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How much should we trust "seasonally adjusted" numbers these days?

Mar 8, 2023
January was an outlier for jobs, spending and inflation — but can we rely on seasonally adjusted data when the past three Januarys have been so weird?
Did a warm January encourage a surge in consumer spending and inflation? "It’s very hard to explain that all with weather," says Johns Hopkins economist Jonathan Wright.
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What if we told you inflation was back to its target rate?

Jan 17, 2023
When we focus on recent months rather than year-on-year increases, inflation numbers look pretty good, says economist Alan Blinder.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell, above, isn't ready to declare victory over inflation yet, says economist Alan Blinder.
Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images

Economist El-Erian calls on the Fed to start “owning their mistakes”

The prominent economist Mohamed El-Erian said the Fed is still “behind the curve” on inflation.
Mohamed El-Erian, chief economic adviser for Allianz, blames the Fed for failing to act sooner on inflation.
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Reading the Federal Reserve minutes can feel like hours, but Fed watchers still pore over them

May 24, 2022
For those who understand Fed lingo, the minutes can hint at divisions or disagreements, and where Fed policy may be headed.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell at a news conference following the Federal Open Market Committee meeting on May 4. We'll get the minutes for that meeting Wednesday afternoon. Get your coffee ready.
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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.
Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

How has the Federal Reserve's bond buying helped the economy?

Aug 19, 2021
Those bonds have helped keep lots of money flowing into the economy. But now, the Fed is signaling that its going to taper off its monthly purchases.
Federal Reserve Chair Jay Powell is expected to address the tapering of the Fed's bond-buying at an upcoming conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images

Powell to address Congress as economic picture seems brighter

Nov 11, 2019
Fed Chairman Jerome Powell appears before the Congressional Joint Economic Committee this week.
Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell speaks during a news conference October 30, 2019 in Washington, DC.
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How much influence does the market have on the Fed's rate decision?

Jul 11, 2019
Markets are ready for a cut. And that might be coming — but not just because of the markets.
The New York Stock Exchange as seen in December 2018 in Downtown Manhattan.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Interest rates: where they hurt and where they help you

Dec 19, 2018
The Fed has hiked interest rates for the fourth time this year. Here’s how this major decision could affect your savings and borrowing rates.
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Fed lifts rates for 4th time this year but sees fewer hikes

Dec 19, 2018
The quarter-point hike, to a range of 2.25 percent to 2.5 percent, lifts the Fed’s benchmark rate to its highest point since 2008.
Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell speaks during a press conference in Washington, DC, September 26, 2018.
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