"The problem that has been ailing capital markets and, by extension, the economy has not been the fed funds rate. It has been and remains risk aversion and uncertainty about counterparty risk and capital adequacy." ; Remarks before the Money Marketeers of New York University, New York City,...

The U.S. Treasury and the Federal Reserve System have long enjoyed a close relationship, each helping the other to carry out certain statutory responsibilities. This relationship proved beneficial during the 2008-09 financial crisis, when the Treasury altered its cash management practices to...

Presented by Charles I. Plosser, President and Chief Executive Officer, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, William E. Simon Graduate School of Business, University of Rochester, 30th Annual Economic Outlook Seminar, December 2, 2008

In the financial crisis that began in August 2007, securitization activity virtually dried up. When the housing bubble burst, the value of the collateral backing much of the asset-backed securities (ABS) declined sharply, and so did the value of the securities themselves. The Federal Reserve...