Colby Smith

Colby Smith

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NYT correspondent covering the Fed & U.S. economy (ex-FT)

Core Inflation Stable, Yet Energy Shock Drives Airfare Surge
SocialApr 10, 2026

Core Inflation Stable, Yet Energy Shock Drives Airfare Surge

Core inflation in March was relatively muted despite a massive surge in overall inflation due to the Iran war. But there are signs that the energy shock is rippling across the economy. Airfares, for example, notched a 2.7% gain for...

By Colby Smith
Fed's Inflation Woes Predate Iran War, Stalled at 2%
SocialApr 9, 2026

Fed's Inflation Woes Predate Iran War, Stalled at 2%

NEW: Long before the Iran war began, the Fed had an inflation problem, as Feb's PCE data confirms today. Progress on reaching the 2% target had essentially stalled out, while a closely-watched metric tracking ex-housing services inflation was stuck well...

By Colby Smith
Fed Minutes Reveal Split on Iran Risk, Lean Toward Hikes
SocialApr 8, 2026

Fed Minutes Reveal Split on Iran Risk, Lean Toward Hikes

March's Fed minutes show broad support for a patient approach to forthcoming rate decisions, but splintering views over what the biggest risk from the Iran war will be. A vast majority of policymakers now expect slower progress toward the 2%...

By Colby Smith
Fed Can Pause; War‑Driven Inflation Expected to Fade
SocialMar 30, 2026

Fed Can Pause; War‑Driven Inflation Expected to Fade

Williams of @NewYorkFed echoes Powell’s view this morning that the Fed can afford to wait and see the economic impact of the Iran war before making any policy moves. He expects the burst of inflation stemming from the war to fade...

By Colby Smith
Powell: Fed Monitors Private Credit, Won’t Eliminate Risk
SocialMar 30, 2026

Powell: Fed Monitors Private Credit, Won’t Eliminate Risk

On private credit, Powell said it was a "relatively small part of a very large asset pool" that the Fed was watching "super carefully" About financial regulation more broadly, Powell said the Fed "shouldn't be trying to regulate risk out of...

By Colby Smith
Powell: Fed Will Look Through Energy Shocks, Watch Expectations
SocialMar 30, 2026

Powell: Fed Will Look Through Energy Shocks, Watch Expectations

Powell on Monday reiterates that the Fed typically look through energy shocks, but he warned that "a critical, essential aspect of that is you have to carefully monitor inflation expectations" This recent piece w/ @bencasselman explains why https://t.co/eabY4kFd9d @nytimes

By Colby Smith
Private Credit Risks Grow as DOL Targets 401(k)s
SocialMar 30, 2026

Private Credit Risks Grow as DOL Targets 401(k)s

Concerns around private credit are mounting just as the Trump admin is expanding access to it Investors, lobbyists and lawmakers are now awaiting the rollout of a Dept of Labor proposal that would include alternative assets in 401ks https://t.co/2j9Bg67jIU @arappeport @nytimes https://t.co/jLIP238LNF

By Colby Smith
Americans Trust Fed to Tame Inflation Amid New Iran Shock
SocialMar 27, 2026

Americans Trust Fed to Tame Inflation Amid New Iran Shock

NEW w/ @bencasselman: Throughout a series of economic shocks that pushed up consumer prices in the past five years, Americans maintained faith that the Fed would eventually get inflation under control. The war with Iran presents another shock that is...

By Colby Smith
Fed’s Waller Urges Caution, Holds Rates Amid Iran Conflict
SocialMar 20, 2026

Fed’s Waller Urges Caution, Holds Rates Amid Iran Conflict

"Caution is warranted," Waller tells @steveliesman on Friday after voting with the majority at the Fed this week to hold rates steady as the Iran war upends the economic outlook. "It doesn’t mean that I’m going to stay put for the...

By Colby Smith
Fed Likely Holds Rates as Iran War Fuels Uncertainty
SocialMar 18, 2026

Fed Likely Holds Rates as Iran War Fuels Uncertainty

The Fed is expected to hold rates steady at a tenuous moment for the economy as the Iran war drags on. The conflict is expected to amplify internal divisions, injecting yet more uncertainty into the debate around when the Fed...

By Colby Smith
Iran Conflict Deepens Fed Rate Split, Fuels Inflation Worries
SocialMar 16, 2026

Iran Conflict Deepens Fed Rate Split, Fuels Inflation Worries

Fed officials were already before divided the Iran war over what to do about rates. Now the conflict threatens to entrench those positions and make it even harder to reach a consensus "Both sides are going to be able to say...

By Colby Smith
Warsh's Fed Chair Hopes Dashed by DOJ Appeal
SocialMar 14, 2026

Warsh's Fed Chair Hopes Dashed by DOJ Appeal

For a moment on Friday, Kevin Warsh was on a glide path to becoming the next chair of the Fed. But within the hour, a possible pathway for him narrowed about as quickly as it had emerged, as the Justice...

By Colby Smith
Iran Conflict Spikes Energy, Stalls Fed’s Inflation Fight
SocialMar 10, 2026

Iran Conflict Spikes Energy, Stalls Fed’s Inflation Fight

The Fed was already struggling to get inflation back to 2% before Trump opted for an all-out confrontation with Iran. Now, elevated energy prices, if sustained, risk delaying that progress further, entangling the central bank in yet another challenging debate...

By Colby Smith
Rising Oil Prices Threaten U.S. Recession Amid Middle East Conflict
SocialMar 9, 2026

Rising Oil Prices Threaten U.S. Recession Amid Middle East Conflict

Surging oil prices have sparked fears that a prolonged conflict in the Middle East could inflict steep financial costs on Americans "I am very concerned this could tip us into a recession if it persists," one economist tells @nytimes https://t.co/VkqGBNMgAR @TonyRomm...

By Colby Smith