Federal Reserve

Although negative rates aren’t officially here, they’re here in reality due to Treasury yields falling below inflation. That means investors might want to consider how to position their portfolios, no matter what the Fed ultimately decides.

Don't fight the Fed. It's an old Wall Street adage, but is it prudent to structure a portfolio around macroeconomic policy intentions? And how would you do it, anyway? Here's a rundown.

Investors see volatility rising in September as election approaches, meaning the market might start to feel the impact.

Interpreting reports on industrial production and capacity utilization can help traders and investors identify the state of the economic business cycle.

Political battles might loom large in August as stimulus and elections start to enter the picture.

Investors adding bonds to a stock-heavy lineup may opt for securities with a shelf life designed for today’s investing climate. That’s where bond duration comes in.

Learn about consumer confidence, consumer sentiment, personal income, and personal spending reports. Understanding measures of market sentiment can help traders and investors see a more complete picture of market fundamentals.

As the COVID-19 pandemic ground commercial activity to a halt in early 2020, the United States turned to fiscal and monetary authorities for help in getting the flagging economy up and running. Here’s a primer on these two types of stimulus.

As the U.S. economy pulled back in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Federal Reserve turned to a tool it used in the 2008–09 financial crisis: quantitative easing (QE). Here’s a crash course for investors.

Millennials lead the way in first-time homebuyer stats and appear ready to move forward with this important milestone. But a few roadblocks still exist.

How might rate increases impact long-term investing decisions? What’s the impact of a rate hike on long-term savings?

Our chief market strategist breaks down the day's top business stories and offers insight on how they might impact your trading and investing.

Every quarter, the Fed provides a “dot plot” that shows its monetary policy projections for the next several years. Investors can glean the Fed’s thinking by “connecting the dots.”

Gross domestic product (GDP) data is key to understanding the health of the U.S. economy, but may not be so critical for stock market traders and investors.

How might rising interest rates impact your retirement portfolio planning? Learn how rising rates can affect fixed income investments.

What is the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA)? It’s a price-weighted index of 30 large stocks, and it’s considered one of the major U.S. equity benchmarks.

Years of rising interest rates appear to be raising demand for the venerable certificate of deposit (CDs). As rates tick higher, it may be time to learn about these fixed income products.

The annual Jackson Hole Economic Symposium, hosted by the Kansas City Fed, pulled together central bankers and economic policymakers from across the world. Here’s what transpired at the 2018 gathering.

Bond and stock investors can look to the yield curve for one measure of inflation and interest rate expectations.

Learn about the Federal Reserve, the central bank of the U.S.—its makeup, policies, dual mandate of full employment and monetary stability, and the importance of Fed meetings.

As the economy continues its march forward after the financial crisis of the last decade, are we finally seeing higher interest rates for CDs and other savings rates?

Learn how economic growth, inflation and interest rates link to the consumer price index and how the CPI, sometimes called the inflation index, affects the stock market as well as depicts the price of goods and services.

Jerome Powell takes over at the Federal Reserve at a time when a tight labor market could influence the direction and speed of interest rate hikes.

Annuities might be a good way to protect principal or guarantee retirement income. Learn how rising interest rates might affect annuity rates.

In low-interest rate environment, investors sometimes look to dividend-paying stocks as a mean of generating income.

As the Federal Reserve continues its rate-tightening cycle, is it time to lock in low rates for home and auto loans?

Markets are impacted differently by rising interest rates. Make sure you know how rising rates could impact investments.

How might rising interest rates impact long-term investing decisions? Discuss the impact of a rate hike on long-term savings: fixed income, long-term care.

Interest rates may begin to rise for the first time in a while, which may be the first time some younger borrowers and savers have seen a hike in rates.

Investors feeling flooded by all the data generated every day may want to try a new tool that puts all the numbers in one place for comparison and easier unde

Oftentimes economic reports can move markets, which means you might want to brush up on your macroeconomics.

Learn why the Fed and traders follow the personal income and spending reports, especially the Personal Consumption Expenditures Index.

Gold and silver prices are up sharply this year. Can precious metals continue to hold their own if economies start improving?

Each month, economists and traders turn to the existing and new home sales reports. Learn how to read and apply these economic reports to your trading.

Negative interest rate policy is a fact in the eurozone and Japan. How has it affected those economies, and what might investors expect if such policy ever ar

What you should know about rising interest rates, and practical trading strategies for dealing with them—approaching Fed decisions in four different arenas.

What if you get a pay hike? Use it to go down a better path for the future and stash it away. Here’s how.

Study intermarket analysis, specifically bonds, for potential clues on the next leg for Federal Reserve policy and stock market reaction.

Use a blend of off-the-grid economic data—from search-engine trends to a real-time GDP figure—to help inform investing hunches.

Compare interest-rate-sensitive stock sectors that could benefit or suffer at the hands of a Federal Reserve that’s soon to hike rates.

Only pros care about interest-rate trading, and bonds are boring, right? Not so fast. There’s more to them than meets the eye. Pros don't have all the fun.

Bond and stock investors can look to the yield curve for one measure of inflation and interest rate expectations.

With benchmark U.S. interest rates poised to climb, fixed-income investors should consider the implications for muni bonds.

Interest rates are going up. If you hold an annuity, or are considering one, it’s important to understand how these investments will be affected.

Cash alone won’t cut it as a lingering low-rate environment challenges income investing.

You can’t fight the Federal Reserve, but at the rate things change today, that doesn't mean you should bury your head in the sand. Fed indicators matter, too.