BizJournals Portfolio
Sep 19 2008 2:25pm EDT

Fed's Yellen: Interest Rates Not 'Excessively Stimulatory'

Writing in the San Francisco Federal Reserve's Economic Letter, bank president Janet Yellen suggests that there's room for the Fed to lower rates:

The Committee responded to the difficult economic conditions that emerged last year by easing monetary policy substantially, cutting the federal funds rate to 2%, which is more than three full percentage points below where it was just last summer. Although this rate is low by historical standards, I still don't consider the stance of monetary policy to be excessively stimulatory. In light of all of the disruptions to the financial system I described, I consider financial conditions to be more restrictive overall now than when the financial crisis struck a year ago. Policy must be calibrated to push through the substantial headwinds the economy faces

Yellen is not a voting FOMC member. Looking to interest rate futures markets, traders are placing about 1/3 chance of a cut before the end of the year, down from about an 80 percent before the government's move to insure money market mutual funds.


Comments

If you are commenting using a Facebook account, your profile information may be displayed with your comment depending on your privacy settings. By leaving the 'Post to Facebook' box selected, your comment will be published to your Facebook profile in addition to the space below.


Connect With Portfolio.com

Come on, like us—you know you want to.

Follow us and if you're an innovative entrepreneur, we'll return the favor.

Today's top stories, conversation starters, and the back nine business bites.

spotlight on

Slideshows

500 Startups Hits New York

Dave McClure's brainchild makes its way to New York and introduces East Coast money folks to some intriguing new companies. View Slideshow