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Engine of Inequality, by Karen Petrou

The first book to reveal how the Federal Reserve holds the key to making us more economically equal, written by an author with unparalleled expertise in the real world of financial policy.

Following the 2008 financial crisis, the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy placed much greater focus on stabilizing the market than on helping struggling Americans. As a result, the richest Americans got a lot richer while the middle class shrank and economic and wealth inequality skyrocketed. In Engine of Inequality, Karen Petrou offers pragmatic solutions for creating more inclusive monetary policy and equality-enhancing financial regulation as quickly and painlessly as possible.

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“Petrou’s book uncovers a hidden engine of our skyrocketing inequality: financial-policy. In an accessible and engaging prose, Petrou takes us through the inner workings of monetary policy at the Fed and financial regulations, how they’ve made inequality worse and how they could instead be retooled to take us to a more equitable future. A novel look at the problem of inequality and bold ideas to help resolve it. A must read.”—Emmanuel Saez, Professor of Economics at the University of California Berkeley and author of The Triumph of Injustice

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Industry Expert

Federal Financial Analytics (FedFin) is a Washington-based financial services-consulting firm that has for decades attracted a high-powered clientele in Washington, on Wall Street, and among global central bankers. Since 1985 FedFin has provided a unique blend of analysis and strategic advice on public policy, regulatory, and legislative issues for industry and governmental clients doing business in the U.S. and abroad.

A proprietary think-tank for its clients, FedFin reviews critical federal and global policy developments in banking, insurance, asset management, and mortgage finance, analyzes them in great depth, and then advises clients on whether what they want can be made to work for them, within the policy environment and for the financial system. It is FedFin’s guiding principle to be an honest broker, and clients depend on the fact that the firm does not offer lobbying or any other services that could compromise its objectivity and independence.

As seen In:

In the News

Bloomberg, Wednesday, April 23, 2025

April 23rd, 2025|

Powell Attempts Balancing Act as Trump Tests Fed's Autonomy By Craig Torres Donald Trump’s second term has begun with a renewed determination to curb the Federal Reserve’s treasured autonomy. Jerome Powell’s response so far: trying to draw a sharp line around monetary policy independence, even if it means appearing to [...]

American Banker, Monday, April 21, 2025

April 21st, 2025|

Fed regulation, supervision take backseat in independence fight By Kyle Campbell Federal Reserve officials are battling to maintain their political independence on monetary policy, but the same cannot be said for their regulatory and supervisory authorities. Instead, central bank officials have downplayed their ability to set their own banking oversight [...]

Banking With Interest, Tuesday, March 18, 2025

March 18th, 2025|

How Treasury’s Bessent Is Upending Bank Regulation Host Rob Blackwell Not that long ago, the Treasury secretary mostly took a back seat to the banking agencies in crafting policy, stepping in only during times of crisis. Not anymore. Karen Shaw Petrou, managing partner of Federal Financial Analytics, discusses Treasury Secretary [...]

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Economic Equality Blog

Economic Equality Blog is aimed at showing central banks and financial regulators how to put their formidable thumbs on the equality scale in favor of those whose income and wealth suffer so much in the wake of the great financial crisis.

Issues in Focus

The Vault

Karen Petrou: The Fed Just Puts Ribbons on Rags

Four months after announcing plans for minimal changes to its stress tests, the Fed last Thursday screwed up its courage and proposed a couple of them.  The remaining, still-small changes will come after the Fed rests up, but none of this seemingly-strenuous effort addresses the fundamental problem with both capital regulation and the testing designed to ensure it suffices:  none of these rules make total sense on its own and [...]

FedFin on: Antitrust Policy

As required by an executive order (EO) from President Trump mandating both review and then repeal of any rules that adversely affect competition, the FTC is seeking public comment on which rules to target and whether these standards could be modified or must be rescinded to meet the President’s goals.  This process will clearly invite new scrutiny of the bank-merger process, also likely to lead to comment from banking organizations [...]

April 17th, 2025|Categories: The Vault|Tags: , , , , , |

Karen Petrou: The Fed Has Given Itself Nothing But Bad Choices

Much has been written of late about the pickle in which the Fed finds itself due to the President’s quixotic trade war.  The Fed is indeed facing a dilemma setting monetary policy, but it confronts a Rubik’s Cube trying also to ensure financial stability.  The reason:  the more the Fed fights inflation, the less it can secure the financial system and the more it is forced to secure the financial [...]

April 14th, 2025|Categories: The Vault|Tags: , , , , , , , |
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