Viewpoints: 2021

Inflation has arrived, evident by the 4.2% gain in the consumer price index over the past twelve months. But the most significant increase since 2008 still is not fully capturing "experienced" inflation since it is missing the rise in [...]

Last week the Biden administration announced that it is contemplating a further major package of fiscal policy measures for the US economy. While the size of the package that is being touted caught the imagination of many observers it [...]

Viewpoint commentaries are the opinions of the author and do not reflect the views of Haver Analytics. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell has played down the current runup in inflation, arguing it is associated with the reopening [...]

One year ago, the economic outcomes of record lob loss and business closings were the primary focus of the monetary policy. The Fed took the unprecedented actions of cutting official rates to record lows, buying billions of debt [...]

The National Association of Realtors reported that existing house prices in March were up 18.4% over the same period one year ago. That increase eclipses the prior record increase of 17.4% recorded in June 1979. In 1979, Mr. Paul [...]

The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia's state coincident indexes in March show widespread recovery, though with some choppiness. In the three months ending in March the indexes for 49 states increased (Delaware inched down). [...]

A non-market price---implied rents for owner-occupied housing--- acts as an anchor for reported consumer price inflation. Does that mean policymakers will be right in that the uptick in consumer price inflation emanating from monetary [...]

The Fed has an inflation problem, but it's not the failure to meet an arbitrary target. The problem is that there is a significant separation between reported and market inflation. The uncoupling is not new and is a statistical issue. [...]