The Narmi Group Quarterly Newsletter the Federal Reserve Board Of

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

The Narmi Group Quarterly Newsletter the Federal Reserve Board Of The Narmi Group Quarterly Newsletter October 2016 The Federal Reserve Board of Governors left short term rates unchanged while noting that the case for increasing short term rates has strengthened. The Fed also noted that the balance of risk to the economy by raising rates had reached a near equilibrium. There were three Board members that dissented on this vote, indicating that the pressure is building within The Fed for a rate increase or increases in the near future. We believe The Fed also bought itself some time, waiting for the Presidential election to conclude before raising rates so as not to get in the crosshairs of either candidate on the political trail. All in all, this action or inaction does not seem to be a surprise when one thinks about the highly charged election season and the economy. The Fed is likely to start its job of more aggressively managing rates at the December 2016 meeting. However, we do not believe that rates will be increased aggressively, but only in moderation over an extended period of time, which will be frustrating for fixed income investors, but should continue to help the equity markets. What will the election bring? No one knows that answer for sure. Both candidates are proposing more fiscal spending on the part of Congress to rebuild infrastructure and create jobs. But we must remember that Congress controls the purse strings when it comes to government spending. Mrs. Clinton is labeled as more Progressive, whereas Mr. Trump is labeled as a Populist. They do have differing opinions on which direction the country should go, or should we say, which path they wish to lead us down. As investors, we need not focus as much as we think on the outcome of the election, but who the President-Elect appoints to key agencies such as Treasury, Commerce and Fed Chairperson. Corporations that we invest in need to know the regulatory environment they will operate in. As we’ve said before, Wall Street will figure out a way but they just need to know the rules. Consumers will continue to select the best product available for the perceived most reasonable price. The economy and our capitalistic system have been functioning quite well since 1776. We as a country have suffered through wars and depressions, changes of Administrations and policies, shifts of balance of powers in the judicial system and the Supreme Court, to name but a few concerns. As we watch this transition unfold, think of how great America is that we do this peacefully and we do it regularly. We’ve done it before and we’ll do it again as a nation. We believe the U.S. will continue to adapt and we as a country should continue to prosper. Stocks seem fairly valued at these levels, given the current low interest rate environment. If interest rates do begin a long steady increase, we will need to see an increase of profits at the corporate bottom line. We believe this is reasonable and doable. Our current GDP growth rate is approximately 1% annually and there are recent signs that it is ticking up to a 2-3% annualized growth rate. This is very good news and just what stocks need to further their advances. There are concerns around the world (as always) that we are watching, such as: ISIS, the Middle East as a whole, European growth or lack thereof, the rise again of Russia, commercial property values in the US and real estate prices in China once again. We are watching the Chinese Yuan as it enters into the International Currency Exchange program as well as the continuing outflow of funds from China to foreign currencies and investments. China appears to be getting “bubbly” in parts again as it attempts to prop up its economy. What should you be doing now with your investments? Examine your risk tolerance. Invest in quality companies and invest to your comfort level, ensuring that you are able to sleep soundly at night. Most importantly, enlist the services of Theresa Rynaski, our Certified Financial Planner, CFP™, to determine a plan of investments that are designed to meet your goals and objectives over a long term. In addition, feel free to call on anyone of our Group members for help or with questions. What’s going on in our world right now outside of the office? Jon & Candy have been busy with grandkids with their oldest now being a freshman in high school. Candy also recently celebrated her 50th high school reunion from Thomas Jefferson. Charlie & Melissa celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary this summer and this fall they have been busy in the evenings and on the weekends running the 4 kids to soccer, volleyball, gymnastics and softball. Theresa had a nice short visit from her son Alec in August who is stationed in Atsugi, Japan and serving on the USS Ronald Reagan. She keeps busy with her large extended family and has been enjoying a little traveling. Theresa will also celebrate her 50th birthday later this fall! Scott & Keely have immersed themselves in the many fall activities for their son and daughter, including Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, basketball, and choir. This past July Scott & Keely also celebrated their fifteenth wedding anniversary. Jill is excited for autumn to begin, bringing in the beautiful fall foliage and cooler temperatures, which allows her to enjoy more activities outdoors, such as hiking, campfires and s’mores. Jill wrapped up her summer by taking a trip to South Dakota to visit Mount Rushmore, and the Crazy Horse Memorial. In closing, we live in interesting and historical times. There are many negatives one could dwell upon, but there are also many, many positives as we look around the world and compare ourselves economically and socially. We need to give ourselves some credit from time to time for being part of what makes our country great. We would only ask that you consider sharing some of your surplus with your local church, family, community or school. This is where the true dividends of life continue to be paid. Best wishes to you and your family and Thank You for your continued trust, Jon Narmi Charlie Narmi Theresa Rynaski,CFP® Director Vice President Vice President Scott Greenlee Jill Buckley Client Specialist Client Assistant Contact Us "I would like to talk to The Narmi Group" The Narmi Group 13609 California Street, Suite 400 Get the help you need to build Omaha, NE 68154 your wealth management strategy. Phone: 800-866-1010 Our website Talk to a Financial Advisor Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Dividends are not guaranteed and are subject to change or elimination. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is a price-weighted average of 30 significant stocks traded on the New York Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ. The S&P 500 Index is a large-cap index and is a representative sample of 500 leading companies in leading industries of the U.S. economy. The NASDAQ Composite index consists of over 4500 stocks traded over the counter. It represents many small company stocks but is heavily influenced by about 100 of the largest NASDAQ stocks. The index is value weighted and does not include income. It is not possible to invest directly in an index. Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and CFP® in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements. If you do not wish to receive further Baird email announcements, reply to this email with "Remove Me" in the subject line. ©2016 Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated. 777 East Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53202. 800-RW-BAIRD. rwbaird.com.MC-44618. .
Recommended publications
  • About the Richmond
    regulates banks that have a national charter, and can Who appoints the Board of Governors? usually be recognized by the word “National” in or the The seven members, called governors, are appointed by letters “N.A.” after their names. On July 21, 2011, the U.S. president and are confirmed by the U.S. Senate for supervisory responsibility for federal savings and loans staggered 14-year terms. and federal savings banks switched to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Who leads the Board of Governors? • The National Credit Union Administration regulates • The Board of Governors is led by a chair and a vice chair, federally chartered credit unions. who serve four-year terms. About the • States also have supervisory responsibility for • The chair and vice chair are nominated by the president state-chartered banks and credit unions, as well as and confirmed by the Senate. Richmond Fed other non-depository institutions, such as consumer • The current chair is Jerome Powell and the vice chair is finance companies, mortgage lenders and brokers, Stanley Fischer. payday lenders, and check cashers. What is the Fed doing to promote accountability Do people have accounts at the Federal Reserve? and transparency? No, they do not. We’re a “banker’s bank.” Only depository • The Fed is ultimately accountable to the American institutions and certain other financial entities are eligible people, and regularly provides information to the to have accounts at a Federal Reserve Bank. public so people better understand what we do. • The Federal Reserve Board chair reports to Congress twice a year on the health of the economy and the actions of the FOMC.
    [Show full text]
  • Actions of the Board, Its Staff, and the Federal Reserve Banks; Applications and Reports Received
    Federal Reserve Release H.2 Actions of the Board, Its Staff, and the Federal Reserve Banks; Applications and Reports Received No. 22 Week Ending June 1, 2019 Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Washington, DC 20551 H.2 Board Actions May 26, 2019 to June 1, 2019 Forms Forms -- initial Board review to extend with revision the Federal Reserve Membership Applications (FR 2083A and FR 2083B) and Federal Reserve Bank Stock Applications (FR 2030, FR 2030a, FR 2056, FR 2086, FR 2086a, and FR 2087) and to extend without revision two Federal Reserve Membership Applications (FR 2083 and FR 2083C). - Proposed, May 30, 2019 Personnel Division of Supervision and Regulation -- appointment of Mona Elliot as deputy associate director and Christine Graham as assistant director. - Announced, May 31, 2019 Management Division -- appointment of Winona H. Varnon as director and Michell Clark as senior adviser. - Approved, May 30, 2019 Regulations and Policies Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR) -- interagency final rule to modify the LCR rule to treat certain municipal obligations as high-quality liquid assets, in accordance with the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act. - Approved, May 23, 2019 (A/C) (A/C) = Addition or Correction Board - Page 1 of 1 H.2 Actions under delegated authority May 26, 2019 to June 1, 2019 S&R Supervision and Regulation RBOPS Reserve Bank Operations and Payment Systems C&CA Consumer and Community Affairs IF International Finance FOMC Federal Open Market Committee MA Monetary Affairs Bank Branches, Domestic San Francisco First Utah Bank, Salt Lake City, Utah -- to establish a branch at Village of Traverse Mountain, 3600 North Digital Drive, Lehi.
    [Show full text]
  • The Budgetary Status of the Federal Reserve System
    A CBO Study The Budgetary Status of the February 1985 Federal Reserve System Congress ol the Un~tedStates - 4 Congress~onalBudget Ott~ce THE BUDGETARY STATUS OF THE FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM The Congress of the United States Congressional Budget Off ice -~ ~-~ NOTE The report includes budget data through calendar year 1983, the most recent data available when the report was prepared. PREFACE This report on the budgetary status of the Federal Reserve System was undertaken at the request of the Joint Economic Committee. The study describes the structure, activities, and financing of the Federal Reserve System, and reviews the history of the budgetary independence of the Sys- tem. It considers in detail two proposed alterations in the Federal Reserve's budgetary status: a complete presentation of Federal Reserve System finan- ces in the budget, and a requirement of prior appropriations for Federal Reserve System expenditures. The study does not examine in detail the Federal Reserve's determination and conduct of monetary policy. The study was prepared by Roy T. Meyers of the Budget Process Unit under the supervision of Richard P. Emery, Jr. David Delquadro, Mitchell Mutnick, and Marvin Phaup contributed material and valuable advice. Use- ful comments and suggestions were made by Valerie Amerkhail, Jacob Dreyer, Louis Fisher, Robert Hartman, Mary Maginniss, Marty Regalia, Stephen Swaim, Jean Wells, and John Woolley. Francis S. Pierce edited the manuscript. Paula Gatens prepared the manuscript for publication. Rudolph G. Penner Director February 1985 CONTENTS PREFACE ............................................. iii SUMMARY ............................................ xi CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ........................... CHAPTER I1. A HISTORY OF THE BUDGETARY INDEPENDENCE OF THE FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM ..........
    [Show full text]
  • Information and Anti-American Attitudes
    Federal Reserve Bank of New York Staff Reports Information and Anti-American Attitudes Adeline Delavande Basit Zafar Staff Report No. 558 April 2012 Revised September 2015 This paper presents preliminary findings and is being distributed to economists and other interested readers solely to stimulate discussion and elicit comments. The views expressed in this paper are those of the authors and are not necessarily reflective of views at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York or the Federal Reserve System. Any errors or omissions are the responsibility of the authors. Information and Anti-American Attitudes Adeline Delavande and Basit Zafar Federal Reserve Bank of New York Staff Reports, no. 558 April 2012; revised September 2015 JEL classification: D83, L80 Abstract This paper investigates how attitudes toward the United States are affected by the provision of information. We generate a panel of attitudes in urban Pakistan, in which respondents are randomly exposed to fact-based statements describing the United States in either a positive or negative light. Anti-American sentiment is high and heterogenous in our sample at the baseline, and systematically correlated with intended behavior, such as intended migration. We find that revised attitudes are, on average, significantly different from baseline attitudes: attitudes are revised upward (downward) upon receipt of positive (negative) information, indicating that providing information had a meaningful effect on U.S. favorability. There is, however, substantial heterogeneity in the revision of attitudes, with a substantial proportion of individuals not responding to the information. Nonrevisions are primarily a result of nonmalleability of attitudes. Revisions are driven by both saliency bias and information-based updating.
    [Show full text]
  • The Federal Reserve System Purposes & Functions
    PurposeOverview of the Federal Reserve System The Federal Reserve performs five key functions in the public interest to promote the health of the U.S. economy and the stability of the U.S. financial system. The U.S. Approach to Central Banking ................................. 2 The Decentralized System Structure and Its Philosophy ................ 4 The Reserve Banks: A Blend of Private and 1 Governmental Characteristics . 6 vi Overview of the Federal Reserve System T he Federal Reserve System is the central bank of the United States. It performs five general functions to promote the effective operation of the U.S. economy and, more generally, the public interest. The Federal Reserve • conducts the nation’s monetary policy to promote maximum employment, stable prices, and moderate long-term interest rates in the U.S. economy; • promotes the stability of the financial system and seeks to minimize and contain systemic risks through active monitoring and engagement in the U.S. and abroad; • promotes the safety and soundness of individual financial institutions and monitors their impact on the financial system as a whole; Figure 1.1. The Federal Reserve System The Federal Reserve is unique among central banks. By statute, Congress provided for a central banking system with public and private characteristics. The System performs five functions in the public interest. 1 U.S. The Federal Central Bank Reserve System 3 Federal 12 Federal Federal Key Reserve Board Reserve Open Market Entities of Governors Banks Committee Helping Fostering Promoting Conducting Supervising 5 maintain the payment and consumer the nation’s and regulating Key stability of settlement protection and monetary nancial the nancial system safety community Functions policy institutions system and efciency development The Federal Reserve System Purposes & Functions 1 • fosters payment and settlement system safety and efficiency through services to the banking industry and the U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • The Federal Reserve's Role
    CHAPTER 6 The Federal Reserve’s Role Actions Before, During, and After the 2008 Panic in the Historical Context of the Great Contraction Michael D. Bordo1 Introduction The financial crisis of 2007–2008 has been viewed as the worst since the Great Contraction of the 1930s. It is also widely believed that the policy lessons learned from the experience of the 1930s helped the US monetary authorities prevent another Great Depression. Indeed, Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve during the crisis, stated in his 2012 book that, having been a scholar of the Great Depression, his understand- ing of the events of the early 1930s led him to take many of the actions that he did. This chapter briefly reviews the salient features of the Great Con- traction of 1929–1933 and the policy lessons learned. I then focus on the recent experience and examine the key policy actions taken by the Fed to allay the crisis and to attenuate the recession. I then evaluate Fed policy actions in light of the history of the 1930s. My main finding is that the historical experience does not quite conform to the recent crisis and, in some respects, basing policy on the lessons of the earlier crisis may have exacerbated the recent economic stress and have caused serious problems that could contribute to the next crisis. The Great Contraction story The leading explanation of the Great Contraction from 1929 to 1933 is by Milton Friedman and Anna Schwartz in A Monetary History of the United States: 1867 to 1960 (1963a).
    [Show full text]
  • FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM the First 100 Years
    FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM The First 100 Years A CHAPTER IN THE HISTORY OF CENTRAL BANKING FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM The First 100 Years A Chapter in the History of Central Banking n 1913, Albert Einstein was working on his established the second Bank of the United States. It new theory of gravity, Richard Nixon was was also given a 20-year charter and operated from born, and Franklin D. Roosevelt was sworn 1816 to 1836; however, its charter was not renewed in as assistant secretary of the Navy. It was either. After the charter expired, the United States also the year Woodrow Wilson took the oath endured a series of financial crises during the 19th of office as the 28th President of the United and early 20th centuries. Several factors contributed IStates, intent on advocating progressive reform to the crises, including a number of bank failures, and change. One of his biggest reforms occurred which generated waves of bank panics and on December 23, 1913, when he signed the Federal economic instability.2 Reserve Act into law. This landmark legislation When Jay Cooke and Company, the nation’s created the Federal Reserve System, the nation’s largest bank, failed in 1873, a panic erupted, leading central bank.1 to runs on other financial institutions. Within months, the nation’s economic problems deepened as silver A Need for Stability prices dropped after the Coinage Act of 1873 was Why was a central bank needed? The nation passed, which dampened the interests of U.S. silver had tried twice before to establish a central bank miners and led to a recession that lasted until 1879.
    [Show full text]
  • Monetary Policy in the Great Depression: What the Fed Did, and Why
    David C. Wheelock David C. Wheelock, assistant professor of economics at the University of Texas-Austin, is a visiting scholar at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. David H. Kelly provided research assistance. Monetary Policy in the Great Depression: What the Fed Did, and Why SIXTY YEARS AGO the United States— role of monetary policy in causing the Depression indeed; most of the world—was in the midst of and the possibility that different policies might the Great Depression. Today, interest in the have made it less severe. Depression's causes and the failure of govern- ment policies to prevent it continues, peaking Much of the debate centers on whether mone- whenever the stock market crashes or the econ- tary conditions were "easy" or "tight" during the omy enters a recession. In the 1930s, dissatisfac- Depression—that is, whether money and credit tion with the failure of monetary policy to pre- were plentiful and inexpensive, or scarce and vent the Depression, or to revive the economy, expensive. During the 1930s, many Fed officials led to sweeping changes in the structure of the argued that money was abundant and "cheap," Federal Reserve System. One of the most impor- even "sloppy," because market interest rates tant changes was the creation of the Federal were low and few banks borrowed from the dis- Open Market Committee (FOMC) to direct open count window. Modern researchers who agree market policy. Recently Congress has again con- generally believe neither that monetary forces sidered possible changes in the Federal Reserve were responsible for the Depression nor that System.1 different policies could have alleviated it.
    [Show full text]
  • The Great Depression: an Overview by David C
    Introduction The Great Depression: An Overview by David C. Wheelock Why should students learn about the Great Depression? Our grandparents and great-grandparents lived through these tough times, but you may think that you should focus on more recent episodes in Ameri- can life. In this essay, I hope to convince you that the Great Depression is worthy of your interest and deserves attention in economics, social studies and history courses. One reason to study the Great Depression is that it was by far the worst economic catastrophe of the 20th century and, perhaps, the worst in our nation’s history. Between 1929 and 1933, the quantity of goods and services produced in the United States fell by one-third, the unemployment rate soared to 25 percent of the labor force, the stock market lost 80 percent of its value and some 7,000 banks failed. At the store, the price of chicken fell from 38 cents a pound to 12 cents, the price of eggs dropped from 50 cents a dozen to just over 13 cents, and the price of gasoline fell from 10 cents a gallon to less than a nickel. Still, many families went hungry, and few could afford to own a car. Another reason to study the Great Depression is that the sheer magnitude of the economic collapse— and the fact that it involved every aspect of our economy and every region of our country—makes this event a great vehicle for teaching important economic concepts. You can learn about inflation and defla- tion, Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and unemployment by comparing the Depression with more recent experiences.
    [Show full text]
  • War on Drugs: Report of the Global Commission on Drug Policy
    WAR ON DRUGS REPORT OF THE GLOBAL COMMISSION ON DRUG POLICY JUNE 2011 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONERS GLOBAL COMMISSION Asma Jahangir, human rights activist, former UN Special Rapporteur on Arbitrary, Extrajudicial and ON DRUG POLICY Summary Executions, Pakistan Carlos Fuentes, writer and public intellectual, Mexico César Gaviria, former President of Colombia Ernesto Zedillo, former President of Mexico Fernando Henrique Cardoso, former President of To learn more about the Commission, visit: Brazil (chair) www.globalcommissionondrugs.org George Papandreou, Prime Minister of Greece Or email: [email protected] George P. Shultz, former Secretary of State, United States (honorary chair) Javier Solana, former European Union High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Spain John Whitehead, banker and civil servant, chair of the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation, United States Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations, Ghana Louise Arbour, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, President of the International Crisis Group, Canada Maria Cattaui, Petroplus Holdings Board member, former Secretary-General of the International Chamber of Commerce, Switzerland Mario Vargas Llosa, writer and public intellectual, Peru Marion Caspers-Merk, former State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry of Health Michel Kazatchkine, executive director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, France Paul Volcker, former Chairman of the United States Federal Reserve and of the Economic Recovery Board Richard Branson, entrepreneur, advocate for social causes, founder of the Virgin Group, co-founder of The Elders, United Kingdom Ruth Dreifuss, former President of Switzerland and Minister of Home Affairs Thorvald Stoltenberg, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Norway EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The global war on drugs has failed, with Our principles and recommendations can devastating consequences for individuals be summarized as follows: and societies around the world.
    [Show full text]
  • Bank of Hawaii Certification Regarding Correspondent Accounts for Foreign
    BANK OF HAWAII CERTIFICATION REGARDING CORRESPONDENT ACCOUNTS FOR FOREIGN BANKS The information contained in this Certification is sought pursuant to Sections 5318(j) and 5318(k) of Title 31 of the United States Code, as added by sections 313 and 319(b) of the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 (Public Law 107-56). This Certification should be completed by any foreign bank that maintains a correspondent account with any U.S. bank or U.S. broker-dealer in securities (a covered financial institution as defined in 31 C.F.R. 1010.605(e)). An entity that is not a foreign bank is not required to complete this Certification. A foreign bank is a bank organized under foreign law and located outside of the United States (see definition at 31 C.F.R. 1010.100(u)). A bank includes offices, branches, and agencies of commercial banks or trust companies, private banks, national banks, thrift institutions, credit unions, and other organizations chartered under banking laws and supervised by banking supervisors of any state (see definition at 31 C.F.R. 1010.100(d)).* A Correspondent Account for a foreign bank is any account to receive deposits from, make payments or other disbursements on behalf of a foreign bank, or handle other financial transactions related to the foreign bank. Special instruction for foreign branches of U.S. banks: A branch or office of a U.S. bank outside the United States is a foreign bank. Such a branch or office is not required to complete this Certification with respect to Correspondent Accounts with U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • CURRENT ECONOMIC COMMENT by DISTRICT Prepared for The
    CONFIDENTIAL (FR) CURRENT ECONOMIC COMMENT BY DISTRICT Prepared for the Federal Open Market Committee by the Staff August 18, 1982 TABLE OF CONTENTS SUMMARY page i First District - Boston page I-1 Second District - New York page II-1 Third District - Philadelphia page III-1 Fourth District - Cleveland page IV-1 Fifth District - Richmond page V-1 Sixth District - Atlanta page VI-1 Seventh District - Chicago page VII-1 Eighth District - St. Louis page VIII-1 Ninth District - Minneapolis page IX-1 Tenth District - Kansas City page X-1 Eleventh District - Dallas page XI-1 Twelfth District - San Francisco page XII-1 SUMMARY* [Asterisk:Prepared at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.] Overview District reports suggest that economic activity in most sectors has slowed in recent weeks retracing some of the progress made in late spring and early summer. Manufacturing activity has declined broadly giving rise to new layoffs and plant closings in most Districts. Consumers are widely described as extremely cautious, buying very selectively, and almost totally avoiding any major commitments. As a result of excess capacity and weak orders, many businesses are scaling back or deferring capital spending plans. The con- struction industry is confronted by continued weakness in the residential area and a recent fading of support from the commercial and industrial sec- tor. Crop prospects are generally quite good, but the resultant prospect of falling prices implies further financial difficulties for farmers. Loan demand is soft with only widely scattered pockets of resurgence. The out- look is very subdued and cautious, although a few Districts discern traces of optimism.
    [Show full text]