Fed;s Waller: Forward guidance can be a valuable tool that has strengthened policymaking
In his prepared remarks, Fed's Waller said:
- Forward guidance remains a valuable monetary policy tool when used under the right circumstances.
- Forward guidance can strengthen monetary policy transmission by influencing financial conditions before actual policy rate changes occur.
- When it works, forward guidance can change economic conditions more quickly than adjusting the policy rate alone.
- Forward guidance should remain part of the Fed's policy toolkit and continue to be used when appropriate.
- The Fed's late-2021 experience showed the drawbacks of inflexible guidance.
- Guidance helped push market interest rates higher ahead of actual Fed rate hikes.
- However, it also constrained policymakers by effectively committing them to waiting until March 2022 before raising rates.
- There are times when forward guidance hinders rather than helps monetary policy.
- Forward guidance is less useful when multiple economic outcomes are equally likely, as it can reduce the Fed's flexibility to respond to changing conditions.
- The Fed continues to face a difficult trade-off between inflation risks and risks to employment.
- Policy guidance must remain flexible. If it is too rigid, it can impede effective policy transmission.
- In some situations, it is better for the Fed not to use forward guidance at all rather than risk limiting its ability to respond to evolving economic conditions.
- Waller did not offer any views on the current policy outlook or signal his expectations for future interest rate decisions in these prepared remarks.
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