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Interest Rate Benchmarks

Jeffrey M. Lacker
September 2, 2016

An Interest Rate Benchmark: the Taylor Rule

FFR = expected inflation
+ “natural real rate”
+ 𝜶𝜶1 (inflation gap)

+ 𝜶𝜶2 (employment gap)
2

Percent

Inflation
16

16

14

14

12

12

10

10

8

8

6

6
CPI

4

4

2

2
GDP Deflator
Core PCE

0
-2
1960

0
-2

1964

1968

1972

1976

1980

1984

1988

1992

1996

2000

2004

2008

2012

2016

Sources: BEA & BLS via Haver Analytics

3

Natural Rate of Interest
8

8

7

7

6

6

5

5

4

4
Laubach-Williams

Percent

3

3

2

2

1

1

Lubik-Matthes

0

0

-1

-1

-2

-2

-3

-3

-4
1961

1965

1969

1973

1977

1981

1985

1989

1993

1997

2001

2005

2009

2013

-4
2017

Sources: Laubach & Williams (2003), Lubik & Matthes (2015)

4

Federal Funds Rate vs Benchmark
22

22

20

20

18

18

16

16

14

14

Actual Fed
Funds Rate

12

12

Percent

10

10

8

8

Laubach & Williams

6

6

4

4

2

2

R*=2

0

0

-2

-2

-4

-4

-6

-6

-8
1960

-8
1964

1968

1972

1976

1980

1984

1988

1992

1996

2000

2004

2008

2012

2016

Sources: BLS, Board of Governors, BEA, CBO via Haver Analytics. Laubach & Williams (2003) 5