Back in the early 1990s, when Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan was still considered "the Maestro," I asked him what he thought of the Reagan administration's economic program. I anticipated a discussion of 1980s tax and interest rate policy. That's not what I got. ...more

January 18, 2009

Government efforts to provide easier credit to consumers and help housing finance companies could push mortgage rates "well below 4 percent," a federal regulator said Wednesday. ...more

December 11, 2008

Federal Reserve officials are throwing everything they have into the fight to stabilize financial markets and restore economic growth. In the process, the Fed balance sheet is ballooning to $3 trillion, if not more. ...more

December 6, 2008

What's left in Uncle Sam's economic tool kit? The commitment of $700 billion didn't impress markets here and around the world. Neither did fresh interest rate cuts. Stocks plunged again Thursday. ...more

October 10, 2008

What's left in Uncle Sam's economic tool kit? The commitment of $700 billion didn't impress markets here and around the world. Neither did fresh interest rate cuts. Stocks plunged yet again on Thursday. ...more

October 9, 2008

The buck may be turning into a bull. The U.S. dollar extended its recent rally against major currencies on Friday as commodities fell and European and Japanese economies faltered. After sliding for years, the dollar may finally be on the way back up, some analysts say. ...more

August 16, 2008

A year ago, as the outlines of the current financial crisis were just becoming clear, I suggested that this crisis, unlike a superficially similar crisis in 1998, wouldn't end quickly. It hasn't. ...more

August 6, 2008

Rates on 30-year mortgages rose again this week, climbing to the highest level in more than nine months, reflecting more concerns about how the Federal Reserve will respond to higher inflation pressures. ...more

June 27, 2008

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke signaled Tuesday that further interest rate cuts are unlikely because of concerns about inflation. High oil prices are a double-edged sword that can both put a damper on already weak growth and spread inflation, he said. ...more

June 4, 2008

There comes a time in every business cycle when things look glum and the future even glummer. ...more

February 22, 2008