In a rare coordinated move, the Federal Reserve and other major central banks from around the world slashed interest rates Wednesday to prevent a mushrooming financial crisis from becoming a global economic meltdown. ...more

October 8, 2008

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said Wednesday that the worsening financial crisis could prove a major weight on U.S. business growth and pledged to "act as needed" to brace the wobbly economy. ...more

September 24, 2008

Confronted by problems at every turn - rising unemployment, shaky growth, credit troubles and creeping inflation - the Federal Reserve left an important interest rate unchanged, taking a gamble that for now the best move was no move at all. ...more

August 6, 2008

The Federal Reserve decided on Wednesday to leave a key interest rate unchanged and cited a heightened risk of inflation, which could lead to rate increases down the road. Private analysts said the Fed might delay the first rate increase until December. ...more

June 26, 2008

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday sharply lowered its projection for economic growth this year, citing blows from the housing and credit debacles along with zooming energy prices. ...more

May 22, 2008

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday lowered its projection for economic growth this year, citing damage from the double blows of a housing slump and credit crunch. It said it also expects higher unemployment and inflation. ...more

February 21, 2008

Using words like "sluggish" and "deteriorated," Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke gave a starkly pessimistic assessment of the nation's economy Thursday and signaled that the Fed will cut interest rate cuts further if needed to combat the adverse effects of a prolonged housing slump and a severe credit crisis. ...more

February 15, 2008

Fed chairman Ben Bernanke borrowed a page from Alan Greenspan's crisis playbook when he promised emphatically to cut interest rates further if the weak economy needs the help. ...more

January 11, 2008