“Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond President Jeffrey Lacker said he favors slowing bond buying now to ensure record growth in the central bank’s balance sheet doesn’t impede the eventual withdrawal of record accommodation.
“I’m in the camp we have to taper and stop right now if it were up to me,” Lacker told CNBC. “If you made me dictator, that’s what I would do. I wouldn’t have gone down this asset purchase path,” he said.
The Fed is buying $85 billion of Treasurys and mortgage-backed securities each month.
“The deeper we go with asset purchases, the trickier we are going to make the exit process,” he said. “That to me is the largest cost.”
He also said that expectations for future U.S. inflation remained well-anchored, despite massive Fed policy easing that he had personally opposed.
“I have been impressed by the stability of inflation expectations. People are pretty confident we’re not going to let it get away from 2 percent. I like that,” Lacker said. “I think we’re in a good place now, but I think we shouldn’t be complacent,” he said…..”
If you enjoy the content at iBankCoin, please follow us on Twitter
