European Central Bank announces plans to raise its key interest rate

Jun 9, 2022
It'll also end its large-scale bond-buying program. Central bankers are trying to tame inflation — like their U.S. counterparts at the Federal Reserve.
The European Central Bank said Thursday it plans to start raising its key interest rate next month.
Daniel Roland/AFP via Getty Images

Treasury bond yields are rising. Here's what that tells us.

Sep 28, 2021
The yield on the 10-year Treasury note surged to its highest level in three months this morning.
Inflation could be one of the reasons bond buyers are demanding higher yields.
Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images

To understand the Fed’s bond-buying dilemma, picture a lake

Jul 13, 2021
A Columbia Business School professor explains quantitative easing and the Feds' $120 billion per month bond-buying program with an analogy.
If water on a lake is too low, boats can't go from one side to the other smoothly. "The Fed is basically adding some water in that lake to keep the liquidity — or to keep the water — from completely drying out,” says Yiming Ma of Columbia Business School.
Ethan Miller via Getty Images

Why the Fed is taking longer than other central banks to ease COVID relief

Jun 16, 2021
The Fed has a dual mandate to control inflation as well as unemployment, unlike other central banks.
A view of the Federal Reserve building in Washington, D.C.
Karen Bleier/AFP/Getty Images

What’s QE and the ECB got to do with you and me?

Jan 22, 2015
How "quantitative easing" and "European Central Bank" may bring cash to U.S. shores.

Fed set to end its bond buying

Oct 28, 2014
But it will still keep its foot on the gas.

SolarCity courts customers by selling bonds

Oct 20, 2014
Raising capital isn't SolarCity's number one reason for borrowing.

For public good, not for profit.

Other cities feel sting of Detroit bankruptcy

Jul 22, 2014
If one city doesn't pay up in full, does bond money dry up for everybody else?

Mortgage applications drop after the Fed takes a little juice out of the bond market

Dec 24, 2013
Applications for home mortgages in the U.S. have dropped to a record low since the Federal Reserve announced its plans to slow its bond-buying program.

$4.04 trillion in assets

Dec 19, 2013
As of yesterday, that's how much the Fed held on its books.