Insurance against Downside Risk for the U.S. Economy

October 15, 2019

Presentation (pdf) | Press Release

During a presentation in London, St. Louis Fed President James Bullard noted that the U.S. economy is slowing down relative to 2017 and 2018. The economy faces downside risk that may cause a sharper-than-expected slowdown, which “may make it more difficult for the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) to achieve its 2% inflation target,” he said.

He pointed out that the FOMC has tried to help insure against this downside risk by dramatically altering the path of monetary policy during 2019. “The FOMC may choose to provide additional accommodation going forward, but decisions will be made on a meeting-by-meeting basis,” he said.