Discussion Paper

The Effect of the Federal Reserve’s Securities Holdings on Longer-Term Interest Rates


Abstract: In an effort to promote more accommodative financial conditions following the financial crisis of 2008 and the ensuing recession, and at a time when the conventional monetary policy tool--the federal funds rate--was at its effective lower bound, the Federal Reserve conducted large-scale asset purchases (LSAPs) and a maturity extension program (MEP). This note outlines a way to estimate by how much Federal Reserve securities holdings resulting from these purchase programs reduce longer-term interest rates. In this note, we focus on another channel through which LSAPs may affect the economy: the portfolio balance channel.

https://doi.org/10.17016/2380-7172.1977

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Bibliographic Information

Provider: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.)

Part of Series: FEDS Notes

Publication Date: 2017-04-20

Number: 2017-04-20-1