Topic: Ben Bernanke

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Six points where Mitt Romney and his economic advisers are mostly wrong

Mitt Romney’s economic plan is largely based on a whitepaper written by several “heavyweight” economists. The problem is, it's riddled with fundamental flaws. Here are six points where Mitt Romney and his economic advisers are mostly wrong about what ails the American economy and how to fix it.
Briefing
Obama vs. Romney 101: 3 ways they differ on regulation

Wall Street is a big target – blamed for the financial crisis that led to the Great Recession. Mitt Romney says efforts to rein in financiers via more regulation are an attack on “economic freedom.” President Obama says new regulations would make it “more profitable to play by the rules than to game the system.” Here are three specifics on which the two differ.
Ron Paul vs. the Federal Reserve: four epic moments

Ron Paul hasn't been the Federal Reserve's only critic, but he ranks among the most consistent and persistent in his charge that the Fed has debased the dollar and destroyed the wealth of Americans.
Focus
Recession in America? 10 questions assessing the threat.

Concerns about weak economies in Europe have already rattled global financial markets, and things are hardly rosy at home. Is America heading into a recession? Here are answers to 10 questions about that risk.
Election 101: Where the GOP candidates stand on the economy

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Imported inflation hits US consumers

Inflation rose 0.4 percent in January. Is it a sign of things to come?
Ben Bernanke is no magician

He promised to lower mortgage and corporate bond rates, but quantitative easing doesn't work like magic.
Federal Reserve chair to GOP: Don't take that punch bowl away

The punch bowl analogy is one that often gets mentioned when a Fed chief appears before Congress. Translation: The Federal Reserve thinks the economic recovery remains fragile.
How the Fed is bribing its way to your heart

With bailouts for banks and handouts for the poor, is the government just trying to buy the affection of Americans?
Rising food prices and the Fed's shady alibi

The Fed says it's not to blame for rising food costs. But could its money printing be a cause?
Today's great businesses will die off like the dinosaurs

Governments don't like it, but capitalism creates and destroys businesses.
Bernanke: Federal Reserve not to blame for food price inflation

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke addressed criticisms at the National Press Club in Washington, answering challenges about record-high food and oil prices and the unpopular 'QE2.'
Economy is changing, not recovering

It's year five of "The Great Correction," and there's still a ways to go.
Causes of the financial crisis? Commission ends in hung jury.

In its final report, the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission offers three views of the crisis -– essentially one from Democrats and two dissenting views by Republicans on the panel.
Bernanke and the pension crisis

How will state and federal pension plans survive in the current economy?
Why gold is still a good investment

Gold has had a long run, but do you know anyone who has invested in it yet?
Tax incentives, tax cuts on Geithner's agenda

Tax incentives, lower corporate taxes, and tax simplification will be subjects that Treasury Secretary Geithner and corporate executives talk about Friday.
The Monitor's View: With jobs still scarce, Obama dances closer to business. But is it a detente?

With unemployment rate likely to stay high for years, Obama is running out of federal solutions. He has turned to business for help, but his political pivot now requires more credibility.
Unemployment rate drops to 9.4 percent, but little cheer in jobless report

The unemployment rate is at its lowest level since May 2009, but this partially reflects some people giving up on job searches.
2011 predictions: interest rates around the world

Currency analysts pay obsessive attention to economic factors that indicate the direction of interest rates, because interest rates represent the price of a currency. Any price change has a direct impact on the currency’s value. That can mean huge gains or losses for currency traders, but it also has a big impact on what savers earn, borrowers pay, consumers shell out for imported goods, and global companies plan in terms of compensation and hiring. In 2010, the stress on various currencies became clear, causing many central banks to push interest rates to record lows. Here’s a look at how those forces could play out in 2011 in six major regions of the world:
Economic outlook: Five things that could happen in 2011

Fed easing could spark inflation, deflation. How about both?
The Fed printing money? How absurd! And scary.

Just because the Federal Reserve isn't literally printing money doesn't make the inflation threat any less potent.
'Twas the time to recover and all through the shops...

An ode to the economic recovery – and other news of 2010 – inspired by Clement Clarke Moore's classic Christmas poem.
Slow decade ahead for US, not a lost one

US economy won't endure a 'lost decade' the way Japan did.
Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder, named TIME Person of the Year 2010

Mark Zuckerberg, who's been portrayed in a Hollywood movie this year and has seen his social media empire grow ever larger, has been named TIME magazine's 'Person of the Year' for 2010. Mark Zuckerberg launched Facebook in 2004.
Twas the night before Fed Day

The seniors were nestled all snug in their beds, While visions of fixed income danced in their heads. And Geithner at Treasury, and I at the Fed, Had hooked up the banks with a risk-free spread.
The Monitor's View: Obama tax deal could start an era like Reagan's

The Obama tax plan, if passed, would build trust between Republicans and Democrats. The next step could be tax simplification. The Reagan-era reforms provided helpful lessons.
Government bonds charge higher after Bernanke interview

Government bonds see prices rise, rates fall Monday after Fed chairman defends bond-buying program.
Inter-galactic bailout?! The Fed reaches beyond borders

According to some reports, the U.S. Federal Reserve plans to bail out Europe by adding cash from the International Monetary Fund. What next?
Bernanke: US 'close to border' of recession, Federal Reserve may intervene

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke says that the US economic recovery is 'not far' from losing momentum. If the recovery slips further, the Federal Reserve is prepared to act again.