in 1991.

During the Federal Reserve meeting in April 2016, the range was left unchanged for federal funds at 0.25 percent to 0.5 percent (TRADING ECONOMICS, 2016). Labor markets experience growth confirmed by policy makers, yet economic activity was monitored as being slow (TRADING ECONOMICS, 2016). The risks associated with the financial developments of the country have ceased (TRADING ECONOMICS, 2016). The average percentage of interest rate in the U.S. averaged at 5.8. March of 1980 a record high was recorded at 20% (TRADING ECONOMICS, 2016). The lowest interest rates were recorded in the month of December 2008 at 0.25% (TRADING ECONOMICS, 2016).

QE3 began in September of 2012 with a gross domestic product increasing by 4.5%, which is an impressive gain over the previous years of very little growth, GDP currently, has had a relatively steady increase over each quarter amounting to 3.9% for the most recent data. However, while GDP is of serious concern, inflation and unemployment rates have not been so easily persuaded. According the Bureau of Labor Statistics (1), in September 2013 unemployment was in a downswing but still resided at 7.2%, much higher than the Feds target rate of 5%. Currently unemployment is at 5.8% which is within the realm of the Fed’s goal. Inflation has

The Federal Reserve System has three branches: the Board of Governors, The Federal Open Market Committee, and Reserve Banks. The Federal Reserve System (Fed) supplies and regulates America’s money to all the banks. The Board of Governors is the main authority of the three branches of the Fed, and it supervises other banks. The Federal Open Market Committee is the most prominent policymaker of the three branches and regulates the supply of money in the economy. Federal Reserve Banks serve other banks, this is why they are called banker’s banks. There are twelve Federal Reserve Banks which represent different states and these “districts” share data for monetary policies. The future role of monetary policy is vital

The discussion of whether the Federal Reserve should raise the federal funds rate is a highly contentious one. Members of the Federal Reserve (“Fed”) and academic economists disagree about what constitutes appropriate future macroeconomic policy for the Unites States. In the past, the Fed had been able to raise rates when the unemployment rate was under 5% and inflation was at a target of 2%. Enigmatically, since the Great Recession and despite a strengthening economy, year-over-year total inflation since 2008 has averaged only 1.4%—as measured by the Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index (“PCE”). Today, PCE inflation is at 1-1.5% and has continuously undershot the Fed’s inflation target of 2% three years in a row. (Evan 2015) In the six years since the bottom of the Great Recession the U.S. economy has made great strides in lowering the published unemployment rate from about 10% back down to about 5.5%. In light of this data, certain individuals believe that the Federal Reserve should move to increase the federal funds rate in 2015 because unemployment is near 5% and inflation should bounce back on its own (Derby 2015). However, this recommendation is misguided.

The Federal Open Market Committee in the Federal Reserve System is who determines the monetary policies. The Federal Open Market Committee reviews economic and financial developments and determines the appropriate stance of monetary policy during their eight meetings per year. The Federal Reserve plays no role in determining fiscal policy. Fiscal policy refers to an economic strategy that utilizes the taxing and spending powers of the government to impact a nation's economy. It is different from monetary policy, which is usually set by a central bank and focuses on market interest rates and the money

Earlier this year the Fed announced it would likely end its record quantitative easing program in the fall, following a series of upbeat economic reports showing the US economy was gaining momentum. By paring asset purchases by another $10 billion at the September 16-7 policy meetings, the Fed has brought down the total of its monthly asset purchase facility to $15 billion. The markets widely expect the Fed to end its QE program at the October Federal Open Market Committee policy meetings with one final reduction of $15 billion.

The Federal Reserve System is the most powerful institution in the United States economy. Functioning as the central bank of the United States, acting as a regulator, the lender of last resort, and setting the nation’s monetary policy via the Federal Open Market Committee, there is no segment of the American economy unaffected by the Federal Reserve [endnoteRef:1]. This power becomes even more substantial in times of “unusual and exigent circumstances,” as Section 13(3) of the Federal Reserve Act gives authority to the Board of Governors to act unilaterally in lending and market making operations during financial crisis[endnoteRef:2]. As illustrated by their decision making in the aftermath of the 2007-2008 Great Recession,

There is less public knowledge in issues dealing with FOMC meetings and that has been able to affect the issues of transparency in the monetary issues. Through the meetings, the monetary policies regarding the global issues are discussed and therefore the public is entitled to now the progress of the various meetings. This can be done through

On September 18, 2013 the Federal Reserve reaffirmed its view that a highly accommodative stance of monetary policy will remain appropriate for a considerable time after the asset purchase program ends and the economic recovery strengthens. In addition, the committee agreed to continue its monthly $85 billion purchase of Treasury and mortgage-backed securities as long as the unemployment rate remains above 6.5 percent. Inflation between one and two years ahead is projected to be no more than a half percentage point above the Committee's 2 percent longer-run goal and longer-term inflation expectations continue to be well anchored .