Aug 8, 2012
Essays
Does the Fed Control Interest Rates? 

EFF: I have a new paper, "Does the Fed Control Interest Rates?". In it, I find that The Federal funds rate, FF, moves strongly toward the Fed's target, TF, but other rates show little day-to-day convergence to TF. When the Fed changes TF, it moves toward existing short rates. This suggests a passive Fed that follows the market, but it is also consistent with an active Fed that controls rates and rates adjust to reflect predictable changes in TF. When TF changes, short rates move toward the new TF. This is consistent with a Fed that controls short rates or a Fed that has no control but is an informed investor whose signals affect rates.

 
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ABOUT FAMA AND FRENCH
Eugene F. Fama
The Robert R. McCormick Distinguished Service Professor of Finance at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business
Kenneth R. French
The Roth Family Distinguished Professor of Finance at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College
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Eugene Fama and Ken French are members of the Board of Directors of the general partner of, and provide consulting services to Dimensional Fund Advisors LP.