“Fisher said a more pressing problem is that recent fiscal and regulatory policies are not necessarily conducive to economic growth – a message he hears from many business contacts. “The prevailing sentiment is that politicians and officials who craft and enforce taxes and rules have been...

“The Fed’s commitment to maintaining liquidity and its deteriorating growth outlook are broadly speaking bullish for gold,” said Standard Bank analyst Leon Westgate. Gold is often seen as a stronger store of value than equities and other commodities in times of economic uncertainty,...

“The only way fiscal and monetary stimulus could “work” is if the flow of real savings (i.e., real funding) is large enough to support (i.e., fund) government activities and activities that sprang up on the back of loose-monetary policy while still permitting a positive rate of growth...

“For 97 years the 12 regional banks of the Federal Reserve system have operated relatively free of political interference from Washington. The looming financial reform bill threatens that independence, not least through an effort to impose new presidential appointees at the regional banks. The...

“Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke warned Wednesday that “the federal budget appears to be on an unsustainable path,” but also recognized that an “exceptional increase” in the deficit had been necessary to ease the pain of recession. In nearly two hours of testimony...