FED Holds Steady

[Mark K]

Again, many of the fed governors are not with Powell.

Last count it was 2 against 10, 2 in favor of lowering, 10 in favor of no change.

 

[Zoe]

Will The Housing Market Crash? Experts Give 5-Year Predictions

Thanks to average mortgage rates remaining at more than double what they were in 2020 and 2021, and home prices staying sky-high, housing activity remains stagnant. Existing home sales are at their lowest levels since the height of the foreclosure crisis in 2010 and mortgage demand has dropped to

www.forbes.com

This was March 4th of 2025 from Forbes:

Experts say that the combination of high mortgage rates, inflated home values and scarce inventory suggest that 2024 could remain a challenging year for the housing market.

“With mortgage rates at the highest level since the early 2000s and affordability at a record low, many potential buyers are priced out of the market or unwilling to buy a home in fears of home-price declines,” says Selma Hepp, deputy chief economist at CoreLogic.

On top of that, Hepp says many people who bought their house over the past two years and locked in ultra-low mortgage rates are unlikely to move anytime soon, putting additional strain on available inventory.

The Federal Reserve Is Slowing the Housing Market
The rise in mortgage interest rates is due, in part, to the efforts of the Federal Reserve to tamp down inflation, which began surging in 2021 and hit a 40-year high of over 9% in June 2022.

Federal policymakers have raised the federal funds rate—the benchmark interest rate that indirectly influences mortgage rates—11 times since March 2022 at the most aggressive pace since the 1980s.

Though the Fed paused rate hikes the past two meetings and Fed watchers believe this signals that rate increases are over, elevated rates are likely to persist, at least for the near term.

“Despite the pause, the Fed remains committed to achieving a 2% inflation rate and has signaled that [it] will not cut interest rates anytime soon,” said Dr. Lisa Sturtevant, chief economist at Bright MLS.

In the meantime, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell stated at a recent conference that if it becomes clear that the Fed’s policy is not sufficiently restrictive to bring inflation down to a sustainable 2% rate, policymakers “will not hesitate” to hike rates again.

 

[Zoe]

Look at this in relationship to when inflation soared to over 9% and 40 year high according to Forbes, and the stimulus taxpayer money Trump gave out around March, 2020.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CARES_Act#cite_note-2"><span>[</span>b<span>]</span></a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CARES_Act#cite_note-3"><span>[</span>1<span>]</span></a> also known as the CARES Act,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CARES_Act#cite_note-ABC_News_Senate_scrambles-4"><span>[</span>2<span>]</span></a> is a $2.2 trillion economic stimulus bill passed by the 116th U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump on March 27, 2020, in response to the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United

Inflation, they say, was over 9% in 2021. Factor all that and what tariffs are doing to inflation now.

 

[Zoe]

Study this fact hard on how serious Federal Reserve Bank is on inflation.

Federal policymakers have raised the federal funds rate—the benchmark interest rate that indirectly influences mortgage rates—11 times since March 2022 at the most aggressive pace since the 1980s.
Inflation started under Trump's term and all the stimulus added to it when Trump gave out taxpayer money free to some.

Look at this chart:

Consumer Price Index Data from 1913 to 2025

The Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) is provided by the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistic and is used to measure inflation. The CPI is calculated and released monthly and powers this site's always-current Inflation Calculator, among other things. The government agency last updated...

www.usinflationcalculator.com

Inflation is directly related to money supply. The Federal Reserve bank fed funds rate to banks directly impacts money supply and inflation.

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

Last count it was 2 against 10,

2-9. But a high percent of economists are for lowering the rate and Powell has the upper hand and few will challenge his decision. The fact even 2 did is testimony to the pressure to lower the rates. And Powell has demonstrated his propensity to delay raising or lowering rates until it was well past the point a change should have been made. But he will be gone in May. No doubt of that.

 

[Bobby Bucks]

Did the Federal Reserve start on Jekyll Island?


AI Overview

Yes, the groundwork for the Federal Reserve was laid during a secret meeting on Jekyll Island, Georgia, in 1910. A group of prominent bankers and politicians, led by Senator Nelson Aldrich, gathered at the Jekyll Island Club to devise a plan for reforming the nation's banking system. This meeting, kept secret at the time, resulted in a draft of legislation that eventually became the Federal Reserve Act of 1913.

Here's a more detailed explanation:

• The Secret Meeting:
  In November 1910, a select group of influential figures, including Senator Nelson Aldrich, met at the Jekyll Island Club under the guise of a duck hunting trip.
  
  
• The Purpose:
  Their real purpose was to address the recurring financial panics and instability of the US banking system.
  
  
• The Outcome:
  The meeting resulted in a draft plan for a central banking system, which would eventually become the Federal Reserve.
  
  
• Secrecy and Revelation:
  The meeting was kept secret for years, and its significance wasn't widely known until after the Federal Reserve Act was passed in 1913.
  
  
• Key Participants:
  The group included prominent figures like Paul Warburg, Henry Davison, and Frank Vanderlip.

 

[Bobby Bucks]

The criminal Powell will speak Friday in Jackson Hole. A hawkish statement could inflict more damage, too much power for one elitist within a band of corrupt elitists to possess.

 

[Zoe]

2-9. But a high percent of economists are for lowering the rate and Powell has the upper hand and few will challenge his decision. The fact even 2 did is testimony to the pressure to lower the rates. And Powell has demonstrated his propensity to delay raising or lowering rates until it was well past the point a change should have been made. But he will be gone in May. No doubt of that.

I think he is just a figurehead. He has probably economist from very elite colleges with doctorate degrees. Powell is just figurehead.

Get rid of him and you will still have the same economists calling the shots with data to prove why.

Trump knows that. Don't shoot the messenger. Inflation is only thing tying the Fed's hands from moving.

If unemployment grows big time, it will have impact on inflaton and money supply. I have heard something about another stimulus payment. That won't help inflation.

The rise in consumer price index even shocked some of the elite economists, I think.

The two main factors the Fed Reserve bank look at are employment and inflation. They believe a 2% inflation rate is perfect for a healthy economy. Employment numbers play a big role also.

 

[Zoe]

This is good site to study employment numbers:

Civilian unemployment rate

www.bls.gov

It looks like unemployment may be ticking a little higher. It is a bunch of charts on that site. They have employment rates broke down in many categories.

 

[Mark K]

The criminal Powell will speak Friday in Jackson Hole. A hawkish statement could inflict more damage, too much power for one elitist within a band of corrupt elitists to possess.

Who would you prefer to be in charge of the nation's money supply? An elected politician/s trying to get re-elected? Biden and his criminal cartel? Nando?