FEDERAL RESERVE

The Federal Reserve is expected to renew its promise to hold benchmark interest rates exceptionally low for an extended period on Wednesday and may acknowledge a slight slowdown in the pace of U.S. economic recovery.

The Federal Reserve on Tuesday began a two-day meeting where it is expected to restate its intention to keep interest rates on hold near zero for an extended period and perhaps offer a less upbeat outlook for the economy.

Europe's fiscal problems are a risk that will have some effect on U.S. growth during the rest of this year and 2011, U.S. Federal Reserve vice chairman Donald Kohn said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal.

The Federal Reserve on Thursday won another battle to maintain its independence as lawmakers crafting a final Wall Street reform bill dropped a plan to make one of its top officials a political appointee.

After suffering sustained criticism of its role in the financial crisis, the Federal Reserve looked set on Wednesday to emerge from an overhaul of financial regulations with its jealously guarded independence intact.

After suffering sustained criticism of its role in the financial crisis, the Federal Reserve emerged on Wednesday from an overhaul of financial regulations with its jealously guarded independence intact.

After heavy criticism of its handling of the financial crisis, the Federal Reserve on Wednesday appeared likely to escape the most aggressive congressional scrutiny of its interest rate deliberations.

After suffering more than a year of abuse over its role in the financial crisis, the U.S. Federal Reserve on Wednesday was poised to beat back the most aggressive attempt to open its operations to congressional scrutiny.

Producer prices retreated in May as the cost of energy plunged, buying the Federal Reserve some time to maintain its ultra-low interest rate policy.

After suffering more than a year of abuse over its role in the financial crisis, the U.S. Federal Reserve is poised to emerge with its powers relatively intact as lawmakers finalize a sweeping overhaul of financial regulations.

The Federal Reserve scored a political victory on Tuesday as Democrats mulling financial reform backed off measures that would expose monetary policy to audits and make the head of the New York Fed bank a political appointee.

The Federal Reserve scored a political victory on Wednesday as Democrats mulling financial reform backed off measures that would expose monetary policy to audits and make the head of the New York Fed a political appointee.

A strong global economic recovery -- led by Asia -- is under way, and is unlikely to be thrown off course by European debt woes or the improbable event of the bursting of an asset bubble in China, a top Federal Reserve official said on Tuesday.

The U.S. Federal Reserve's exit from its ultra-low interest rate policy will take a significant period of time, a San Francisco Fed economist said in a paper published on Monday.

A strong global economic recovery is under way, and is unlikely to be thrown off course by European debt woes or the improbable event of the bursting of an asset bubble in China, a top U.S. Federal Reserve official said on Monday.

Two Federal Reserve officials on Friday painted divergent pictures of U.S. economic strength, suggesting a growing split at the central bank that could affect the outlook for interest rates.

U.S. financial markets would be able to stomach gradual sales of the more than $1.4 trillion of mortgage-related debt the Federal Reserve bought to fight the credit crisis, a top Fed official said on Friday.

U.S. financial markets would be able to stomach gradual sales of the more than $1.4 trillion of mortgage-related debt the Federal Reserve bought to fight the credit crisis, a top Fed official said on Friday.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Wednesday the U.S. economic recovery was on a solid footing but cautioned it could be years before the jobs lost during the deep recession of 2008-2009 are restored.

Economic activity improved nationwide last month, but worries about Europe's debt crisis dented confidence, the Federal Reserve said in its Beige Book collection of anecdotal reports.

U.S. economic activity improved nationwide last month, but worries about Europe's debt crisis dented confidence, the Federal Reserve said in its Beige Book collection of anecdotal reports.