INFLATION

(Corrects to show Kansas City Fed, not Richmond, voted for discount rate hike in paragraph 2)

The Federal Reserve will watch the U.S. economy's progress through autumn and into 2011 as it decides how long it will hold interest rates at ultra-low levels, a top Fed official said on Tuesday.

With tax credits for house buyers gone and tough new banking regulations on the way, expect lending in the United States to come under significant pressure.

The Federal Reserve will watch the U.S. economy's progress through autumn and into 2011 as it decides how long it will hold interest rates at ultra-low levels, a top Fed official said on Tuesday.

U.S. consumer confidence rose in May to a two-year high as concerns about the labor market eased, according to a private sector report released on Tuesday.

The Federal Reserve will watch the U.S. economy's progress through autumn and into 2011 as it decides how long it will hold interest rates at ultra-low levels, a top Fed official said on Tuesday.

Keeping expectations of future price levels intact is vital, especially when interest rates are very low, the Federal Reserve's number two official said on Friday.

The fiscal tightening from Japan, euro zone, and the United States will lead to slower growth and lower inflation, which is leading to added selling pressure on world financial markets on Thursday, the manager of the world's biggest bond fund said.

Old is Gold - going verbal on this well-known saying, it would surly fetch gold for you getting older. As gold prices are hovering at historic peak levels giving lucrative opportunity for investors to create wealth for their present, it has proved to be one of the best instruments for securing after-retirement life with gold coin investments.

Consumer prices fell for the first time in a year last month and the closely watched core inflation rate posted its smallest annual gain since 1966, pointing to a lack of price pressure as the economic recovery gathers steam.

Consumer prices fell for the first time in a year last month and the closely watched core inflation rate posted its smallest annual gain since 1966, pointing to a lack of price pressure as the economic recovery gathers steam.

(Corrects name in 4th paragraph to Ruskin, instead of Raskin)

Consumer prices unexpectedly fell in April, the first decline in a year, and the core annual rate recorded its smallest gain since 1966, suggesting scope for the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates near zero for some time.

Housing starts touched a 1-1/2-year high in April, but a drop in building permits to a six-month low implied the housing market recovery may struggle to gain momentum without more government aid.

Producer prices eased in April and costs excluding food and energy remained contained, suggesting inflation is not a near-term concern for officials at the Federal Reserve.

Sears Holdings Corp , which expanded its layaway program to help cash-strapped consumers pay for purchases during the recession, is now helping its customers exchange their jewelry for cash as gold prices soar.

Venezuelan authorities have raided four money-changing businesses and arrested one man in the start of a clampdown on what President Hugo Chavez calls capitalist speculators distorting the currency market.

China should allow its currency to rise in order to help tamp down inflation, Singapore's finance minister said in a television interview.

* Chavez says websites, money changers to be raided * Fitch says new rules may hurt macro and ratings * Foreign exchange market paralyzed after law reform (Adds Fitch growth warning, details)

Will it or won't it? That is the million dollar question haunting global bullion market analysts now. With Akshay Tritiya being celebrated in India on May 6, global bullion market is eagerly waiting for the response Indian buyers are about to give to the auspicious day. Akshay Tritiya is Indian Hindus' auspicious day to buy gold when Hindu families flock to jewellery shops to buy new ornaments. However, this time around bullion analysts in London and Singapore are skeptical about the response fr...

U.S. consumer sentiment edged up in May from April, in line with forecasts, while one-year inflation expectations were at their highest since June 2009.