Barkin: How Did the Economy Get Here?

Thank you for inviting me to speak here today.1 The Clearing House is a great place to talk about the evolution of clearing and settlement of payments in the United States. The key question I want to address today is, what roles should the private sector and the Federal Reserve play in payments? As a strong believer in the benefits of a capitalist system, I hold the view that it is generally the private sector that can most reliably and efficiently provide goods and services to the economy. And I apply this view to the payments ecosystem. It is that perspective that underlies a question I often ask when forming my positions on the appropriate role the Federal Reserve should play in a wide variety of initiatives: What is the fundamental market inefficiency that would be solved by government intervention and can only be solved by government intervention? If there isn't a satisfactory answer, then I believe government shouldn't intervene in private markets. Does this mean I believe the Federal Reserve should not be involved in payments? No. While I generally believe that government shouldn't directly compete with the private sector, there are situations where government involvement is needed to solve for market inefficiencies that may arise because of things like incomplete markets, coordination problems, or a lack of resilience. As a policymaker, I have applied that same question to issues ranging from bank regulation to monetary policy. For an example in the payments area, three years ago there was an increase in public discussion about creating a new payment instrument called a central bank digital currency (CBDC). The Federal Reserve Board was compiling a report and seeking public comment on the potential benefits and risks of the idea. In a speech I gave in August 2021, I asked, what problem would a CBDC solve? In other words, what market failure or inefficien post: FED’S WALLER MAKES NO COMMENT ON ECONOMY OR MONETARY POLICY OUTLOOK. post: FED’S WALLER: THE PRIVATE SECTOR IS BEST SUITED TO INNOVATE ON PAYMENT SYSTEMS. post: FED’S WALLER: FED READY TO SUPPORT PRIVATE INNOVATION, MINDFUL OF FINANCIAL STABILITY

The RealClearMarkets/TIPP Economic Optimism Index, a leading gauge of consumer sentiment, rose by 13.4% in November to 53.2, reaching its highest level in 39 months, since August ...

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Center for Microeconomic Data today released the October 2024 Survey of Consumer Expectations, which shows that households’ inflation expectations declined slightly at the short-, medium-, and longer-term horizons. Labor market expectations improved with households reporting a lower likelihood of higher unemployment and job loss, and a higher likelihood of finding a job if they were laid off. Perceptions of credit access and expectations for future credit access both improved in October, and households reported a lower likelihood of missing a minimum debt payment over the next three months. The main findings from the October 2024 Survey are: Inflation • Median inflation expectations fell at all three horizons in October. One-year-ahead inflation expectations declined by 0.1 percentage point to 2.9%, three-year-ahead inflation expectations declined by 0.2 percentage point to 2.5%, and five-year-ahead inflation expectations declined by 0.1 percentage point to 2.8%. The survey’s measure of disagreement across respondents (the difference between the 75th and 25th percentile of inflation expectatio post: NEW YORK FED SURVEY: U.S. HOUSEHOLDS IN OCTOBER SAW INFLATION RUNNING AT 2.9% OVER NEXT YEAR, LOWEST 1-YEAR OUTLOOK IN 4 YEARS post: NY FED: CONSUMERS' 3-YEAR INFLATION VIEW DOWN TO 2.5% IN OCTOBER FROM 2.7%, 5-YEAR VIEW TO 2.8% FROM 2.9%.