Part 1
Last year Ben Bernanke’s predecessor Janet Yellen was sworn in as the Federal Reserve’s (FEDs) chairperson February 2014, she is the first women to lead the FED in its one hindered year history; many people attribute her position to Obama because she was his top pick for the chair. It became clear she would follow in the footsteps of Bernanke after leading her first meeting a little over a month after being sworn in. The decisions the FED make effect every person on a global scale; they truly are the most powerful independent entity in the world. Although the FED is independent, the FEDs governor positions of the FOMC members are appointed by the US President with the approval from the US Senate for fourteen year terms. This fourteen year term is designed to minimize the political influence one president could have over the board. The FED tells us their goal is to have steady economic growth, Yellen has been open about her goals normalizing the US economy.
If the FEDs decision was truly based on data as much as they proclaim they would have increased rates already. If the US showed signs of real economic recovery, Yellen wouldn’t have to tiptoe around her wording the way she is. The FED recently has tried to become “more transparent” with their decisions. Yet, we as the domestic public are only allowed to know very limited information as to what exactly they as a whole are looking at. The FOMC members look at what they call a “Green Book” the forecast of the US economy, a “Blue Book” that holds monetary policy alternatives and the “Beige Book” that is the only book of these three that is released to the public two weeks before the FOMC meeting. This Beige Book holds a description of economic conditions from each Reserve banks district.
The anticipation of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting is just as important when trading Forex as the actual rise or decrease of the interest rate decision. Statements made by any FED member are extremely important. Analysts dissect every word and examine the language used. For many, a hedge on what decisions the FED make is the key to outsmarting the competition and profiting. The media loves any statements made about or by the FED, it is difficult to look at the facts with the government run media polluting the market with meaningless opinions, or what they want you to believe is the direction they are taking. Even the announcements by the FED itself can be misleading, for instance they took two years to stop Quantitative Easing (QE) after saying that they were considering it. Fortunes ride on every word of the Federal Reserves announcements. No other legislative entity has more power and influence on how the financial market moves than the FED. Other counties look to the FED for direction and have even followed the FEDs monetary policies, and continue to do so. This coming meeting is particularly important for many private traders, investors, and big money. This meeting is on the Federal Funds interest rate change, an increase or the decrease of Federal Funds interest rates. The decision will impact every US bank’s interest rate fee and how they lend and barrow money.
For those that don’t know what the FOMC interest rate decision is, let me briefly explain. One could think about the importance of this meeting and announcement like the government quarterly earnings report. Eight times a year the FOMC meets to set the monetary stance, fixing the federal funds overnight borrowing rate. This federal funds “interest rate” is what you hear so much about, the rate the Federal Reserve (FED) lends balances to other depository institutions, banks borrowing reserves and lending to one another at the Federal Funds Rate. The FOMC sets a target rate rage; however, the Open Market actually decides the rate itself. That is why most of the terminology used by the FED is vague or abstract misleading even contradictory. Market forces determine the actual rate itself. The FED will do what it needs to by influencing the operations in swaying the Open Market a multitude of ways. The FOMC makes changes based on non-specific economic data and undisclosed target numbers. Banks, credit unions, all depository institutions are required to keep a target amount of money in reserves at all times. For instance when a bank is over or low on that target reserve they must borrow or lend. A bank above the target is sitting on non-interest gaining money and will be lent to another who is low on their target reserve. The Federal Funds Rate adjusts to the supply and demand of bank reserves .The decrease in rates comes from the reserve supply being greater than the demand causing a decrease in the funds rate. The reports that are looked over by the FOMC from the Central Banks (CB) is ultimately what sets the target rate for now and direction in the future. If a rate decrease is needed, the FED buys US treasury securities creating new money and a larger reserve supply, increasing bank reserves without overnight borrowing in the reserves market. If the reserve supply demand is higher than the supply, they raise rates. The increase means the FOMC would sell US treasury securities causing a reduction of bank reserves and more overnight borrowing. The FED buying and selling open market operations and US Treasury securities is the way they implement monetary policy and maintain the target rate. The problem is liquidity keeps drying up, then open market law fails as money increases then becomes too expensive for government to borrow, this is what Yellen is trying to avoid.
