Donald Trump appointed Jerome Powell as chair of the Federal Reserve. If returned to the White House, he may seek to replace him.
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Monetary policy can be wielded as a tool to boost an economy around election time, which explains why politicians want to have a say on it.
U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell speaks to reporters on June 12, 2024.
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The Federal Reserve is being characteristically cautious.
Headline inflation is cooling, too.
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Investors, homebuyers and central bankers all have reason to be irritated by the latest data, and inflation isn’t licked just yet. But the numbers also show reason for optimism.
‘Rock, you look a lot like a hard place.’
Cagkan Sayin
Fears abound that cutting rates could tank European currencies, but there’s a a greater risk for them to take seriously.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell speaks to reporters on May 1, 2024.
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The Federal Reserve doesn’t appear eager to cut rates.
Up or down?
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A gap has opened up between inflation in the US compared to other regions like Europe and China.
Fed Chair Jay Powell is betting that banks can withstand the end of his rescue programme in March.
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The Ides of March will coincide with one or two changes to the financial system that could cause problems for banks and the economy.
When will Fed Chair Jerome Powell lower the curtains on the inflation battle?
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The central bank is ‘really in risk management mode,’ its chairman said.
Aisle be damned! Inflation is proving stubborn as the economy moves into 2024.
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Two important inflation indicators are trending in different directions. What gives?
Good things are in store in 2024.
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And will the vibecession ever end?
Central banks in the US, UK and Europe have been trying to slow inflation without creating a recession.
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Market expectations for rate cuts sooner rather than later have been dashed but some economies remain in danger of recession.
A wildfire during hot, dry conditions in August 2023 destroyed Lahaina, Hawaii, and devastated Maui’s tourism industry – the heart of its economy.
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Fed Chair Jerome Powell bristles at talk of managing climate change, but the damage it is doing the US economy is hard to ignore, as the latest National Climate Assessment shows.
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Australian financial markets are now pointing to a close to zero chance of further rate rises – with a fair chance of a rate cut next year. That’s thanks to the latest news from the US and UK.
Stock prices move in response to new risks faced by investors.
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The negative investor sentiment and massive capital flight could be reversed by improved governance and accountability.
RBA Governor Michele Bullock.
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It’ll now be a frugal Christmas in many Australian homes. But there is a glimmer of good news: if we do tighten our belts, rates could start to come down by as early as the middle of next year.
The Bank of England (headquarters on the left) is expected to hold interest rates, causing investors to sell UK bonds.
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Rates are now higher than after Liz Truss’s 2022 mini-budget.
Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome Powell is watching the data.
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News of a soft landing may be premature.
Tense times: Fed chairman Jay Powell.
EPA
A swift intervention by the US Federal Reserve has kept most banks on their feet, but September/October is often the time when financial crises come to a head.
Central bankers, policymakers and academics meet annually at Jackson Hole, Wyoming to discuss the economy.
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The world’s central banks face a range of dilemmas, not least whether high inflation – and therefore high interest rates – will become permanent.
Sri Lanka is among the countries facing the risk of debt distress.
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Almost two-thirds of low-income countries are at risk of debt distress – in part because of higher borrowing costs. And that isn’t the only problem.