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Federal Reserve cuts rates to zero and launches massive $700 billion quantitative easing program
CNBC ^ | 3/15/2020

Posted on 03/15/2020 2:12:17 PM PDT by billyboy15

The Federal Reserve, saying “the coronavirus outbreak has harmed communities and disrupted economic activity in many countries, including the United States,” cut interest rates to zero on Sunday and launched a massive $700 billion quantitative easing program to shelter the economy from the effects of the virus.

Facing highly disrupted financial markets, the Fed also slashed the rate of emergency lending at the discount window for banks by 125 bps to 0.25%, and lengthened the term of loans to 90 days.

The Fed also cut reserve requirement ratios for thousands of banks to zero. In addition, in a global coordinated move by centrals banks, the Fed said the Bank of Canada, the Bank of England, the Bank of Japan, the European Central Bank, the Federal Reserve, and the Swiss National Bank took action to enhance dollar liquidity around the world through existing dollar swap arrangements.

The banks lowered the rate on these swap line loans and extended the period for such loans. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell is scheduled to hold a press conference via telephone at 6 pm eastern time. The actions by the Fed appeared to be the largest single day set of moves the bank had ever taken, mirroring in many ways its efforts during the financial crisis that were rolled out over several months.

The quantitative easing will take the form of $500 billion of treasuries and $200 billion of agency-backed mortgage securities. The Fed said the purchases will begin Monday with a $40 billion installment.

The Fed cut rates to a new range of 0% to 0.25% from 1% to 1.25% and said it would remain there “until it is confident that the economy has weathered recent events and is on track to achieve its maximum employment and price stability goals.”

(Excerpt) Read more at cnbc.com ...


TOPICS: Breaking News; Business/Economy; Government
KEYWORDS: bananarepublic; bondmarket; covid19stockmarket; debt; debtbomb; fed; federalreserve; fedrate; incometaxes; inflation; mmt; moneyprinting; noideas; printing; retirees; savers; soundslegit; taxcutsandjobsact; taxreform; tcja; thefed; what2do
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To: Steely Tom

Oh BS.


81 posted on 03/15/2020 2:33:29 PM PDT by ronbivtx
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To: 4Liberty
This insane move will cause an over-extension of credit - or mal-investment, as Austrian Economists call it - this is REALLY OUTRAGEOUS

And... suggestion on what they should have done?

82 posted on 03/15/2020 2:33:32 PM PDT by Fury
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To: Paladin2

That’s for sure.

This won’t impact you or me. At all. (Unless you are a trader.). I stopped my “play money” trading last week. The system is nuts.

When you are drinking with a crazy woman, you have to know when to wish them a good evening and get out. Otherwise you wake up in a bathtub missing a kidney.


83 posted on 03/15/2020 2:33:41 PM PDT by Vermont Lt
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To: DannyTN

Meanwhile, Pence working hard to change his delivery. More upbeat and emphatic, less unctuous — but still sounds crafted.


84 posted on 03/15/2020 2:34:04 PM PDT by 9YearLurker
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To: billyboy15

Just a little test run but if you ain’t got any money Living pay check to paycheck what does it matter?


85 posted on 03/15/2020 2:34:09 PM PDT by oust the louse (The LEFT has no principles, it only has goals! They are the party of death, cheating and taxes.)
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To: Theoria

That’s true. Debt seems to be on the back burner these days. I don’t remember the last time I heard any politician, including the president, express concerns over debt. Maybe they have but I don’t remember it.


86 posted on 03/15/2020 2:34:26 PM PDT by laplata (The Left/Progressives have diseased minds.)
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To: BipolarBob

“...My 401 k has evaporated.....”
Yep. Yours and millions of others. Whoever is behind this mess, needs to be brought to justice. Oh, wait....there is no justice anymore in the USA.


87 posted on 03/15/2020 2:34:29 PM PDT by lgjhn23 (It's easy to be a liberal when one is dumber than a box of rocks...)
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To: lodi90
The markets are definitely dropping another 20%-30%. It’s just a matter of whether it is tomorrow or in a month or three.

And... suggestions on what they should have done?

88 posted on 03/15/2020 2:35:01 PM PDT by Fury
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To: billyboy15

So, for someone who is heavy into bonds and TIPS funds, with an almost equal amount of cash, how bad is it for us?


89 posted on 03/15/2020 2:35:04 PM PDT by CatOwner
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To: Vermont Lt
This crap just puts off the fire sale.

And... suggestions on what they should have done?

90 posted on 03/15/2020 2:35:38 PM PDT by Fury
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To: plain talk

I’m waiting til it goes to -5%, THEN I’m stocking up to the tune of a million or so


91 posted on 03/15/2020 2:37:00 PM PDT by Oscar in Batangas (January 20, 2017, High Noon. The end of an error.)
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To: lodi90
"Who is going to buy a house when they can’t go to a restaurant? Nobody."

Yabutt, I can make big money on a HELOC. Who needs to sell?

92 posted on 03/15/2020 2:37:39 PM PDT by Paladin2
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To: BipolarBob

“My 401 k has evaporated. I’ll be picking up pop cans before long.”

No your 401k just went up. Before this I was sure the market was going to tank tomorrow. With this move it may actually go up.


93 posted on 03/15/2020 2:38:42 PM PDT by aquila48 (Do not let them make you care!)
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To: RushIsMyTeddyBear

What did potus say?


94 posted on 03/15/2020 2:38:49 PM PDT by Jane Long (Praise God, from whom ALL blessings flow.cuase)
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To: Paladin2

I want to refi and buy a Ferrari


95 posted on 03/15/2020 2:39:02 PM PDT by nascarnation
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To: All

With the restaurants closing where will I find dumpsters to food dive?


96 posted on 03/15/2020 2:39:32 PM PDT by BipolarBob (Hi! I'm Joe Biden and I forgot this message.)
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To: NRx

Hence my call to close the markets for at least the next 30 days.


Makes sense to me. If you can’t operate a restaurant you should not be able to operate a financial market.

Let the bankers stew for a month with the rest of us while the panic blows over.


97 posted on 03/15/2020 2:39:33 PM PDT by lodi90
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To: Paladin2
I thought the Fed was out to GET TRUMP!

I think Trump is out to get the Fed.

98 posted on 03/15/2020 2:39:34 PM PDT by upsdriver
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To: 4Liberty

This is problem, because the last times rates were this low, banks were borrowing money in order to invest in the market...not loan out. With removing any ratios on the banks, the potential for an anything goes approach is very real.

I remember being in a conference in NYC and a banker predicting the markets would hit 18k. When queried based on what fundamentals was the prediction being made, he basically shrugged and said that’s the trajectory. There was no reason for the market to reach 18k, let alone 27k. But when the savings accounts pay next to nothing, it’s better to make something on it, so people went to stocks.

I just see bigger problems on the horizons with this move.


99 posted on 03/15/2020 2:39:53 PM PDT by voicereason (The RNC is like the "one-night stand" you wish you could forget.)
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To: aquila48

But, you can only go to the well so many times.


100 posted on 03/15/2020 2:40:03 PM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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