Yellen’s Ascension To Fed Chief Significant For Gender, Not For Economy

Democracy in America, once championed by the likes of de Tocqueville, has given way to a plutocratic oligarchy that owns the country lock, stock, and barrel.

Jeffrey Cavanaugh
By Jeffrey Cavanaugh

The U.S. financial system entered a new era on Jan. 6 with the confirmation of Janet Yellen as chairwoman of the Federal Reserve. Yellen, the first woman to win confirmation in the central bank’s 100-year history, and the first Democrat to win confirmation since 1983, easily won enough Democratic and Republican votes to take the helm come the next

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US Facing Crucible Of Rising Income Inequality

Yellen is not the first, but is one among a growing chorus who believe that income inequality is a growing detriment to the future of humanity.

Carissa Wyant
By Carissa Wyant
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Last week, Janet Yellen, the nominee to replace Ben Bernanke as chair of the Federal Reserve, highlighted the rising trend of income inequality and the threat it poses to the economy during her Senate confirmation hearing. “This is a very serious problem, it’s not a new problem, it’s a problem that really goes back to the 1980s, in which we have

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Bernanke Spikes The Financial Punch Bowl

The Fed’s announced delay on “tapering” back from loose monetary policy only means the hangover will be that much worse when the party inevitably comes to an end.

Jeffrey Cavanaugh
By Jeffrey Cavanaugh

For those who watch the markets all day long, the announcements of the U.S. Federal Reserve are read like tea leaves. So much time and effort is usually spent parsing the words of its chairman that one might think financial pundits and analysts alike are engaged in discovering the fabled Philosopher’s Stone rather than interpreting a bureaucratic

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What Is The Fed’s ‘Quantitative Easing’ Policy?

A new poll shows that one of the Federal Reserve’s most high-impact policies is poorly understood by the American people.

Frederick Reese
By Frederick Reese

On Wednesday, Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke announced the first reduction, or “tapering,” in the Fed’s monthly security purchase plan, known as “quantitative easing.” Wall Street has forecasted that the cutback will amount to $10 billion out of the Fed’s current $85 billion Treasury and mortgage-backed security purchase per

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Could Larry Summers Lead The US To Another Financial Collapse?

The scandal-ridden former Harvard president — and champion of risky deregulation — is being considered for the Federal Reserve.

Martin Michaels
By Martin Michaels

In the ongoing speculation on who will replace Ben Bernanke as the chairperson of the Federal Reserve, it appears to be a two-horse race, with Larry Summers, former Treasury Secretary under Bill Clinton, and Janet Yellen, currently second-in-command at the Federal Reserve, vying for the position. The appointment will determine who takes over the

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