The Federal Reserve released its October Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting minutes last week, revealing a Fed in disagreement about the future of the U.S. economy and about what, if any, stimulus may be warranted in the next 12 months. The "Fed Minutes" recaps the conversations and debates that transpire during an FOMC meeting, and is published 3 weeks after the meeting adjourns. According to the October minutes, FOMC members "generally agreed" that a housing recovery is under way nationwide, citing increased housing prices, higher sales volume, and rising construction in many … [Read more...]
Fed Minutes Detail QE3 Discussion; Mortgage Rates Down
The minutes from the Federal Reserve's September Federal Open Market Committee meeting were released Thursday. The Fed Minutes detail the discussions and debates which shaped the central banker's launch of its third round of qualitative easing since 2008. The minutes also give Wall Street insight into future monetary policy. At 6,987 words, the Fed Minutes provides a level of detail that was unavailable via the FOMC's post-meeting press release, a documen that, by contrast, ran 562 words. Despite its large word count, there was very little that was new or surprising in the Fed … [Read more...]
Mortgage Rates Dropping After Release Of Fed Minutes
Eariler this week, the Federal Reserve released the minutes from its 2-day meeting which ended August 1, 2012. Since the release, mortgage rates have dropped. The Fed Minutes are released on a schedule, three weeks after the FOMC adjourns from one of its 8 scheduled meetings of the year. The Fed Minutes are meeting minutes; like you'd see after a corporation shareholder meeting, or after a condo board meeting. Specifically, the Fed Minutes details the conversations among Federal Reserve members which shape our nation's economic policy. The most recent Fed Minutes show a central bank … [Read more...]
