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Critics Say the Fed Is Being Held 'Captive' by Financial Markets

  • Citigroup’s Buiter says Fed is ‘captive’ of financial markets
  • Fed disagrees, saying it’s focused on Main St. and the economy

It’s the Greenspan put gone wild. Or so the Federal Reserve’s critics would have it.

No longer is the Fed just waiting for financial markets to be hit by a bout of turbulence and then lowering interest rates in response -- as former Chairman Alan Greenspan did. Instead, the critics contend, it’s become so sensitive to the risk of sharp market moves in the future that it’s pulling its policy punches now by repeatedly holding off on raising rates.