FEDERAL RESERVE

The European Central Bank doused on Thursday hopes it will aggressively ramp up its bond-buying program and allow the euro zone to lend money to IMF so it can help fight the Eurozone debt crisis.

Fewer Americans filed for first-time unemployment benefits last week. Thursday's data once again edged back from the 400,000 mark -- the level below which economists say signals a strengthening job market - after popping above it in the prior week.

The European Central Bank cut interest rates by a quarter of a point on Thursday to counter the twin threats of recession and deflation in the Eurozone, and is expected to unveil fresh measures to help banks hurt by the bloc's debt crisis.

In the past few months, but particularly in the last few days, the British Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Governor of the Bank of England, roughly British equivalents to the American Treasury Secretary and Fed Chairman, have become the bane of the English banking system's existence. Other British government officials have also joined the fray.

U.S. consumer credit holdings grew by $7.65 billion in October, the U.S. Federal Reserve said in its monthly report on consumer credit today. That growth, which represents an annualized rate of 3.7 percent, was more than had been expected by economists, who forecast growth close to $7 billion. The credit growth figure for September, which had been previously reported as $7.39 billion, was revised to a less-impressive $6.88 billion.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Tuesday pushed back against reports that the Fed had lent banks $7.77 trillion or more during the financial crisis, saying they contained egregious errors and mistakes.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Tuesday pushed back against reports that the Fed had lent banks $7.77 trillion or more during the financial crisis, saying they contained egregious errors and mistakes.

The Federal Reserve looks set to hold off on easing monetary policy for a second meeting in a row as it gauges the impact of Europe's crisis on the U.S. economy and ponders additional transparency steps.

There is a significant chance that the Federal Reserve will embark on a third round of asset purchases to stimulate the U.S. economy, a major bond fund manager said on Tuesday.

Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) shares continued rallying today, the fifth day the stock seems poised to close higher, as trading was boosted by a widely-anticipated speech from its CEO. The wider market for large financial companies was mixed.

At both the individual and collective level, Americans have created and embraced a culture of debt. Spurred by our gluttony, we have developed an untenable habit of spending beyond our means, and it must be stopped or else generations to come will be saddled with debt, left unable to harness the American dream and prosper because it simply will no longer exist.

The Federal Reserve must take immediate action to inject new life into a moribund U.S. recovery or risk letting the nation settle into a permanently lower growth path, a top Fed official said on Monday.

You can't blame investors for feeling a bit hesitant regarding deploying new money in the U.S. stock market these days. Lingering concern about Italy's finances, along with below-trend U.S. GDP growth has created an uncertain U.S./Europe economic outlook. Where's the Dow likely to head in the next six months?

MetLife expects operating earnings to rise as much as 7 percent in 2012, the largest life insurer in the United States said on Monday, though its forecasts for the fourth quarter and full-year 2011 were below expectations.

The catalyst for strong equities has been centered on the developments in Europe

European governments have a long way to go in improving their fiscal positions and solving a spreading sovereign debt crisis, said Boston Federal Reserve Bank President Eric Rosengren.

The U.S. Federal Reserve and other central banks must not succumb to calls for additional help from monetary authorities in the face of high budget deficits, two top Fed officials said on Friday.

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York took another step in its campaign to become more transparent on Friday, announcing it will publish one of the regular queries it puts to market participants.

Gold prices concluded a stellar week Friday with a modest gain as prospects of fresh support for weak Eurozone members and short covering offset profit taking.

Federal deficits are complicating efforts by the Federal Reserve to help the economy, but using the central bank as a printing press to solve the problem is not an option, a top Fed official said on Friday.

Employment growth picked up speed in November and the jobless rate dropped to a 2-1/2 year low of 8.6 percent, further evidence the economic recovery was gaining momentum.