Jerome Powell

Capping a series of appearances on Capitol Hill this week, the Federal Reserve chair and Treasury secretary emphasized that they don’t have the authority to reallocate CARES Act funds to assist small businesses on their own.

The Fed chief said that with its Main Street Lending Program, the central bank has “done basically all of the things that we can think of.”

Commercial real estate companies are among those left out of the Federal Reserve’s middle-market relief program, but House members said they need government-backed financing to navigate the pandemic as much as anyone.

The central bank's proposal to overhaul the Community Reinvestment Act differs markedly from the OCC's regulation in testing, data collection and other areas.

The Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department released a set of FAQ's aimed to clearing up misconceptions about the Main Street Lending program and encouraging more bank participation.

With only a fraction of the funds allocated being used, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the central bank is considering tweaks to the middle-market rescue program in an appeal to lenders wary of taking on added risk.

The central bank said it would keep interest rates at current levels through at least to help the U.S. economy recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell announced a new approach to monetary policy Thursday that takes a more relaxed stance on inflation and on its view of how low U.S. unemployment can go.

The head of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston said the central bank had acquired stakes in 32 business loans as of Monday, four times the amount from two weeks earlier.

Whoever wins the White House in November may have immediate agency openings to fill, while a key decision looms about who will run the Federal Reserve after Jerome Powell’s term expires in 2022.

Just eight loans had been made as of late July, six of them through a single community bank in Florida, according to new data on the federal rescue program for small and midsize companies hurt by the pandemic.

The central bank released new details about FedNow, which officials hope to get off the ground before a 2023 or 2024 target launch date.

The Federal Reserve Racial and Economic Equity Act would direct the Fed to consider racial inequality in employment, income and access to affordable credit when making monetary policy and in its regulation and supervision of banks.

For too long, nonbanks have been allowed to form industrial loan companies to operate as banks without Fed oversight. This regulatory pass should not be given during a crisis.

As Senate Republicans consider a new coronavirus relief package, the Federal Reserve chairman said easing the so-called Collins amendment would help financial institutions support the economy.

Many commercial property owners are locked out of existing coronavirus relief by financing terms that bar them from taking new loans. Under a House bill, they would receive government-backed equity investments.

The central bank is expanding its lending facilities meant to help businesses weather the coronavirus pandemic to organizations like educational institutions, hospitals and social service groups.

Many big banks say they will focus on existing customers in offering credit through the Federal Reserve’s emergency lending program for midsize businesses. Complex vetting and fear of being inundated are said to be among their concerns.

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said about 300 lenders have signed on to the program and that the central bank is committed to making adjustments that could attract more borrowers.

The lawmakers argued in a letter to the Federal Reserve that suspending dividend payouts would be the "prudent course of action," allowing banks to build their capital cushions and continue lending during the coronavirus pandemic.