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U.S. Treasury to Sell Remaining AIG Stake

The U.S. Treasury Department plans to sell the last of its stake in insurer American International Group (AIG), which received bailout money from the federal government during the financial crisis

Facebook and Twitter Cause Insider Trading Headaches for the SEC

Social media networks have created a new sphere for financial insiders to engage in stealth activities

Why the Fed is Lukewarm on the Economic Recovery

Employment and GDP have been improving, but the Fed's outlook remains gloomy. Check out why

Fed Opens Up on Interest Rate, Inflation Predictions

The Federal Reserve won't be changing interest rates anytime soon, but it is changing its policy on how it talks about its interest rate policy

Lower Inflation Gives The Fed More Leeway in 2012

The Fed could step in to stimulate the economy in 2012, but will it help?

What Happens If We End the Fed?

Whatever view one takes, ending the Fed is a goal much more easily stated than accomplished. But if Fed bashers got their wish, here are a few snapshots of how the country might change

Ron Paul: Federal Reserve is Like Drug Addiction

It's no secret that Ron Paul is no fan of the Federal Reserve, but recently he likened the system to drug addiction -- something that feels good at the time but will end in destruction

Fed Stands Pat, But Signals Darker Days Ahead

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke showed the limits of monetary policy, leaving interest rates at their historic lows while scaling back economic projections for 2012 and beyond

Beige Book Says Economic Recovery Still Slow. What Now?

The economy is growing, but barely. What more might the Fed do to spur recovery?

Inflation Could Help Flagging Economy

Accusations that the Fed is overstepping its mandate generally imply that it is underweighting the imperative to keep inflation low in favor of trying to lower today's stubbornly high unemployment. This accusation is profoundly misplaced, for three reasons

Fed Created A Recipe for Disaster in Housing Market

Yes, there has been no entity more central to inflating the housing bubble and rescuing banks during the crisis than the Federal Reserve. At the heart of these errors has been a departure from the Fed's mandate of keeping credit and money growth in line with the real economy

The Fed Caves to the Whims of Congress

It's impossible for the Federal Reserve to violate its dual mandate: The dual mandate is meaningless. Congress demands that the Fed maximize employment and minimize inflation -- but it gives the Fed zero measurement standards, zero time horizons, zero advice on how to trade off these two potentially conflicting goals

Federal Reserve is No Longer Beyond Influence

The Federal Reserve has long been viewed as the most independent and steady of the federal bureaucracies; the gold standard, if you will, of bureaucratic operations. However, observers today have cause to question that reputation and many are

Blame Bernanke and Federal Reserve for Economic Crisis

To say that the Federal Reserve has simply overstepped anything is a grand understatement: The Fed is the chief culprit behind our economic crisis

Fed Saved Economy but Did Little to Rein in the 1 Percent

When Wall Street was on the verge of collapse, the Federal Reserve acted boldly and with a fierce sense of urgency to save our financial system from collapse with no strings attached. Sadly, now that the middle class is collapsing and a record-breaking 46 million Americans are living in poverty, the Federal Reserve has failed to act with the same sense of urgency

For Better or Worse, Fed Is Just Doing Its Job

The Federal Reserve's actions over the past four years have been fully consistent with its mandate to guard against inflation and promote the prosperity of the U.S. economy and the stability of our financial system

Dodd-Frank Brings Transparency to Financial Industry

The calls for repealing the Dodd-Frank financial reform bill are more than a little bizarre. It was only three years ago that the whole financial system was at the brink of collapse

China Cuts Its Holdings of United States Debt

China has cut its holdings of United States debt in response to Standard & Poor's downgrading of the credit of the U.S. government

What the Treasury Market Is Telling Investors

In today's low-yield environment, the U.S. government will pay you just 1.9 percent a year over the next 10 years if you invest in a 10-year treasury bond. That's an all-time low that has many investors scratching their heads

Central Banks Lend Dollars to European Banks

Several central banks are loaning dollars to European banks that use the euro currency to prevent a return to a situation similar to 2008

Fed May 'Twist' Balance Sheet to Promote Recovery

One policy the committee will almost certainly consider will be a 'twist' -- that is, a shift in the Fed's balance sheet, involving the sale of short-term Treasury bonds to facilitate the purchase of longer-term bonds

Could QE3 Help the Economy?

While this might be welcome news for jittery investors clamoring for Fed intervention to help boost market confidence, experts caution that another round of quantitative easing wouldn't be a panacea for the ailing U.S. economy

Markets Spike on Bernanke Talk of 'QE3'

For the chairman of the Federal Reserve, there are no 'off-the-cuff' remarks. In an altogether measured assessment of the economic landscape and Federal Reserve policy, Bernanke suggested that the Fed could be open to a third round of quantitative easing. Shortly thereafter, the markets shot skyward

Federal Reserve Relaxes Debit Card Regulations

Putting an end to one of the biggest lobbying fights of the year, the Federal Reserve finalized rules capping the transaction fees -- that merchants pay to banks -- whenever a customer makes a purchase with a debit card. As it turns out, neither the banking industry nor the retail sector are too happy about the final result

Federal Reserve Forecasts Weaker Growth for 2011 and 2012

The Federal Reserve reduced its forecast for the U.S. economy for 2011 and 2012. For this year, the Fed estimates that the country's economy would expand from 2.7 to 2.9 percent only

Washington Plays Chicken With the Market

Politicians in Washington may be playing a game of chicken with the possibility of a U.S. default, but one of the most important spectators -- the bond market -- hasn't noticed yet

Eliot Spitzer's 10 Rules To Fixing the Economy and Corporate Mismanagement

In a new and short book, former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer, who made a name for himself attacking corporations while New York's attorney general, says Washington didn't go far enough to reform Wall Street and corporate misnamagement during the 2008-2009 bank bailouts. Here's Spitzer's 10 rules to fixing the economy and corporate mismanagement

5 Ominous Signs for Stock Investors

Although the S&P is still up by about 5 percent so far this year, the index has dropped 3 percent so far during May. Market watchers point to a number of reasons why stocks could head lower, including the end of the Federal Reserve's highly controversial second round of quantitative easing, known as 'QE2.' Here are five signs that don't bode well for stocks

9 Things We Learned From the Fed's First Press Conference

After 97 years, the Federal Reserve held its first press conference. Experts say it marked a turning point for the Fed in its effort to become more open to the public. Here's 9 Things We Learned From the Fed's First Press Conference

What Standard & Poor's U.S. Outlook Downgrade Means

Investors awoke last Monday to two important reports on the U.S. government's credit worthiness from two of the biggest ratings agencies in the United States. Standard and Poor's downgraded its outlook for U.S. debt to negative, while Moody's Investors Service held its rating at stable

What Happens After Quantative Easing 2 Ends?

The Federal Reserve's second round of quantitative easing is slated to end in June. Experts expect the Fed to finish the program, in which it pledged to buy $600 billion worth of treasury bonds. There has been much speculation about what will happen in the markets when the Fed ends QE2 and the economy is left to stand on its own without any stimulus

Chicken Little and the Debt Ceiling

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke seemed to be channeling Chicken Little when he warned congressional Republicans that any delay in raising the debt ceiling beyond the current $14.3 trillion cap could have 'catastrophic' consequences. Continuing America's borrowing and spending addiction will have even greater catastrophic consequences, but people in government don't think this way

What Will QE2's Legacy Be?

Questions surround the legacy of the Federal Reserve's second round of quantitative easing -- commonly referred to as QE2 -- and its effectiveness in kick-starting the economy. The Fed's first statement of 2011 remains largely unchanged from previous ones. Still, the program has its share of critics, who believe QE2 is causing bubbles and inflation both in the United States and overseas

SEC Takes Steps Toward Financial Planning Overhaul, But Issues Remain

Should a financial advisor be required to put your best interests first? The answer seems obvious, but the question is being punted back and forth between lawmakers and regulators trying to re-structure oversight of financial advisory services in the wake of the 2008 financial meltdown.

How to Navigate the Bond Market in 2011

The outlook for the bond market in 2011 remains uncertain. Recently, treasury yields have moved upward, causing some investors to panic and forecasters to call for the end of the bond market's bull run. The big question: whether or not interest rates (and bond yields) will rise in the new year. That will depend on a number of factors. Here's suggestions from experts on how to weather the bond market in 2011

Fed Moves Boost Stock Returns

Investors may have Ben Bernanke to thank for the rally that's taking place in the stock market. Bloomberg recently compiled numbers that show that both rounds of quantitative easing -- the first round began in late 2008 and the second in November -- had a positive impact on stocks

Bond Funds Really Can Lose Money

In the past, the public rarely heard from the chairman of the Federal Reserve, except during interest rate announcements. Now, Ben Bernanke has been thrust into the limelight after initiating a bond-buying program in November commonly referred to as QE2, which has come under attack from both Democrats and Republicans

Active Fed and Conservative Congress to Pave Uncertain Way

Government and politics don't drive investments but they do provide the road on which they travel. The new Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, coupled with highly active Federal Reserve policy that's designed to revive the economy, will make a difference in 2011. Yet based on history, the difference won't necessarily turn out the way everyone expects

America's Deficit Disorder

Battle lines are being drawn as the White House and Congress prepare for a big showdown in the spring over a question that troubles a lot of households these days: how to manage the nation's credit card. This spring the federal debt is expected to reach its ceiling, currently set by Congress at $14.2 trillion, which used to seem like a lot of money

Dr. Bernanke's Magic Elixir for the Economy

Ben Bernanke is proving a fitting successor to Alan Greenspan as chairman of the Federal Reserve System. Unfortunately

The Consequences of Fiscal Irresponsibility

The U.S. government is incurring debt at a historically unprecedented and ultimately unsustainable rate. The Congressional Budget Office projects that within ten years, federal debt could reach 90 percent of GDP, and even this estimate is probably too optimistic given the low rates of economic growth that the United States is experiencing and likely to see for years to come

How Quantative Easing 2 Could Affect Your Money

The Federal Reserve's second round of quantitative easing, commonly referred to as QE2, has sparked huge debate on topics ranging from the future of the dollar to the threat of a bond or commodity bubble. The Fed will pump another $600 billion into the long-term treasury bond market, which is supposed to spur lending and kick-start economic activity

QE2: Potential Winners and Losers

As expected, the Federal Reserve will once again engage in another round of quantitative easing. The goal: to push interest rates lower, which is aimed to encourage more borrowing and help jumpstart the economy and the job market. Quantitative easing has come under a great deal of scrutiny over the past few months. Here are a few potential winners and losers

Achieve Balanced Federal Budget Through Spending Restraint

Merely maintaining current tax-and-spending policies would push the annual deficit to nearly $2 trillion by 2020, and even that ocean of red ink assumes a return to peace and prosperity. These numbers are unsustainable. Doubling the national debt will significantly harm the economy and place an obscene financial burden on our children and grandchildren

Unemployment Trumps the Budget Deficit

Balancing the federal budget should not now -- or ever -- be the top priority of Congress . Should Congress govern in a fiscally responsible way? Absolutely. But we should not seek fiscal responsibility for its own sake. A single-minded focus on balancing the budget could deliver up a weak country with a floundering economy and, yes, a balanced budget

Why More Quantitative Easing Could Be a Mistake

On top of record-low interest rates, the Fed has also pursued a strategy called quantitative easing, which involves buying up government securities like treasuries to push interest rates even lower in hopes of stimulating more lending to spur economic activity. Here are four reasons why another round of asset purchases could be problematic

Fed's Jobs Program Will Only Create Another Bubble

The Fed's jobs program is designed to keep interest rates low by pumping even more money into the economy ('quantitative easing' in Fed-speak). The Fed will buy Treasury bills and other long-term debt to reduce long-term interest rates. The Fed believes low long-term rates will generate more jobs because companies will expand, exports will increase, and consumers will refinance their homes

Wall Street Had a Meltdown, and All We Got (Besides the Bill) Was an Interminable Argument

D. Keith Johnson's appearance before the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission was not a showcase of wit and satire. Nor was it replayed incessantly on cable news networks. Yet in his testimony, Johnson pulled back the proverbial curtain on the wizards of Wall Street, offering key insight into the drama that is affecting every American's life