Fed Chair Jerome Powell Shows Little Urgency to Lower Rates

Fed Chair Jerome Powell Shows Little Urgency to Lower Rates

Jerome H. Powell, chair of the Federal Reserve, signaled little urgency to lower interest rates with the economy sturdy and inflation still too high in a hearing with lawmakers on Tuesday. Mr. Powell, who testified before the Senate Banking Committee, confronts an economic and political landscape that is far different …

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Trump’s Executive Orders Leave Imprint on the Fed

Trump’s Executive Orders Leave Imprint on the Fed

President Trump has so far restrained himself from trying to meddle with the Federal Reserve on matters related to monetary policy during his second term. But some of the more than 50 executive orders he has signed since returning to the White House are leaving an imprint on the central …

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High Inflation and New Tariffs Will Make the Fed’s Job Tougher

High Inflation and New Tariffs Will Make the Fed’s Job Tougher

High inflation is stoking fresh debate about how the Federal Reserve should respond to President Trump’s sweeping plans to reorder the world economy through tariffs, leading to questions about whether old playbooks still apply. On Saturday, Mr. Trump is poised to impose 25 percent tariffs on imports from Mexico and …

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The Fed Is About to Hit Pause on Rate Cuts. Here’s Why.

The Fed Is About to Hit Pause on Rate Cuts. Here’s Why.

At the Federal Reserve’s final gathering of 2024, Chair Jerome H. Powell announced that the U.S. central bank was embarking on a “new phase” in how it would set interest rates. The Fed planned to “move cautiously” with cuts going forward, Mr. Powell told reporters at the time, reflecting officials’ …

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What Scott Bessent, Trump’s Treasury Pick, Might Get Asked Today

What Scott Bessent, Trump’s Treasury Pick, Might Get Asked Today

A test for Trump’s cabinet pick For businesses and markets, perhaps the most important of the hearings for the incoming Trump administration’s Cabinet picks starts on Thursday at 10:30 a.m. Eastern. Scott Bessent, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice for Treasury secretary, will likely be confirmed by the Senate. But the billionaire …

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U.S. Employers Add 256,000 Jobs in December

U.S. Employers Add 256,000 Jobs in December

Employers stuck the landing in 2024, finishing the year with a bounce of hiring after a summer slowdown and an autumn marred by disruption. The economy added 256,000 jobs in December, seasonally adjusted, the Labor Department reported on Friday. The number handily beat expectations after two years of cooling in …

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Banks Are Racking Up Wins Even Before Trump Is Back in White House

Banks Are Racking Up Wins Even Before Trump Is Back in White House

Banks are on a winning streak, one that’s poised to intensify as President-elect Donald J. Trump takes office. Biden-appointed regulators at the Federal Reserve and other agencies presided over a relatively fruitless era of bank oversight. They tried to enact stricter rules for the nation’s biggest banks, hoping to create …

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New ETF looks to profit from municipal bonds

New ETF looks to profit from municipal bonds

A new ETF is trying to capture profits in the municipal funds space. BondBloxx’s Joanna Gallegos is behind the IR+M Tax-Aware Short Duration ETF (TAXX) — which launched less than a month ago.  “When you think about municipal bond portfolios, you really want people to think beyond them and look …

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