Is the Zero Interest Monetary Policy Still Effective
The Unites States Federal Reserve's monetary policy has kept its key rate to zero for nearly five years already. So far, it has remained very effective because it still kept its control over medium and longer-term rates according to Australian Banking & Finance.
One more important factor about it is how it has passed through the prime rate for business loans as well as interest rates on auto loans, corporate bonds and mortgages, added the report.
Referencing to the latest economic letter released by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, the source pointed out that bond yields have the tendency to adapt with the market's demands about the average federal funds rate over the life of the bond. If they don't, then, there's a possibility that traders would take advantage of the conditions by buying or selling bonds to bring yields back to the preferred path of the federal funds rate explained Eric Swanson, who is the bank's current senior research adviser in its economic research department.
A related article in the IOL Business Report stated that the US Federal Reserve's unconventional policy mix of qualitative easing and zero interest rates should come to an end. This is due to the fact that the conditions which were present five years ago, when the US was in the brink of a financial crisis, are much different than what we have now.
According to the report, the qualitative easing being undertaken is no longer stimulating bank lending. Thus, economic productivity is no longer having a significant increase.
Although the article admitted that doing so would create a bit of a turbulence in the economy at first, effects will be seen in the long run in the form of a more sound economic activity.
Another post from Wall Street Journal a couple of months ago warned risks of high aggregate demand and high inflation if the scheme of the US Federal Reserve continues. It also emphasised that very low rates would pave way for distortion in the financial system and it may hold the economy back.
The report advises a return of the interest rates to "normal" levels to avert the mentioned risks.
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