tweet at 10:22am: FED'S POWELL Q&A: REPEATS, 'LOT OF SLACK IN THE LABOR MARKET,' FAR FROM RETURN TO FULL EMPLOYMENT #Powell #federalreserve tweet at 10:25am: "How close it the economy to meeting the Fed's goals?" asks Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC) Powell: "We'll be purchasing assets at the current pace until we see substantial progress towards our goals, that's actual progress not forecast progress." tweet at 10:27am: POWELL SAYS THIS WILL BE THE YEAR IN WHICH THE FED ENGAGES WITH PUBLIC ON DIGITAL DOLLAR tweet at 10:28am: POWELL SAYS COULD WELL NEED LEGISLATIVE AUTHORIZATION FOR DIGITAL DOLLAR tweet at 10:39am: Fed Chair Powell: - We want inflation expectations anchored at 2%, not below - We live in a world with a lot of disinflationary pressures - We believe we can and will get to 2%, may take longer than three years to do so #Fed $USD

tweet at 3:38pm: - NZ Fin Min: RBNZ Is Now Required To Consider Impact On Housing When Making Monetary And Financial Policy Decisions - Changes Made To Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee’s Remit Requiring It To Take Into Account Government Policy Relating To More Sustainable House PricesRobertson to require the RBNZ to consider house prices when setting monetary policy and through the way it regulates banks Finance Minister Grant Robertson has decided to change the remit of the Reserve Bank’s (RBNZ) Monetary Policy Committee, requiring it to “take into account government policy relating to more sustainable house prices”. “The Committee retains autonomy over whether and how its decisions take account of potential housing consequences, but it will need to explain regularly how it has sought to assess the impacts on housing outcomes,” Robertson said. The RBNZ very vocally opposed Robertson’s proposal late last year to require it to consider house prices when setting monetary policy, arguing it would rather be made to consider house prices through the way it regulates banks. Robertson decided to move on this too. A direction has also been issued (under section 68B of the Reserve Bank Act) to the Reserve Bank requiring it to have regard to government policy on housing in relation to its financial policy functions “The Bank will have to take into account the Government’s objective to support more sustainable house prices, including by dampening investor demand for existing housing stock to help improve affordability for first-home buyers,” Robertson said.