Opinion: Here’s the real reason the Fed wants to raise rates

Federal Reserve policy makers are hoping, even praying, that no unexpected domestic development or international crisis intervenes to prevent them from taking the first baby step to normalize interest rates at the Sept.16-17 meeting.

Yellen: 1st rate hike likely by year end if economy improves

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said Friday she expects to begin raising interest rates later this year — if the job market improves and the Fed is confident inflation will climb closer toward its target rate.

US Federal Reserve chair highlights concerns over ultra-low interest rates

Janet Yellen, chair of the US Federal Reserve, has highlighted the risks of ultra-low interest rates for financial stability, warning investors that share valuations are “quite high”.

Fed's Lockhart says weak demand puts rate hike timetable in doubt

(Reuters) - Atlanta Federal Reserve bank president Dennis Lockhart said the U.S. economy is still hampered by weak demand at home and internationally, potentially pushing the need to raise interest rates later into next year.

Wall Street sees holes in Fed's new policy-tightening plan

(Reuters) - No sooner did the Federal Reserve reveal its plan for eventually tightening U.S. monetary policy than many on Wall Street flagged problems with the mechanics of the strategy, and said more adjustments would have to come.

U.S. seen maintaining solid pace of jobs growth in July

(Reuters) - U.S employment growth likely retained enough momentum in July to help buoy the economy for the rest of the year.

Monetary policy not best financial stability tool: Yellen

(Reuters) - Monetary policy faces "significant limitations" as a tool to address financial stability risks, and would have caused major economic damage if it had been used to head off the U.S. housing bubble, Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said on Wednesday.

U.S. small business, jobs data bolster growth picture

(Reuters) - The U.S. economy has decisively turned the corner with small business confidence hitting its highest level in more than 6-1/2 years in May and the number of jobs available rising to pre-recession levels in April.

Fed's Kocherlakota: diversity improves policymaking

(Reuters) - A diverse workforce that cuts across gender, ethnic and geographic lines can improve policymaking by generating a larger and better pool of ideas, Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank President Narayana Kocherlakota said on Friday.

Mario Draghi's pillow talk keeps the euro below $1.40

That Mario Draghi, he's such a tease. Rarely has there been a central banker who can string along financial markets by talk alone and the president of the European Central Bank was at it again on Thursday.Be patient, Draghi said.

Fed seen hiking rates in June 2015 as U.S. job creation surges

(Reuters) - The Federal Reserve could start raising benchmark interest rates in just over a year, based on trading in U.S. short-term interest-rate futures after a government report showed employers added many more jobs than expected in April.

Fed, with bond taper on autopilot, free to tackle big questions

SAN FRANCISCO/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Federal Reserve policymakers this week are set to continue paring their massive bond-buying stimulus, but below the smooth surface of a likely unanimous vote lies a deeply divided Fed struggling to lay the groundwork for more difficult decisions ahead.

Jobless claims, factory data put some shine on economy

(Reuters) - New claims for jobless benefits hovered near their pre-recession levels last week and manufacturing in the Mid-Atlantic region accelerated in April, suggesting an upswing in economic activity after a brutally cold winter.

U.S. GDP revised down, but hints of economic thaw emerge

(Reuters) - The U.S. government slashed its estimate for fourth-quarter economic growth on Friday in the latest sign of a loss of momentum, but some tentative signs emerged that suggested the worst of the slowdown may be over.

Yen Rallies Versus Euro on Crimea Tensions; Yuan Drops

The yen headed for its longest rising streak versus the euro in 15 months, the ruble slid and Ukraine’s currency fell a fifth day amid tensions over the Crimea region.

Yellen nods to cold weather, says unclear impact on economy

(Reuters) - Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said on Thursday the central bank would be on alert to make sure recent signs of weakness in the U.S. economy are due to cold weather and storms, and not signals of a more fundamental slowdown.

Stocks stabilize; now it’s up to Yellen, Cisco, the consumer

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — Stocks ended a big volume week with gains and a dose of stability. The next week’s rush of consumer news, plus testimony from Janet Yellen and earnings from Cisco Systems Inc., will help determine whether that recovery is for real.

US Senate confirms Yellen as Federal Reserve chair

Washington (AFP) - The US Senate confirmed Janet Yellen as the new leader of the Federal Reserve, marking the first time a woman has headed the world's most powerful central bank.

Yellen signals new emphasis on Fed policing role

(Reuters) - Move over inflation and job growth. The next Federal Reserve chief appears set to direct the central bank's might at ensuring financial stability and stern banking oversight with the same vigor it currently applies to its traditional mandates of fostering price stability and maximum employment.