1 00:00:06,160 --> 00:00:09,360 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to Odd Lots. I'm Tracy Alloway, Executive 2 00:00:09,440 --> 00:00:13,319 Speaker 1: editor at Bloomberg Markets, and I'm Joe Wisenthal, Managing editor 3 00:00:13,360 --> 00:00:17,639 Speaker 1: at Bloomberg Markets. So, Joe, um, you know, eight times 4 00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:20,760 Speaker 1: a year, markets kind of go through this ritual where 5 00:00:20,800 --> 00:00:25,040 Speaker 1: we have policymakers from the Federal Reserve meeting to discuss 6 00:00:25,280 --> 00:00:29,880 Speaker 1: US monetary policy. And today is actually one of those days. Yeah, 7 00:00:30,040 --> 00:00:33,560 Speaker 1: so I'm partial to Jobs Day every month, non farm 8 00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:36,720 Speaker 1: pay Day, first Friday every month is my favorite day. 9 00:00:36,920 --> 00:00:39,720 Speaker 1: You know, It's like the Super Bowl twelve times a year. 10 00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:42,640 Speaker 1: It's my favorite day. But in terms of excitement, the 11 00:00:43,120 --> 00:00:46,680 Speaker 1: next closest day for me has to be obviously the 12 00:00:46,760 --> 00:00:49,680 Speaker 1: eight times a year that the FED meets and decides 13 00:00:49,760 --> 00:00:53,960 Speaker 1: what it's gonna do with monetary policy. And we're recording 14 00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:58,720 Speaker 1: this on UM. Today is June fifteenth, so it's a 15 00:00:58,760 --> 00:01:01,360 Speaker 1: Federal Reserved day. We were or to get before the decision, 16 00:01:01,400 --> 00:01:04,319 Speaker 1: so we don't know what's gonna come after, but today 17 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:08,520 Speaker 1: we're going to talk about Federal Reserve and monetary policy. 18 00:01:08,520 --> 00:01:13,440 Speaker 1: A book from a slightly broader perspective, right, so you 19 00:01:13,440 --> 00:01:16,680 Speaker 1: know what happens on FED days, Right, Everyone goes kind 20 00:01:16,720 --> 00:01:19,360 Speaker 1: of nuts. We have all the economists piling in making 21 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:22,560 Speaker 1: their predictions and then analyzing what actually happens. We have 22 00:01:22,640 --> 00:01:28,600 Speaker 1: investors who are potentially repositioning their portfolios, analysts, the media. 23 00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:32,640 Speaker 1: It's all anyone can ever talk about. But was this 24 00:01:32,840 --> 00:01:36,640 Speaker 1: always the case, or was this degree of FED watching? 25 00:01:36,920 --> 00:01:39,840 Speaker 1: You know, something relatively new that happened only in the 26 00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:42,479 Speaker 1: past few years. We are going to speak with one 27 00:01:42,520 --> 00:01:54,600 Speaker 1: of our all time favorite FED watchers to discuss We 28 00:01:54,680 --> 00:01:59,040 Speaker 1: are here with Tim Dewey. He's professor at the University 29 00:01:59,080 --> 00:02:04,200 Speaker 1: of Oregon, writes a fantastic blog basically devoted to watching 30 00:02:04,200 --> 00:02:06,360 Speaker 1: the FED, and Tim is in studio with us. So 31 00:02:07,320 --> 00:02:09,600 Speaker 1: welcome Tim, doing well, Thank you very much for having 32 00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:11,240 Speaker 1: me today. It's a great day in New York and 33 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:13,519 Speaker 1: I have been having a great time. Thank you. So 34 00:02:13,760 --> 00:02:15,919 Speaker 1: let's talk about the beginning right now, or let's take 35 00:02:15,919 --> 00:02:18,359 Speaker 1: it from the beginning, because we know that FED Day 36 00:02:18,440 --> 00:02:22,440 Speaker 1: is this huge, essentially market holiday, and there's everyone tries 37 00:02:22,520 --> 00:02:25,560 Speaker 1: to pick a part the FED statement and look at 38 00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:27,720 Speaker 1: every word and try to figure out what it means 39 00:02:27,760 --> 00:02:30,240 Speaker 1: and the dots in the press conference. But was it 40 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:34,960 Speaker 1: always like that? It has become more involved over time. 41 00:02:35,160 --> 00:02:38,120 Speaker 1: I started doing this back in the late ninety nineties, 42 00:02:38,680 --> 00:02:41,160 Speaker 1: and at that point in time, it was it was 43 00:02:41,160 --> 00:02:44,720 Speaker 1: still a big deal, but it wasn't the circus that 44 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:48,720 Speaker 1: is today, especially because we didn't have statements that were 45 00:02:48,800 --> 00:02:52,280 Speaker 1: usually as as extensive, we didn't have a press conference 46 00:02:52,320 --> 00:02:57,560 Speaker 1: to work with h And I think that over the 47 00:02:57,560 --> 00:03:00,440 Speaker 1: period that I've been looking at it, well, another issue 48 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:02,680 Speaker 1: is that the monetary policy has become such a more 49 00:03:02,720 --> 00:03:06,639 Speaker 1: important part of the economy. As we've transitioned away from, 50 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:10,160 Speaker 1: you know, less and less using fiscal policy as a 51 00:03:10,160 --> 00:03:12,960 Speaker 1: as a stabilization tool, a lot of more emphasis has 52 00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:15,880 Speaker 1: been put on the federals serve as as a stabilizer 53 00:03:16,440 --> 00:03:19,919 Speaker 1: for for economic activity. So over that period of time, 54 00:03:19,960 --> 00:03:22,079 Speaker 1: I think definitely, yes, we have seen much much more 55 00:03:22,120 --> 00:03:26,600 Speaker 1: interest in the subject. And was there a moment where 56 00:03:26,639 --> 00:03:30,000 Speaker 1: you kind of realized to yourself that fed watching had 57 00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:35,440 Speaker 1: become a thing? Uh? Maybe when I started doing it 58 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:38,720 Speaker 1: as a job, was the was the time I thought 59 00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:41,800 Speaker 1: it became a thing? You know? Uh? Again, because I've 60 00:03:41,800 --> 00:03:44,520 Speaker 1: been doing it for for quite a while, I've been 61 00:03:44,560 --> 00:03:48,360 Speaker 1: able to see it build and evolve over time, And 62 00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:51,960 Speaker 1: so for me, there was no one sharp break that 63 00:03:52,080 --> 00:03:56,160 Speaker 1: it became much more interesting. Although I would say that 64 00:03:56,240 --> 00:04:00,000 Speaker 1: during the financial crisis, uh, it certainly rose in prominent. 65 00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:02,680 Speaker 1: It's a great deal because it wasn't then just about 66 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:06,080 Speaker 1: interest rates. That's when you went down the road of 67 00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:09,520 Speaker 1: the alphabet soup of of lending facilities to help ease 68 00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:12,120 Speaker 1: the financial crisis, for example, you went down the realm 69 00:04:12,120 --> 00:04:15,680 Speaker 1: of quantitative easing. Uh So, so the nature of the 70 00:04:15,720 --> 00:04:19,040 Speaker 1: game did change, I think dramatically at that point. Became 71 00:04:19,120 --> 00:04:21,920 Speaker 1: somewhat more complex too, and you did more direct forward 72 00:04:21,920 --> 00:04:26,080 Speaker 1: guidance uh to the markets. And so sometime within the 73 00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:29,240 Speaker 1: last since the financial crisis, I do think there has 74 00:04:29,279 --> 00:04:33,040 Speaker 1: been a market increase in the attention that we give 75 00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:35,360 Speaker 1: to the Federal Reserve, and and a lot of that's 76 00:04:35,400 --> 00:04:37,640 Speaker 1: just due to the broader scope of the activities that 77 00:04:37,720 --> 00:04:42,840 Speaker 1: it's engaged in. So let's get down to specifics you mentioned. Uh. 78 00:04:42,880 --> 00:04:46,560 Speaker 1: You know, the actual Fed statements are longer today than 79 00:04:46,600 --> 00:04:48,280 Speaker 1: they used to be. There's more words in them. Then 80 00:04:48,279 --> 00:04:51,120 Speaker 1: they're all these following things. When you first started off, 81 00:04:51,160 --> 00:04:55,360 Speaker 1: obviously there weren't press conferences. What do you see as 82 00:04:55,560 --> 00:05:00,159 Speaker 1: having been the most significant changes to the job of 83 00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:03,320 Speaker 1: watching the Fed over the time, and what do you 84 00:05:03,360 --> 00:05:05,160 Speaker 1: make of those changes? Have they been for the better 85 00:05:05,200 --> 00:05:09,120 Speaker 1: or worse? Generally? I think they've been for the better, 86 00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:12,280 Speaker 1: a couple of big changes. When I started doing this, 87 00:05:12,440 --> 00:05:16,159 Speaker 1: Alan Greenspan was was the chair, and it was I 88 00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:18,720 Speaker 1: felt that was a very different environment in a number 89 00:05:18,720 --> 00:05:21,080 Speaker 1: of respects, one of which is I thought really had 90 00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:23,120 Speaker 1: to pay much more attention to the governors which were 91 00:05:23,120 --> 00:05:25,840 Speaker 1: speaking more frequently. Plus you had to recognize that that 92 00:05:25,880 --> 00:05:30,200 Speaker 1: Alan Greenspan was having a very large driving influence on 93 00:05:30,240 --> 00:05:33,839 Speaker 1: the direction of policy. So in some sense that made 94 00:05:34,040 --> 00:05:35,960 Speaker 1: made a little bit easier. I know that there's this 95 00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:40,560 Speaker 1: view that Alan Greenspan is fairly opaque to understand, but 96 00:05:40,839 --> 00:05:43,039 Speaker 1: it made it easier in the fact in the in 97 00:05:43,080 --> 00:05:44,800 Speaker 1: the idea that you only had one person you had 98 00:05:44,839 --> 00:05:48,960 Speaker 1: to understand UH. And so so that was something we 99 00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:51,360 Speaker 1: lived with for quite a while. And that's something that 100 00:05:51,440 --> 00:05:55,120 Speaker 1: I think has changed quite dramatically since the bernanke fed 101 00:05:55,440 --> 00:05:57,800 Speaker 1: UH and the Yelling fed is that we do have 102 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:01,720 Speaker 1: a lot more speaking on the part of the president's UH. 103 00:06:01,760 --> 00:06:03,960 Speaker 1: There seems to be a lot more influence from some 104 00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:06,920 Speaker 1: presidents than that maybe I had since in the past. UH. 105 00:06:06,960 --> 00:06:08,560 Speaker 1: And you know, Another issue is that we don't have 106 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:11,440 Speaker 1: as many governors talking as as part of that because 107 00:06:11,480 --> 00:06:13,839 Speaker 1: we haven't had as many governors has been understaff for 108 00:06:13,839 --> 00:06:16,000 Speaker 1: for for quite some time, we don't seem to have 109 00:06:16,040 --> 00:06:19,839 Speaker 1: the the the governor speaking as much as they used 110 00:06:19,880 --> 00:06:23,320 Speaker 1: to about policy, and that I think is something that 111 00:06:23,440 --> 00:06:27,600 Speaker 1: is um that's something that's lost. I very much value 112 00:06:27,640 --> 00:06:31,599 Speaker 1: that that core of the committee coming public on a 113 00:06:31,680 --> 00:06:36,080 Speaker 1: frequent basis with their views as a guiding direction for 114 00:06:36,120 --> 00:06:38,400 Speaker 1: the for for policy. And so what to what do 115 00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:42,000 Speaker 1: you attribute that flip? So, just for those who aren't 116 00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:44,599 Speaker 1: familiar with that, the presidents are the presidents of the 117 00:06:44,640 --> 00:06:47,760 Speaker 1: regional federal reserve banks. The governors are in d C. 118 00:06:48,360 --> 00:06:50,600 Speaker 1: And you said it used to be the governors talked more. 119 00:06:50,960 --> 00:06:53,159 Speaker 1: Now we hear a lot more from the president. When 120 00:06:53,200 --> 00:06:55,960 Speaker 1: did that change? And why is that? It seemed that 121 00:06:56,000 --> 00:07:00,160 Speaker 1: it changed? For me, what I started to recognize it 122 00:07:00,200 --> 00:07:03,840 Speaker 1: was sometime between that transition between the Greenspans FED and 123 00:07:04,040 --> 00:07:06,800 Speaker 1: the Bernankee FED, where I thought that really that the 124 00:07:06,960 --> 00:07:11,240 Speaker 1: voice from from the um the governors was becoming much 125 00:07:11,360 --> 00:07:15,560 Speaker 1: much more distant. And why did that happen? I think 126 00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:19,800 Speaker 1: that the governors now do not necessarily view that as 127 00:07:19,960 --> 00:07:23,080 Speaker 1: as important part of their job as maybe the governors 128 00:07:23,120 --> 00:07:27,440 Speaker 1: did in the past, that that public outreach aspect of 129 00:07:27,480 --> 00:07:30,680 Speaker 1: it is something in some sense they seem to be 130 00:07:30,720 --> 00:07:32,920 Speaker 1: leaving to many of the FED presidents rather than taking 131 00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:35,960 Speaker 1: them on on themselves. It might also be because they 132 00:07:35,960 --> 00:07:39,840 Speaker 1: don't want to seem as to be guiding policy, as 133 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:42,400 Speaker 1: you know, in the open as much as maybe they 134 00:07:42,400 --> 00:07:44,960 Speaker 1: are in the background. So it sounds like you have 135 00:07:45,120 --> 00:07:49,040 Speaker 1: this cacophony of FED voices. Now you also have a 136 00:07:49,200 --> 00:07:52,680 Speaker 1: sort of a balance of power lacking in the form 137 00:07:52,720 --> 00:07:56,160 Speaker 1: of the governors. You have all these new monetary stimulus 138 00:07:56,200 --> 00:07:59,360 Speaker 1: measures that were announced since the crisis. F MC statements 139 00:07:59,360 --> 00:08:02,240 Speaker 1: are getting long or does that make the job of 140 00:08:02,360 --> 00:08:05,600 Speaker 1: FED watching more difficult? And what can you do to 141 00:08:05,720 --> 00:08:10,040 Speaker 1: try to cut through all that noise nowadays? I do 142 00:08:10,120 --> 00:08:13,080 Speaker 1: think it makes the job more difficult. Like I said earlier, 143 00:08:13,080 --> 00:08:15,360 Speaker 1: when we just had Alan Greenspan to worry about, that 144 00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:18,640 Speaker 1: made it I think much easier. But now you really 145 00:08:18,640 --> 00:08:21,800 Speaker 1: do have to look at each speech, look at each 146 00:08:21,840 --> 00:08:25,880 Speaker 1: president and see if they are making statements that are 147 00:08:25,920 --> 00:08:28,680 Speaker 1: reasonably consistent with the rest of the group, and if 148 00:08:28,720 --> 00:08:32,040 Speaker 1: they're not reasonably consistent. You have to then decide is 149 00:08:32,080 --> 00:08:33,960 Speaker 1: this something we should just throw out or is this 150 00:08:34,040 --> 00:08:37,240 Speaker 1: something that's going to be a you know, the way 151 00:08:37,240 --> 00:08:40,240 Speaker 1: of the future, a change in policy. And it takes 152 00:08:40,280 --> 00:08:42,600 Speaker 1: a lot of work to go through these speeches on 153 00:08:42,640 --> 00:08:46,880 Speaker 1: a regular basis and understand where everybody is positioned. And 154 00:08:46,960 --> 00:08:50,960 Speaker 1: that's you know, I think an increasingly large challenge for 155 00:08:50,960 --> 00:08:55,360 Speaker 1: for for FED watching in general, and may involve that 156 00:08:55,480 --> 00:08:58,920 Speaker 1: may reflect some of the confusion that that market participants 157 00:08:58,920 --> 00:09:01,520 Speaker 1: seem to have about what is the FED really think? 158 00:09:01,640 --> 00:09:05,360 Speaker 1: What is the Fed's fundamental reaction function? Because we're having 159 00:09:05,400 --> 00:09:08,959 Speaker 1: a hard time piecing it together from all the individual talks, right, 160 00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:11,400 Speaker 1: I mean, that's sort of like this big picture question 161 00:09:11,400 --> 00:09:14,120 Speaker 1: because obviously the FED communicates in all these new ways. 162 00:09:14,160 --> 00:09:17,400 Speaker 1: So there's a press conference and there wasn't one before, 163 00:09:17,480 --> 00:09:21,920 Speaker 1: and there's the dot plot and that's an innovation, and um, 164 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:25,680 Speaker 1: then there's all this talk, but it still doesn't feel 165 00:09:25,880 --> 00:09:30,440 Speaker 1: as though the market or anybody really knows what the 166 00:09:30,480 --> 00:09:33,920 Speaker 1: FED cares about, what its target, what what as as 167 00:09:34,120 --> 00:09:37,560 Speaker 1: people put it, its reaction function. So does that mean 168 00:09:37,600 --> 00:09:41,719 Speaker 1: that it's not accomplishing all this extra communication, that it's 169 00:09:41,760 --> 00:09:44,280 Speaker 1: not accomplishing what it's supposed to. I think Joe is 170 00:09:44,320 --> 00:09:46,840 Speaker 1: trying to ask nicely, if you think the FEDS communication 171 00:09:46,960 --> 00:09:51,120 Speaker 1: is effective? No, that's right, Um, I think it's or 172 00:09:51,240 --> 00:09:54,800 Speaker 1: counter effective and like that, not just not effective, but 173 00:09:55,000 --> 00:09:59,959 Speaker 1: that all all these things explicitly designed to prove clear 174 00:10:00,120 --> 00:10:04,720 Speaker 1: they are having the opposite effect. Well, that's the problem 175 00:10:04,760 --> 00:10:07,040 Speaker 1: is the more you try to clarify what you don't know, 176 00:10:07,280 --> 00:10:09,280 Speaker 1: the more it's revealed that you don't really know what 177 00:10:09,320 --> 00:10:11,719 Speaker 1: the future is. And they think that's what we've been 178 00:10:11,760 --> 00:10:18,000 Speaker 1: falling into is these intense efforts of clarification, really, um, 179 00:10:18,920 --> 00:10:21,560 Speaker 1: are revealing that the FED doesn't have as much better 180 00:10:21,600 --> 00:10:25,079 Speaker 1: idea about the future as any of us. And I 181 00:10:25,280 --> 00:10:28,600 Speaker 1: like to think that creates a more real environment in 182 00:10:28,640 --> 00:10:33,880 Speaker 1: some sense where we recognize that what what what the 183 00:10:33,880 --> 00:10:36,079 Speaker 1: FED things are going to do and what they actually 184 00:10:36,120 --> 00:10:38,320 Speaker 1: do are very different things because they don't really know 185 00:10:38,400 --> 00:10:40,559 Speaker 1: what the economy is going to do. And it's very 186 00:10:40,600 --> 00:10:43,920 Speaker 1: difficult to uh in that environment when they're actually being 187 00:10:43,960 --> 00:10:46,400 Speaker 1: much more open about that, to say, Okay, here's what 188 00:10:46,440 --> 00:10:48,720 Speaker 1: they said. Why aren't they doing what they said? Well, 189 00:10:48,760 --> 00:10:51,880 Speaker 1: you really have to go backwards and say what's going on? 190 00:10:51,920 --> 00:10:53,880 Speaker 1: In the in the economy that that pulls it together. 191 00:10:54,160 --> 00:10:57,760 Speaker 1: So um has this made it less effective of a 192 00:10:57,800 --> 00:11:01,880 Speaker 1: communication strategy? It depends what their ultimate goal is. Right, 193 00:11:02,080 --> 00:11:05,319 Speaker 1: If the ultimate goal of the communication strategy was to 194 00:11:05,559 --> 00:11:07,960 Speaker 1: make it clear where interest rates are going to be, 195 00:11:08,880 --> 00:11:11,920 Speaker 1: it's not particularly effective because they can't know it that 196 00:11:11,960 --> 00:11:15,760 Speaker 1: in advance, and efforts to try to pretend like they 197 00:11:15,800 --> 00:11:18,600 Speaker 1: know it in advance have not been very effective. And 198 00:11:18,640 --> 00:11:20,719 Speaker 1: so that's where I think the communication strategy really kinds 199 00:11:20,720 --> 00:11:24,000 Speaker 1: of falls apart, is when they started insinuate that they 200 00:11:24,040 --> 00:11:26,200 Speaker 1: have a very good idea of where interest rates are 201 00:11:26,240 --> 00:11:29,520 Speaker 1: going to be and and they can't get there. But 202 00:11:29,840 --> 00:11:34,800 Speaker 1: and so another possible goal are actually arguably the real 203 00:11:34,840 --> 00:11:37,839 Speaker 1: goal of the FED is to have full employment and 204 00:11:38,160 --> 00:11:43,440 Speaker 1: stable prices. And so sure, sometimes market participants might complain 205 00:11:43,480 --> 00:11:44,680 Speaker 1: it's like, oh, we don't know what the FED is 206 00:11:44,679 --> 00:11:47,760 Speaker 1: gonna do, but perhaps that shouldn't be the measure by 207 00:11:47,760 --> 00:11:50,040 Speaker 1: which we judge the FED, and we should measure them. 208 00:11:50,200 --> 00:11:52,880 Speaker 1: And you know, unemployment rate has come down a lot 209 00:11:52,880 --> 00:11:56,440 Speaker 1: since the financial crisis, and arguably inflate prices have been 210 00:11:56,520 --> 00:12:00,439 Speaker 1: quite stable, so judged by those metrics, maybe it's all working. 211 00:12:00,600 --> 00:12:04,200 Speaker 1: That's that's I think an excellent point is what do 212 00:12:04,240 --> 00:12:05,960 Speaker 1: we expect the Federal Reserve to do? Well? It's not 213 00:12:05,960 --> 00:12:09,679 Speaker 1: necessary to hold our hands through every FED meeting. We 214 00:12:09,720 --> 00:12:12,400 Speaker 1: expect the Federal Reserve to deliver on its mandates of 215 00:12:12,559 --> 00:12:16,040 Speaker 1: stable prices and full employment. And the extent that we're 216 00:12:16,080 --> 00:12:20,600 Speaker 1: moving in that direction, UM quite well in many metrics, 217 00:12:20,800 --> 00:12:24,160 Speaker 1: by many metrics. Is it really a siinus success for 218 00:12:24,200 --> 00:12:27,720 Speaker 1: the institution? And the fact that maybe we don't always 219 00:12:27,800 --> 00:12:31,560 Speaker 1: get what the next interest rate UM call is going 220 00:12:31,600 --> 00:12:34,240 Speaker 1: to be, we don't always get that right. That's not 221 00:12:34,480 --> 00:12:38,320 Speaker 1: necessarily a problem for the FED UM or for the 222 00:12:38,360 --> 00:12:41,240 Speaker 1: economy as a whole. It's certainly a problem for you know, 223 00:12:41,280 --> 00:12:44,600 Speaker 1: maybe market participants that that that have to worry about that, 224 00:12:44,840 --> 00:12:47,480 Speaker 1: But that's not what we should be caring about as 225 00:12:47,480 --> 00:12:51,360 Speaker 1: an eventual outcome of the FED tim We haven't actually 226 00:12:51,720 --> 00:12:54,920 Speaker 1: talked about this much. But you are based in Oregon, 227 00:12:55,160 --> 00:12:59,760 Speaker 1: whereas the vast majority of FED watchers are usually on 228 00:12:59,800 --> 00:13:03,280 Speaker 1: the East coast. Um does that influence the way you 229 00:13:03,320 --> 00:13:07,040 Speaker 1: work at all or how you analyze the Central Bank? Well? 230 00:13:07,080 --> 00:13:12,480 Speaker 1: I think it has to two advantages. One is most 231 00:13:12,559 --> 00:13:14,200 Speaker 1: of the news or a lot of news will come 232 00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:16,080 Speaker 1: out at eight thirty in the morning when these data 233 00:13:16,120 --> 00:13:18,120 Speaker 1: points are released, and maybe I'm just rolling out of 234 00:13:18,120 --> 00:13:20,320 Speaker 1: bed at that point because it's five thirty on the 235 00:13:20,320 --> 00:13:23,920 Speaker 1: West coast. UH. And the advantage there is that I'm 236 00:13:23,920 --> 00:13:26,480 Speaker 1: not forced to be instant pundent quite as much. I 237 00:13:26,520 --> 00:13:30,560 Speaker 1: get to digest maybe the information for a little bit 238 00:13:30,600 --> 00:13:33,280 Speaker 1: longer before I'm able to comment or think about it. 239 00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:37,760 Speaker 1: Another advantage is being outside the fray a little bit 240 00:13:37,960 --> 00:13:42,840 Speaker 1: where I can take maybe a different perspective than UH. 241 00:13:43,440 --> 00:13:46,280 Speaker 1: Then I'm not getting this sort of I'm not fed 242 00:13:46,360 --> 00:13:49,040 Speaker 1: with the chatter, constant chatter in the background that might 243 00:13:49,080 --> 00:13:52,959 Speaker 1: be influencing the way we sort of turned into group think, right, 244 00:13:53,000 --> 00:13:55,960 Speaker 1: we start to develop a group thank if we're all 245 00:13:56,400 --> 00:13:58,480 Speaker 1: talking about the same thing a lot, and I get 246 00:13:58,520 --> 00:14:02,680 Speaker 1: pulled away from that because I'm as um engaged or 247 00:14:02,760 --> 00:14:06,960 Speaker 1: exposed to you know that that that aspect of the job. 248 00:14:07,200 --> 00:14:10,120 Speaker 1: So I think those are two advantages that the disadvantages 249 00:14:10,440 --> 00:14:12,920 Speaker 1: just being a little bit further away from from the 250 00:14:13,640 --> 00:14:16,120 Speaker 1: from the action, UH and not having quite as much 251 00:14:16,120 --> 00:14:20,720 Speaker 1: of that um constant dated day UH chatter in the background. 252 00:14:20,960 --> 00:14:24,160 Speaker 1: Here's another question, Tracy, and I as anyone who's listened 253 00:14:24,160 --> 00:14:26,600 Speaker 1: to this podcast for a long time. Have a real 254 00:14:26,680 --> 00:14:31,440 Speaker 1: soft spot for bloggers, uh and people who have made 255 00:14:31,440 --> 00:14:34,240 Speaker 1: a name for themselves in a different route. I started 256 00:14:34,240 --> 00:14:37,040 Speaker 1: following you because of your blog and you know, this 257 00:14:37,280 --> 00:14:42,200 Speaker 1: um resource that exists outside of most media institutions that 258 00:14:42,640 --> 00:14:46,600 Speaker 1: produced is such a top knowledge work. How significant has 259 00:14:46,640 --> 00:14:50,320 Speaker 1: that been for you in your career? Uh, to have 260 00:14:50,640 --> 00:14:53,240 Speaker 1: built this outlet that people come to and you know, 261 00:14:53,240 --> 00:14:54,880 Speaker 1: in terms of making a name for yourself. For me, 262 00:14:54,960 --> 00:14:59,480 Speaker 1: it's been very significant. I was very very lucky to 263 00:14:59,600 --> 00:15:03,280 Speaker 1: be able to really re engage in this this policy 264 00:15:03,280 --> 00:15:06,760 Speaker 1: debate after moving back to Oregon. I think we've been 265 00:15:06,880 --> 00:15:09,400 Speaker 1: very very difficult to to end up back in this 266 00:15:09,440 --> 00:15:11,800 Speaker 1: position had I not had the outlet of the blog. 267 00:15:12,160 --> 00:15:14,080 Speaker 1: And for that I think, uh, you know my fellow 268 00:15:14,080 --> 00:15:17,960 Speaker 1: blogger Mark Toma for starting his Economist Few blog and 269 00:15:18,280 --> 00:15:21,960 Speaker 1: me being able to write on that. So I have 270 00:15:21,960 --> 00:15:24,680 Speaker 1: a question. The more we talk about FED watching, the 271 00:15:24,680 --> 00:15:27,080 Speaker 1: more I kind of get this vision of a bunch 272 00:15:27,120 --> 00:15:31,120 Speaker 1: of economists with binoculars like looking at the Central Bank, 273 00:15:31,200 --> 00:15:33,480 Speaker 1: like the way bird watchers kind of look at birds. 274 00:15:34,040 --> 00:15:38,880 Speaker 1: What's been the most exciting bit of FED watching? What 275 00:15:38,960 --> 00:15:41,240 Speaker 1: was the most exciting day for you. You've done this 276 00:15:41,280 --> 00:15:43,240 Speaker 1: for many, many years now, there has to be one 277 00:15:43,280 --> 00:15:47,160 Speaker 1: that kind of sticks out in your mind. Wow, there's 278 00:15:47,320 --> 00:15:50,720 Speaker 1: so many that stick out over the years, like then 279 00:15:50,800 --> 00:15:53,800 Speaker 1: the the financial crisis, there are so many days in 280 00:15:53,840 --> 00:15:56,400 Speaker 1: there where we just had no idea what the FED 281 00:15:56,520 --> 00:15:59,600 Speaker 1: was going to do next. UM And and so that 282 00:15:59,680 --> 00:16:02,720 Speaker 1: was the was certainly a very exciting part point of time. 283 00:16:03,160 --> 00:16:08,280 Speaker 1: UM last last fall when Governor Lyle Brainerd started coming 284 00:16:08,360 --> 00:16:13,000 Speaker 1: on the scene much more aggressively worrying about the international aspects. 285 00:16:13,040 --> 00:16:14,760 Speaker 1: Though it was a very exciting time for me in 286 00:16:15,280 --> 00:16:19,720 Speaker 1: recent history of just something very different going on at 287 00:16:19,720 --> 00:16:23,320 Speaker 1: the FED that people weren't paying attention to. Uh So, 288 00:16:23,320 --> 00:16:26,640 Speaker 1: so in recent history that's that UM. In in past 289 00:16:26,720 --> 00:16:29,400 Speaker 1: history or in in during the financial crisis, there are 290 00:16:29,400 --> 00:16:31,160 Speaker 1: so many days of you know, we're going to cut 291 00:16:31,240 --> 00:16:35,280 Speaker 1: rates fifty basis points out of nowhere that really resonate 292 00:16:35,520 --> 00:16:38,480 Speaker 1: UM in my mind. So it's a hard question for me, Tracy, 293 00:16:38,560 --> 00:16:41,040 Speaker 1: because there's so many of these things that that really 294 00:16:41,080 --> 00:16:43,720 Speaker 1: stick in my memory now as being really prominent days. 295 00:16:43,720 --> 00:16:48,200 Speaker 1: And I don't want to say my life, but let's 296 00:16:48,320 --> 00:16:51,400 Speaker 1: bring it forward to the current era of sort of 297 00:16:51,440 --> 00:16:54,000 Speaker 1: the FED and central banking. I feel we're at this point. 298 00:16:54,040 --> 00:16:57,960 Speaker 1: I mean, people have been critical of world central banks 299 00:16:58,480 --> 00:17:01,600 Speaker 1: quite a bit since the financial crisis, but of late, 300 00:17:01,800 --> 00:17:06,600 Speaker 1: we're seeing negative interest rates the sort of novel policy tool, 301 00:17:07,240 --> 00:17:10,320 Speaker 1: more and more central banks around the world. We're seeing 302 00:17:11,080 --> 00:17:14,040 Speaker 1: more and more people call for the FED to assume 303 00:17:14,240 --> 00:17:20,840 Speaker 1: a quasi fiscal role. Uh, whether it's explicitly funding monetization 304 00:17:21,000 --> 00:17:24,199 Speaker 1: of government spending. It feels like we're at sort of 305 00:17:24,240 --> 00:17:27,320 Speaker 1: this crossroads, or are at this point where people are 306 00:17:27,400 --> 00:17:30,960 Speaker 1: questioning whether the traditional tools as we knew them of 307 00:17:31,040 --> 00:17:33,800 Speaker 1: central banks are up to the task. How do you 308 00:17:33,840 --> 00:17:36,680 Speaker 1: feel about some of these big debates? It does do 309 00:17:36,960 --> 00:17:40,760 Speaker 1: central banks need to rethink their role in the world 310 00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:43,680 Speaker 1: economy and what they can do in order to help 311 00:17:43,720 --> 00:17:47,560 Speaker 1: the economy grow faster and have stable prices and all that. Right, 312 00:17:47,640 --> 00:17:52,040 Speaker 1: central banks are already really engaged in that process because 313 00:17:52,520 --> 00:17:55,880 Speaker 1: it's not about just interest rates anymore. For so many years, 314 00:17:55,960 --> 00:17:59,920 Speaker 1: it was just basis points up, basis points down, something 315 00:18:00,119 --> 00:18:02,320 Speaker 1: like that that was really guiding the general direction of 316 00:18:02,359 --> 00:18:06,280 Speaker 1: financial markets and economies. Uh, we don't have that world anymore, right, 317 00:18:06,400 --> 00:18:09,639 Speaker 1: So many countries are economies are nearer at the zero 318 00:18:09,640 --> 00:18:11,960 Speaker 1: bound or below it that they do have to be 319 00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:15,560 Speaker 1: engaged in different ways of thinking. And that's where we 320 00:18:15,600 --> 00:18:19,320 Speaker 1: saw what where quantitative easing came from. For example, UH 321 00:18:19,440 --> 00:18:22,240 Speaker 1: that we see in in in a number of central banks. 322 00:18:22,440 --> 00:18:27,080 Speaker 1: We see very aggressive actions on the Bank of Japan UH. 323 00:18:27,119 --> 00:18:30,560 Speaker 1: And one interesting, one interesting thing though, is that certainly 324 00:18:31,000 --> 00:18:32,879 Speaker 1: maybe some of these which we have thought in the 325 00:18:32,880 --> 00:18:35,679 Speaker 1: past would have been just crazy, you know, super aggressive 326 00:18:35,720 --> 00:18:39,679 Speaker 1: policies have not always yielded quite the aggressive impacts that 327 00:18:39,720 --> 00:18:43,439 Speaker 1: we would have thought, and that I think is showing 328 00:18:43,480 --> 00:18:47,280 Speaker 1: you something about the limits of monetary policy. I know 329 00:18:47,440 --> 00:18:50,960 Speaker 1: there's essentially two camps on this. One is that monetary 330 00:18:50,960 --> 00:18:53,160 Speaker 1: policy just needs to get easier, right. We we need 331 00:18:53,200 --> 00:18:55,440 Speaker 1: to push in the negative rates more deeply, we need 332 00:18:55,480 --> 00:18:58,560 Speaker 1: more quantitative ease, and we need better forward guidance, and 333 00:18:58,640 --> 00:19:01,280 Speaker 1: that's really the key. But the other camp I think 334 00:19:01,320 --> 00:19:05,480 Speaker 1: is is realistic here and that there's there's a real 335 00:19:05,600 --> 00:19:09,760 Speaker 1: need for fiscal policy that is more coordinated with the 336 00:19:09,800 --> 00:19:16,240 Speaker 1: monetary policy. Right, it's ten and you still have persistent 337 00:19:16,520 --> 00:19:19,679 Speaker 1: shortfalls of inflation targets pretty much everywhere in the world, 338 00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:23,080 Speaker 1: despite the fact that you know, we've had this QUEUEI 339 00:19:23,359 --> 00:19:26,760 Speaker 1: and all in several places tools which at the time 340 00:19:26,800 --> 00:19:30,040 Speaker 1: they were announced seemed very radical and people thought it 341 00:19:30,040 --> 00:19:32,919 Speaker 1: would be dramatic. So where do you fall on this? 342 00:19:33,359 --> 00:19:37,000 Speaker 1: Do you think that the industry, I guess really doesn't 343 00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:40,840 Speaker 1: require a rethink about how powerful it is, how powerful 344 00:19:40,920 --> 00:19:44,919 Speaker 1: it's tools can be. I think that that's correct. It 345 00:19:45,000 --> 00:19:47,760 Speaker 1: does have to rethink that, and I think it has 346 00:19:47,880 --> 00:19:52,000 Speaker 1: rethought that. Um And you see central bankers oftentimes saying 347 00:19:52,040 --> 00:19:54,800 Speaker 1: we could really use some more help from fiscal policy. 348 00:19:55,280 --> 00:19:58,920 Speaker 1: We certainly saw that during the during the recession, were 349 00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:03,320 Speaker 1: then UH chair Bernankey would would would say, you know, 350 00:20:03,320 --> 00:20:05,919 Speaker 1: we could do some more help care And would that 351 00:20:05,960 --> 00:20:10,080 Speaker 1: have been unthinkable in say the late nineties for UH 352 00:20:10,280 --> 00:20:13,160 Speaker 1: for a major central banker to say, oh, we need 353 00:20:13,160 --> 00:20:16,800 Speaker 1: more yea. So so I think that in late at 354 00:20:16,840 --> 00:20:18,400 Speaker 1: that period of time, they would have been much more 355 00:20:18,440 --> 00:20:22,119 Speaker 1: confident of their ability to guide the economy into a stable, 356 00:20:22,160 --> 00:20:26,359 Speaker 1: equaliber in path essentially, and they should then leave fiscal 357 00:20:26,440 --> 00:20:28,919 Speaker 1: policy to do a fiscal policymakers are supposed to do, 358 00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:31,960 Speaker 1: which is considered decide what the size of the government 359 00:20:32,040 --> 00:20:34,479 Speaker 1: is going to be, right, essentially, And that was a 360 00:20:34,480 --> 00:20:38,800 Speaker 1: fairly easy distinction to make when you're operating, you know, 361 00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:44,639 Speaker 1: an an acceptable um level of output for the economy. Now, 362 00:20:44,680 --> 00:20:47,720 Speaker 1: I think it's much harder to make that case, and 363 00:20:47,760 --> 00:20:50,600 Speaker 1: it's only gonna be harder to make that case if 364 00:20:50,640 --> 00:20:54,159 Speaker 1: we go into this next recession with interest rates close 365 00:20:54,240 --> 00:20:57,520 Speaker 1: to zero already. Then we're going to be pushed right 366 00:20:57,520 --> 00:21:01,080 Speaker 1: back into a realm of of quantity using very quickly. 367 00:21:01,800 --> 00:21:03,359 Speaker 1: And I think there's going to be quite a bit 368 00:21:03,400 --> 00:21:07,160 Speaker 1: of discomfort around that. Congress was never really thrilled about 369 00:21:07,200 --> 00:21:10,359 Speaker 1: the policy to begin with UH, and so you know, 370 00:21:11,240 --> 00:21:13,720 Speaker 1: I think you know we're in a zone two were 371 00:21:13,760 --> 00:21:17,520 Speaker 1: simple Bankers are very cautious about being too much of 372 00:21:17,560 --> 00:21:20,399 Speaker 1: fiscal policymakers, and they'd really like that job to be 373 00:21:20,840 --> 00:21:25,680 Speaker 1: taken back over by UM the fiscal side of the equation, 374 00:21:26,160 --> 00:21:29,879 Speaker 1: But fiscal policymakers have been hesitant to do so because 375 00:21:30,320 --> 00:21:34,560 Speaker 1: quite frankly, you need to rethink about how damaging debt 376 00:21:34,560 --> 00:21:38,040 Speaker 1: and deficits are, and that's really holding back some of 377 00:21:38,040 --> 00:21:40,800 Speaker 1: this debate. I don't want to leave our listeners thinking 378 00:21:40,840 --> 00:21:44,120 Speaker 1: about the impotence of central bank policies and the debt 379 00:21:44,240 --> 00:21:48,679 Speaker 1: overhang and all these quite sad and intractable problems facing 380 00:21:48,680 --> 00:21:51,760 Speaker 1: our financial system. So Tim, maybe just to finish off, 381 00:21:52,280 --> 00:21:56,120 Speaker 1: what are your best tips for people who are watching 382 00:21:56,119 --> 00:21:59,719 Speaker 1: the FED or who want to improve their FED watching? 383 00:21:59,800 --> 00:22:04,760 Speaker 1: Gay aim so to speak? So the best tips? Um, 384 00:22:05,440 --> 00:22:09,760 Speaker 1: I think the most important thing is to remember that 385 00:22:09,800 --> 00:22:12,680 Speaker 1: it's not about what you would do as a policymaker. 386 00:22:12,760 --> 00:22:15,160 Speaker 1: It's about what the FED is going to do. So 387 00:22:15,240 --> 00:22:20,120 Speaker 1: you have to remove your own personal biases from your 388 00:22:20,280 --> 00:22:23,840 Speaker 1: analysis and your research. You really have to think about wealth. 389 00:22:23,960 --> 00:22:28,199 Speaker 1: I'm Janet Yellen, I'm Lyle Brainer, I'm you know, a 390 00:22:28,280 --> 00:22:31,960 Speaker 1: FED president. How am I going to react to this data? 391 00:22:32,560 --> 00:22:35,040 Speaker 1: Uh not how myself would react to this data or 392 00:22:35,080 --> 00:22:37,000 Speaker 1: what you know, why I think inflation should be or 393 00:22:37,040 --> 00:22:39,560 Speaker 1: should not be. So I think that's the number one 394 00:22:40,240 --> 00:22:42,880 Speaker 1: UM trap that people fall into when they're doing FED 395 00:22:42,920 --> 00:22:44,840 Speaker 1: watching is they start to think the FED should do 396 00:22:44,920 --> 00:22:47,080 Speaker 1: what they think they should do, and that's not that's 397 00:22:47,080 --> 00:22:49,720 Speaker 1: not going to be a productive UM avenue at all, 398 00:22:50,200 --> 00:22:53,760 Speaker 1: uh to to work with. So I think that's important. UM. 399 00:22:53,840 --> 00:22:56,880 Speaker 1: Then the next thing is is along those lines, pay 400 00:22:56,920 --> 00:23:01,359 Speaker 1: attention to what they say and how they read the data, 401 00:23:01,880 --> 00:23:04,840 Speaker 1: and again try to say that they're reading it wrong 402 00:23:04,960 --> 00:23:07,760 Speaker 1: or right. UM. When it comes to making that final 403 00:23:08,119 --> 00:23:11,199 Speaker 1: final decision about where you think they're going to be headed. Uh. 404 00:23:11,240 --> 00:23:15,720 Speaker 1: And so so those are the the the best tips 405 00:23:15,760 --> 00:23:19,879 Speaker 1: that I can give as far as really what makes 406 00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:23,040 Speaker 1: I think a successful FED watcher. All right, Well, on 407 00:23:23,280 --> 00:23:26,240 Speaker 1: that note, Um, you know, thank you very much for 408 00:23:26,400 --> 00:23:29,800 Speaker 1: joining us and telling us about the history of your profession. 409 00:23:30,240 --> 00:23:33,960 Speaker 1: And I don't think that the FED uh is going 410 00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:36,440 Speaker 1: to become any less important anytime soon. I think FED 411 00:23:36,560 --> 00:23:39,760 Speaker 1: days are gonna be huge days for as long as 412 00:23:39,760 --> 00:23:42,000 Speaker 1: we can imagine, and so this will be This is 413 00:23:42,040 --> 00:23:44,600 Speaker 1: a very useful stuff to keep in mind. There's definite 414 00:23:44,720 --> 00:23:47,800 Speaker 1: job security here, all right, Thank you very much, Tim 415 00:23:47,840 --> 00:24:03,919 Speaker 1: doy the University of Oregon. That well, Tracy, I I 416 00:24:03,960 --> 00:24:05,639 Speaker 1: feel like I'm going to go back and listen to 417 00:24:05,680 --> 00:24:08,919 Speaker 1: this episode several times in the future because it just 418 00:24:08,960 --> 00:24:11,800 Speaker 1: seems this the FED is going to continue to play 419 00:24:11,880 --> 00:24:16,000 Speaker 1: such a central role in the economy and market that 420 00:24:16,480 --> 00:24:19,720 Speaker 1: understanding all this stuff is not going to go out 421 00:24:19,720 --> 00:24:22,960 Speaker 1: of stuff. No, I think that's one thing we can 422 00:24:22,960 --> 00:24:25,679 Speaker 1: say for sure. Um. The thing that struck me the 423 00:24:25,680 --> 00:24:29,160 Speaker 1: most was that, even for a seasoned central bank watcher 424 00:24:29,440 --> 00:24:32,320 Speaker 1: like Tim, is the idea that we really are in 425 00:24:32,840 --> 00:24:36,800 Speaker 1: kind of uncharted territory, getting close to negative rates, lots 426 00:24:36,800 --> 00:24:40,080 Speaker 1: of talk about physical stimulus. No one really knows what's 427 00:24:40,080 --> 00:24:42,920 Speaker 1: going to happen in a few months time, a few 428 00:24:42,960 --> 00:24:46,200 Speaker 1: years time, so it seems like it could once again 429 00:24:46,320 --> 00:24:50,199 Speaker 1: be very exciting days for FED watchers. I agree. And 430 00:24:50,200 --> 00:24:53,359 Speaker 1: then on that note, thanks everyone for listening to the 431 00:24:53,359 --> 00:24:56,720 Speaker 1: Odd Lots podcast. I'm Joe Wisenthal. You can follow me 432 00:24:56,760 --> 00:25:00,160 Speaker 1: on Twitter at the Stalwart, and I'm Tracy Alloway. I'm 433 00:25:00,160 --> 00:25:03,320 Speaker 1: on Twitter at Tracy Alloway. And also you can follow 434 00:25:03,400 --> 00:25:06,080 Speaker 1: our guest Tim Deey on Twitter at Tim dot and 435 00:25:06,320 --> 00:25:09,159 Speaker 1: you can find his stuff on Bloomberg dot com and 436 00:25:09,320 --> 00:25:13,280 Speaker 1: on his blog, Tim Dowey's fed Walk. Thank you