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BoC deputy: pandemic means central banks must ‘move faster’ on digital currency plans

mschmit — Thu, 15 Oct 2020 04:56:47 +0000

Pandemic-related shifts in how people shop, sending more people into cyberspace than a physical space, means central banks must speed up work on creating their own digital currencies, says a top Bank of Canada official. The coronavirus has meant more people are shopping online, and foot traffic for brick-and-mortar storefronts hasn’t caught up to pre-pandemic […]

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Bank of Canada eyes effect on wealth, income distribution in review: Wilkins

mschmit — Thu, 27 Aug 2020 04:43:52 +0000

The second-in-command at the Bank of Canada said Wednesday that any changes to the underpinning of its monetary policy will be judged against how they affect the distribution of income and wealth in this country. Senior deputy governor Carolyn Wilkins said the various frameworks the bank is considering are also being tested for how they […]

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Bank of Canada looks for broader input in updating inflation target framework

mschmit — Tue, 25 Aug 2020 04:48:01 +0000

The Bank of Canada is turning to the public for input on its inflation-rate target that underlies any changes to the central bank’s trend-setting interest rate. The bank had already planned on a much broader consultation than what it did for previous reviews long before the coronavirus pandemic struck Canada and forced a sharp decline […]

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Fed to keep providing aid and sees no rate hike through 2022

mschmit — Wed, 10 Jun 2020 10:46:43 +0000

Confronted with an economy gripped by recession and high unemployment, the Federal Reserve made clear Wednesday that it will keep supplying all the help it can by buying bonds to maintain low borrowing rates and forecasting no rate hike through 2022. The Fed has cut its benchmark short-term rate to near zero. Keeping its rate […]

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Bank of Canada keeps key rate target on hold, expects return to growth in Q3

mschmit — Thu, 04 Jun 2020 04:18:45 +0000

The economy appears to have avoided a worst-case scenario due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Bank of Canada said Wednesday as it kept its key interest rate steady at its lower bound. The bank left its target for the overnight rate unchanged at 0.25 per cent, which it has said is as low as it […]

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Bank of Canada report warns of business, household debt from coronavirus

mschmit — Fri, 15 May 2020 04:12:55 +0000

Financial markets are showing signs of concern about how well companies can weather the coronavirus economic crisis, the Bank of Canada said in a report outlining issues the pandemic is having on business and household debt. The central bank has spent the last two months making a flurry of policy decisions that include slashing the […]

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Morneau names Tiff Macklem new Bank of Canada governor

mschmit — Fri, 01 May 2020 09:41:02 +0000

Tiff Macklem, a former second-in-command at the Bank of Canada, is returning to the central bank to take over the top job at a moment that he says cries out for bold, unprecedented responses to the economic crisis fuelled by the coronavirus. And he suggested that once the current crisis passes, a key focus for […]

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Fed takes emergency steps to slash rates and ease bank rules

mschmit — Mon, 16 Mar 2020 04:12:46 +0000

The Federal Reserve took massive emergency action Sunday to try to help the economy withstand the coronavirus by slashing its benchmark interest rate to near zero and saying it would buy $700 billion in Treasury and mortgage bonds. The Fed’s surprise announcement signalled its rising concern that the viral outbreak will depress economic growth in […]

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Coronavirus poses tough challenge for economic policymakers

mschmit — Thu, 27 Feb 2020 04:20:44 +0000

The fast-moving coronavirus isn’t just confounding health officials. It’s also bedevilling policymakers and central bankers who are struggling to assess the economic damage from an outbreak that’s reached 37 countries and territories, infected 80,000 people and killed 2,700 worldwide. They don’t know where or how fast the virus will spread. They can’t draw on clear […]

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Are central banks running out of tools in their toolbox?

mschmit — Wed, 19 Feb 2020 04:53:56 +0000

Central banks’ actions have gone too far and they’re running out of tools in their toolbox, according to Erik Weisman, chief economist at MFS Investment Management. When interest rates are pushed to zero or into negative territory, people are deciding to save more instead of spending money on which they’re not earning interest, he says. […]

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