Coverage of fiscal and monetary policy, regulation, taxation, and geopolitical decisions that influence markets and everyday life. We break down government action and its economic impact.
Monetary Policy
Two of Europe's most closely watched central banks kept rates unchanged last week, but neither did so with any great confidence. The Bank of England kept its base rate unchanged at 3.75%. In its accompanying statement, the Monetary Policy Committee noted that the outlook for energy prices
Monetary Policy
Brazil's monetary policy story in 2026 is not whether rates will fall, it is how quickly. Brazil has one of the highest nominal policy rates in the world, with the Selic rate at 15%. The lagged effects of tight monetary policy are eroding purchasing power and restricting consumer
Monetary Policy
The Bank of Japan's April decision was technically a hold, but the details read more like a warning shot. The BOJ now projects the year-on-year rate of increase in CPI, excluding fresh food, to be in the range of 2.5% to 3.0% in fiscal
Monetary Policy
When the European Central Bank postponed its planned rate reductions in March and the Bank of England held rates at 3.75%, both decisions were framed as prudent caution in the face of uncertainty. That framing has not changed in the weeks since, but the underlying dilemma has sharpened considerably.
Fiscal Policy
The Strait of Hormuz is roughly 33 miles wide at its narrowest point. Through that narrow passage flows roughly 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supply. Since Iran effectively closed the strait in early March 2026, that chokepoint has become the central variable in fiscal budget
Monetary Policy
The Senate Banking Committee is scheduled to vote Wednesday on Kevin Warsh’s nomination to lead the Federal Reserve, a vote that was blocked for weeks by Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina until the Department of Justice dropped its criminal investigation into Jerome Powell last Friday. With that obstacle
Monetary Policy
The Federal Reserve goes into its April 28-29 FOMC meeting with interest rates sitting at 3.50% to 3.75%, exactly where they were after the March 18 decision. Markets have priced in a 100% probability of no change, according to CME FedWatch data, and Fed funds futures suggest
Monetary Policy
India is in an unusual position for a central bank. Its economy is the fastest-growing among large nations, projected at 7.4% for the current fiscal year, and yet its monetary authority is being asked to act with caution usually reserved for economies in distress. The Reserve Bank of
Monetary Policy
Germany's fiscal transformation is the most dramatic economic policy shift in Europe in a generation. After decades of strict borrowing limits that kept the country's finances tight but also left its infrastructure ageing, its military depleted, and its economy increasingly stagnant, Berlin has thrown open the
Fiscal Policy
When the IMF publishes its World Economic Outlook, most people focus on the growth and inflation numbers. But buried in the April 2026 report is a set of policy instructions to governments that is arguably more important than any single forecast. At the Spring Meetings in Washington, IMF Managing Director
Monetary Policy
The European Central Bank meets on April 29 to 30, and this is shaping up to be one of the most genuinely uncertain rate decisions in years. Markets are currently pricing in a hold for April, followed by a hike in June, according to LSEG data. The majority of traders
Fiscal Policy
China's National Development and Reform Commission confirmed in January 2026 that the government would front load 295 billion yuan ($42 billion) into strategic national initiatives, combined with a further $9 billion in direct consumer subsidies, a total package of roughly $51 billion deployed early in the year. The