The FOMC in 1976: progress against inflation

Federal Open Market Committee ; Inflation (Finance)

Is inflation targeting best-practice monetary policy?

Monetary policy ; Inflation (Finance) ; Federal Open Market Committee

Arthur Burns and inflation

Federal Open Market Committee ; Inflation (Finance)

Transparency in the practice of monetary policy

Monetary policy ; Federal Open Market Committee ; Inflation (Finance) ; Federal funds rate

An Estimated Small Open Economy Model of the Financial Accelerator

This paper develops a small open economy model in which entrepreneurs partially finance investment using foreign currency-denominated debt subject to an external finance premium. We use Bayesian estimation techniques to evaluate the importance of balance sheet-related credit market frictions for emerging market countries by incorporating the financial accelerator mechanism. We obtain a sizable value for the external finance premium, which is tightly estimated away from zero. Our results support the inclusion of the financial accelerator in an otherwise standard model that-acting through balance sheets-magnifies the impact of shocks, thereby increasing real and financial volatility. Copyright 2006, International Monetary Fund

An Open Economy Model of the Credit Channel Applied to Four Asian Economies

This paper provides a theoretical model of an open economy credit channel including currency mismatch and financial fragility where exporting firms have access to international credit but non-exporting firms do not. It considers the post-crisis outcome which is predicted to be dramatically different for exporters/non-exporters. We examine firms’ access to external finance in four Asian economies after 1997 using a large panel of balance sheet data. Our paper demonstrates that firm heterogeneity is critical to understanding the open economy credit channel effects post-crisis since smaller and less profitable firms are indeed less likely to obtain credit than larger, export-oriented firms.Credit Channel, External Finance, Asian Crisis.

Finance and growth in a small open emerging market

This study contributes to the debate on financial development and economic growth in Malaysia using quarterly observations for a sample period from 1980 to 2002. It utilises a battery of financial indicators. Based on multivariate framework which takes real interest rate and capital stock into account, the findings are suggestive that finance does play a crucial role in promoting economic growth. Policymakers should, therefore, focus their attention on the creation and promotion of modern financial institutions including banks, non-banks, and stock markets in delivering both short- and long-run economic benefits.financial development; economic growth; Malaysia

Financialisation and Capitalist Accumulation : Structural Accounts of the Crisis of 2007-9

The crisis of 2007-9 resulted from a financial bubble marked by weak production, expanding bank assets, and growing household indebtedness. For these reasons the crisis casts light on the financialisation of capitalist economies. The literature on financialisation generally links weak production with booming finance; according to some, causation runs from weak production to booming finance, while for others it runs in the opposite direction. This article argues that there is no direct causation between booming finance and weak production. Rather, financialisation represents systemic transformation of capitalist production and finance, which ultimately accounts for the crisis of 2007-9, and has three main features. First, less reliance of large corporations on banks; second, banks shifting their activities toward mediating in open markets and transacting with individuals; third, increasing implication of individuals in the operations of finance.

Which comes first: inflation or the FOMC's funds rate target?

Must the FOMC increase its target before inflation, or will inflation increase and cause the FOMC to increase its target?Inflation (Finance) ; Federal funds rate ; Federal Open Market Committee