A continuation of the current policy of bond purchases known as quantitative easing is highly probable under Janet Yellen, who is likely to be confirmed as the successor to Federal Reserve chair Ben Bernanke. The authors assess the probable outcomes for interest rates, which they think will not...

The three puzzles these authors address suggest that managing the world economy may become more difficult in the coming year. Low bond yields, the good performance of euro stocks, and the broadening of retail investors into nontraditional assets have raised more questions than answers. These...