“One possible reason why the Fed have consistently erred on the high side in their growth forecasts is that they assume higher stock prices will lead to higher spending via the so-called wealth effect. The Fed’s ad hoc analysis on this subject has been wrong and is in conflict with econometric studies. The studies suggest that when wealth rises or falls, consumer spending does not generally respond, or if it does respond, it does so feebly. During the run-up of stock and home prices over the past three years, the year-over-year growth in consumer spending has actually slowed sharply from over 5% in early 2011 to just 2.9% in the four quarters ending Q2.”
http://www.caseyresearch.com/articles/federal-reserve-policy-failures-are-mounting
Related posts:
The Fantasy of Debt: No Trade-Offs, No Sacrifices
It's Happening Faster Than Even I Thought
Humans Need Not Apply
Memory's Half-Life: A Social History of Wiretaps
The Enforcement Caste's War on Women
Ron Paul: Government Policies Hurt Low-Wage Workers
Philip Giraldi: Where Are They Now?
Why the Media is Desperate to Reclaim its “Gatekeeper” Status for News
John Hussman: Judging the Future at a Speculative Peak
James Altucher: How To Break All The Rules And Get Everything You Want
Bill Bonner: Give Thanks to ‘The 1%’
The History of the Rockefeller World Empire
Why Is the United States So Hypocritical in Foreign Policy?
Jeffrey Tucker: Life Without the McDouble
Pulling the Plug: Taking Delivery of Gold