Officials: Fed Will Have to Boost Rates Quickly

30 September 2009  Yahoo News

Yahoo

To prevent inflation from taking off, the Federal Reservewill need to start boosting interest rates quickly and aggressively once the economy is back on firmer footing, Fed officials warned Tuesday.

"I expect that when it comes time to tighten monetary policy, my colleagues and I will move with an alacrity that, if needed, will be equal in speed and intensity" to when the Fed was slashing rates to battle the recession and the financial crisis, said Richard Fisher, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.

Although Fisher has a reputation for being one of the Fed's toughest inflation fighters, it marked the second such warning by a central bank official in recent days. Fed member Kevin Warsh on Friday said the central bank will need to move swiftly when the time comes to raise rates.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090929/ap_on_bi_ge/us_fed_exit_strategy