tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-154624282012-01-25T14:14:21.671-05:00also known as the Fed, National, U.S. and WSJ Prime Rate,<br>from the interest rate specialists at <b>www.FedPrimeRate.com^{<small>SM</small>}</b>Steve Brownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger287125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15462428.post-22023467997308572752012-01-25T14:09:00.012-05:002012-01-25T14:14:21.679-05:00

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) of the Federal Reserve has just adjourned its first monetary policy meeting of 2012 and, in accordance with our most recent forecast, has voted to leave short-term interest rates at their current levels. Therefore, the benchmark target range for the federal funds rate will remain at 0% - 0.25%, and the Wall Street

Steve Brownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15462428.post-64408527181784550642011-12-31T20:58:00.025-05:002012-01-01T20:43:07.949-05:00

Since August 9, 2011, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) has included the following language in each post-monetary-policy-meeting press release:"...The Committee currently anticipates that economic conditions--including low rates of resource utilization and a subdued outlook for inflation over the medium run--are likely to warrant exceptionally low levels for the federal funds rate at least

Steve Brownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15462428.post-78777118598360293332011-12-13T14:56:00.006-05:002011-12-13T16:00:48.148-05:00

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) of the Federal Reserve has just adjourned its eighth and last monetary policy meeting of 2011 and, in accordance with our most recent forecast, has voted to leave short-term interest rates at their current levels. Therefore, the benchmark target range for the federal funds rate will remain at 0% - 0.25%, and the Wall

Steve Brownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15462428.post-67782820580541960592011-11-02T13:43:00.010-04:002011-11-02T14:10:24.602-04:00

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) of the Federal Reserve has just adjourned its seventh monetary policy meeting of 2011 and, in accordance with our most recent forecast, has voted to leave short-term interest rates at their current levels. Therefore, the benchmark target range for the federal funds rate will remain at 0% - 0.25%, and the Wall Street Journal®

Steve Brownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15462428.post-25947302679282427512011-09-21T14:59:00.010-04:002011-09-21T17:39:45.301-04:00

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) of the Federal Reserve has just adjourned its sixth monetary policy meeting of 2011 and, in accordance with our most recent forecast, has voted to leave short-term interest rates at their current levels. Therefore, the benchmark target range for the federal funds rate will remain at 0% - 0.25%, and the Wall Street Journal® Prime

Steve Brownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15462428.post-90091673458645276662011-08-09T15:09:00.009-04:002011-08-09T17:19:32.226-04:00

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) of the Federal Reserve has just adjourned its fifth monetary policy meeting of 2011 and, in accordance with our most recent forecast, has voted to leave short-term interest rates at their current levels. Therefore, the benchmark target range for the federal funds rate will remain at 0% - 0.25%, and the Wall Street Journal® Prime

Steve Brownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15462428.post-78421384538892866202011-06-22T13:59:00.003-04:002011-07-01T00:07:56.739-04:00

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) of the Federal Reserve has just adjourned its fourth monetary policy meeting of 2011 and, in accordance with our most recent forecast, has voted to leave short-term interest rates at their current levels. Therefore, the benchmark target range for the federal funds rate will remain at 0% - 0.25%, and the Wall Street Journal® Prime Rate

Steve Brownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15462428.post-89222077458603777082011-06-03T17:49:00.085-04:002011-06-05T16:16:41.559-04:00

The next three Federal Reserve (Fed) monetary policy meetings are June 22, August 9 and September 20. As of today, the fed funds futures market is 100% certain that the Fed will opt to leave short-term rates (including the US Prime Rate) at their current levels at all 3 meetings. That means Prime Rate is extremely likely to remain at the current 3.25% into November of this year (the

Steve Brownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15462428.post-31603270319766454242011-04-27T14:05:00.007-04:002011-05-02T16:55:25.600-04:00

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) of the Federal Reserve has just adjourned its third monetary policy meeting of 2011 and, in accordance with our most recent forecast, has voted to leave short-term interest rates at their current levels. Therefore, the benchmark target range for the federal funds rate will remain at 0% - 0.25%, and the Wall Street Journal® Prime Rate (

Steve Brownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15462428.post-64189777850909626772011-03-25T20:01:00.012-04:002011-12-13T16:27:01.808-05:00

Earlier today, The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) released its tentative monetary policy meeting schedule for 2012. The FOMC doesn't always stick to the exact dates on the schedule (hence tentative), but they do always meet at least eight times per calendar year.Why is this schedule important to you? Because it's at these monetary policy meetings that The FOMC votes on whether

Steve Brownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15462428.post-59592270789445784002011-03-15T15:02:00.011-04:002011-03-16T14:24:05.549-04:00

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) of the Federal Reserve has just adjourned its second monetary policy meeting of 2011 and, in accordance with our most recent forecast, has voted to leave short-term interest rates at their current levels. Therefore, the benchmark target range for the federal funds rate will remain at 0% - 0.25%, and the Wall Street Journal® Prime Rate (also

Steve Brownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15462428.post-73946333875620595022011-01-26T14:48:00.004-05:002011-01-26T16:42:07.312-05:00

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) of the Federal Reserve has just adjourned its first monetary policy meeting of 2011 and, in accordance with our most recent forecast, has voted to leave short-term interest rates at their current levels. Therefore, the benchmark target range for the federal funds rate will remain at 0% - 0.25%, and the Wall Street Journal® Prime Rate (also

Steve Brownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15462428.post-71582484707471899402011-01-01T12:58:00.055-05:002011-01-27T03:19:32.211-05:00

The next three Federal Reserve (Fed) monetary policy meetings are January 26, March 15 and April 27. As of today, the fed funds futures market is 100% certain that the Fed will do nothing with short-term rates at all 3 meetings. Translation: the US Prime Rate is extremely likely to remain at the current 3.25% well into spring. Great news for borrowers and those with existing debt tied to

Steve Brownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15462428.post-31054728036501578952010-12-14T15:14:00.010-05:002010-12-14T18:57:51.625-05:00

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) of the Federal Reserve has just adjourned its eighth and last monetary policy meeting of 2010 and, in accordance with our most recent forecast, has voted to leave short-term interest rates at their current levels. Therefore, the benchmark target range for the federal funds rate will remain at 0% - 0.25%, and the Wall Street Journal® Prime

Steve Brownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15462428.post-17693862988777566462010-11-03T15:21:00.007-04:002010-11-03T15:32:59.176-04:00

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) of the Federal Reserve has just adjourned its seventh monetary policy meeting of 2010 and, in accordance with our most recent forecast, has voted to leave short-term interest rates at their current levels. Therefore, the benchmark target range for the federal funds rate will remain at 0% - 0.25%, and the Wall Street Journal® Prime

Steve Brownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15462428.post-26823756593462241182010-09-22T16:47:00.010-04:002010-09-23T09:24:37.952-04:00

Too many Americans are worried about their finances. The latest numbers out of the Labor Department say it all: As of August 2010, the jobless rate in the United States is 9.6%, and there are now close to 15 million unemployed people across the country. Those fortunate enough to have steady employment aren’t resting easy either. The National Bureau of Economic Research recently announced that

Steve Brownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15462428.post-19677024400531260532010-09-21T14:31:00.002-04:002010-09-21T15:24:24.647-04:00

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) of the Federal Reserve has just adjourned its sixth monetary policy meeting of 2010 and, in accordance with our most recent forecast, has voted to leave short-term interest rates at their current levels. Therefore, the benchmark target range for the federal funds rate will remain at 0% - 0.25%, and the Wall Street Journal® Prime Rate (

Steve Brownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15462428.post-45882717378775796012010-08-29T16:31:00.006-04:002010-09-26T16:38:54.645-04:00

The Federal Reserve (The Fed) has been doing all it can to boost the economy, from lowering short-term borrowing rates to record-low levels, to buying Treasury and mortgage-backed securities. But the Fed can only do so much. In fact, despite the Fed’s efforts, the economy is still sputtering at best, and may be headed for another downturn at worst.And that’s why the Prime Rate will remain at

Steve Brownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15462428.post-6413370134159633952010-08-25T14:07:00.003-04:002010-08-25T18:40:44.701-04:00

If you've got plenty of money in the bank and you're in the market for a new house, then this week's housing news is music to your ears. If you've been sitting on the fence for a while, waiting for prices to drop, then you might want to wait a little longer. Prices are likely to head further south, as inventories are rising, the American foreclosure pandemic is still with us and there is

Steve Brownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15462428.post-67910526322746209422010-08-10T15:04:00.005-04:002010-08-10T17:26:24.843-04:00

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) of the Federal Reserve has just adjourned its fifth monetary policy meeting of 2010 and, in accordance with our most recent forecast, has voted to leave short-term interest rates at their current levels. Therefore, the benchmark target range for the federal funds rate will remain at 0% - 0.25%, and the Wall Street Journal® Prime Rate (also

Steve Brownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15462428.post-18442942932353646632010-08-04T15:27:00.075-04:002010-08-05T13:30:44.156-04:00

Double-dip recession? More likely than unlikely, in my opinion. Scarcity of credit, stubbornly high unemployment, falling prices, commercial mortgage defaults, massive national debt...and the list goes on. US states are in serious trouble, and no state can simply print more money out of thin air the way the Fed can. Here's a clip with some cogent arguments that we're probably heading for

Steve Brownnoreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15462428.post-24534294908049760072010-07-21T15:13:00.026-04:002010-08-02T22:12:17.578-04:00

President Obama signed the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act into law today; the title of this law says it all.The new law is sweeping, and it took a lot of Congressional dealmaking to get it passed. But there's still much more to come, for soon regulators will need to craft new rules, and, of course, lobbyists will try their best to get these new rules written in a way that favors

Steve Brownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15462428.post-18630063540472024362010-06-23T14:40:00.002-04:002010-06-23T16:25:23.843-04:00

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) of the Federal Reserve has just adjourned its fourth monetary policy meeting of 2010 and, in accordance with our most recent forecast, has voted to leave short-term interest rates at their current levels. Therefore, the benchmark target range for the federal funds rate will remain at 0% - 0.25%, and the Wall Street Journal® Prime Rate (also

Steve Brownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15462428.post-56833069723335700062010-06-11T15:56:00.029-04:002010-06-11T17:08:22.645-04:00

Looks like Wall Street is loosing faith that the American economy can pull off a sustained and lasting recovery.Earlier today, stocks reacted negatively to news that retail sales fell by 1.2% last month. Wall Street economists were expecting a rise of 0.2%.Moreover, Wall Street money, which was starting to make it's way back to stocks and other relatively risky investments, now seems to be

Steve Brownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15462428.post-54884394776288705072010-06-02T14:24:00.062-04:002010-06-04T15:18:34.210-04:00

Canada Raises RatesYesterday, Canada's central bank -- the Bank of Canada -- raised its key, short term interest rate by 25 basis points (0.25 percentage point.) Canada is the first G-7 nation to raise short-term rates since the banking crisis and subsequent Great Recession prompted central banks around the world to cut rates to record-low levels. The move by the Bank of Canada also ends the

Steve Brownnoreply@blogger.com0