Fed rate hike in June ‘on the table,’ two policymakers say

Reuters ^ | Fri May 1, 2015 6:06pm EDT | Ann Saphir and Jonathan Spicer

[Olog-hai]

The Federal Reserve could well raise interest rates as soon as June, two top U.S. central bankers said on Friday, so long as economic data strengthens as expected from a dismal first quarter.

That view—from the hawkish-leaning chief of the Cleveland Fed and from the centrist head of the San Francisco Fed—is at odds with the view of many traders, whose bets in the interest-rate futures markets suggest they have all but discounted a June rate hike and now expect the Fed to wait until December before raising rates for the first time since 2006.

The Fed has kept interest rates near zero since December 2008.

The key, both Loretta Mester, president of the Cleveland Fed, and John Williams, president of the San Francisco Fed, said, is that by a quirk of the calendar there will be two more months of data for many of the key gauges the Fed follows, including the U.S. jobless rate, jobs gains, retail sales and others. …

[Red in Blue PA]

Increase rates while the economy is stalling and may be going into reverse. Great idea/s

[familyop]

Well, there go the markets again, and gas prices in tourist areas will continue going up regardless (nearly $3 here on the Rockies in preparation for the pot tourism).

[ChildOfThe60s]

Note the escape route they gave themselves....

so long as economic data strengthens as expected from a dismal first quarter

Oops, guess we can't raise rates.

[bicyclerepair]

Maybe the fed thinks an R will win in 16 and wants to create havoc beforehand.

[ozzymandus]

How much increase are they talking about? 1/4%? Big Whoop. Savers are punished by this government.

[trebb]

Increase rates while the economy is stalling and may be going into reverse. Great idea/s

Leaving them the way they are is just delaying and intensifying the inevitable. The only "out" w/o a huge crash and disruption might be what seems to be their endgame - make money irrelevant and have world governments collude to off er "credits". What they are doing will have direct impacts on Freedom.