If you were serving on the FOMC committee, how would you vote on Nov 1--2 meeting?
Reading: Please go to the Fed's website:
https://www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/fomccalendars.htm
and locate the latest released minutes (released on October 12, 2016) of the FOMC Sep 20-21 meeting.
Please read the minutes and the script, and answer the following questions with your own words.
1. Please read the minutes of the Sep 20-21 meeting. What did the committee members comment on current economy: a. price stability (i.e., inflation level); b. unemployment rate; c. economic growth rate, personal consumption expenditures, housing market, international trade deficit, etc.? Please be specific.
2. What is the members' review on financial situation: a. key interest rates such as federal funds rate, Treasury bond yield, and foreign exchange rates? b. financial condition for nonfinancial firms and households? Please be specific.
3. What actions does the Fed plan to take till their next meeting? For example, what open market operations will the Fed use? Will the Fed change the target federal funds rate? Please be specific.
4. What is the committee members' current assessment of any risk or uncertainty that our economy or the financial system is facing? Read staff economy outlook section and participants' views section to report the potential risk, if any, that our economy may face in the near future.
5. Please incorporate your own assessment and the FOMC's assessment on current economy and financial situation and what you have learned in our in-class discussion to answer the following questions: what kind of committee policy action should the FOMC take in their next meeting. If the FOMC were to continue the current action, would you vote YES or NO? For example, should the Fed raise interest rate? Please explain your vote and reason in detail.