Viewpoints about Interest Rates
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Fiscal policy and the threat of global recession
Does COVID-19 require a different policy response than the Global Financial Crisis? We explore the need for big fiscal stimulus, not just monetary measures.
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The Fed's historic stimulus
Having slashed interest rates to near zero and played down the likelihood of negative rates, has the Fed run out of tools to prop up growth? Our experts think not. Read the latest analysis from Frances Donald.
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The Fed's emergency rate cut—what it can and cannot fix
What's the point of the Fed's emergency rate cut? It won't put an end to supply chain disruption or halt the coronavirus health crisis. But it may put the economy on a stronger long-term trajectory.
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Finding balance amid dramatic market volatility
The portfolio managers of John Hancock Balanced Fund provide an update on portfolio positioning amid coronavirus fears and what they think comes next for equity and bond markets.
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Coronavirus update: implications for U.S. interest rates
At the start of 2020, conventional wisdom suggests the Fed was done cutting rates for the time being. Then came the coronavirus outbreak. We list five reasons why the Fed might cut rates soon.
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Wealth creation and U.S. banks, revisited
While bank stocks lost some luster with investors in 2019 as interest rates fell and the yield curve flattened, the outlook has improved markedly in early 2020.
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Are certificates of deposit (CDs) the best place to park cash?
At first glance, CDs may look attractive to savers. Yet as the Fed cuts interest rates, yields are falling further. Other options—including short-term bond funds—may offer a more attractive way to put cash to work.
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Three interest-rate cuts in three months—is the Fed done?
The Fed delivers its third interest-rate cut in three months—has it done enough to revive U.S. growth and support risk assets? We take a closer look.
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Trading places: favoring defensive equity when bond yields go too low
While defensive equity may strike some an oxymoron, the phrase isn’t as absurd as it sounds in an age of government bonds that yield little—or less. Learn more.
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U.S. interest-rate cut: the Fed’s got 99 problems, but the consumer ain’t one
The U.S. Federal Reserve's latest interest rate cut shines a light on just how many potential pitfalls the central bank has to navigate. We take a closer look at the biggest risks to growth.
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