SFC Dialogue | Former Fed Vice Chairman Sees the Importance of Keeping Interest Rates Coming Down

南方财经全媒体记者吴斌 上海报道

The market is predicting that the Fed may cut interest rates by 50 base points in September. Is there a need to cut interest rates by 50 base points this month?

Donald Kohn, former Fed vice chairman had a Dialogue with SFC journalist recently in Bund Summit 2024. He said “there's a need to cut interest rates, whether it's 25 or 50 base points.”

“It's important to keep interest rates coming down,” Kohn emphasized. There is “restrictive monetary policy in the US. Labor market is still in good shape, but it’s certainly less tense. It's in pretty good balance now. Inflation is coming down. So I don't think that's necessary to keep policy at this restrictive level into the indefinite future.”

Fed faces dilemma over 25 or 50 base points cut in September. Kohn doesn't see it as the most important thing. “I think the important point is to start cutting rates and to show and to talk about the fact that they need to keep coming down.”