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With Focus On Unemployment, Yellen Led Fed Through Tough Balancing Act

Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen waits for a hearing of the Joint Economic Committee in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 29, 2017. Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images

Business

With Focus On Unemployment, Yellen Led Fed Through Tough Balancing Act

As she leaves the Fed's top job, Janet Yellen gets high marks for the way she resisted calls to raise interest rates as the economy began recovering. Instead, she was determined to boost job growth.

With Focus On Unemployment, Yellen Led Fed Through Tough Balancing Act

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Yellen Resigns From Fed Board After Being Passed Over To Keep Top Post

Fed Chair Janet Yellen on Monday submitted her resignation from the Federal Reserve Board. Earlier this month, President Trump named Jerome Powell to be the next Fed chair. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images hide caption

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Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The Two-Way

Yellen Resigns From Fed Board After Being Passed Over To Keep Top Post

Janet Yellen says she'll step down from the Federal Reserve Board when her successor as chair is sworn in. Earlier this month, President Trump named Jerome Powell to be the next Fed chairman.

Trump's Flip-Flops On Economics Move Policies Toward The Status Quo

Trump's economic adviser Gary Cohn (left) and adviser Jared Kushner listen to President Trump at a meeting with business leaders Jan. 23. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images hide caption

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Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Economy

Trump's Flip-Flops On Economics Move Policies Toward The Status Quo

President Trump is beating a path back toward the center on economic policy. Some economists think it may be due to influence from Trump advisers like Gary Cohn and Jared Kushner.

Trump's Flip-Flops On Economics Move Policies Toward The Status Quo

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Go Ahead, Shop For That Car; The Fed Is Leaving Interest Rates Very Low

Federal Reserve policymakers left rates unchanged, saying they were worried about job growth and did not want higher rates to affect hiring. Karen Bleier/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Karen Bleier/AFP/Getty Images

The Two-Way

Go Ahead, Shop For That Car; The Fed Is Leaving Interest Rates Very Low

The Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged at very low levels. Fed policymakers expressed worries about job growth, so they did not want higher rates to further cool hiring.

Federal Reserve Decides To Keep Interest Rates Low A While Longer

An employee prepares to install the hood on a vehicle at a General Motors plant in Arlington, Texas. Federal Reserve policymakers say recent indicators point to a strengthening labor market. Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption

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Bloomberg via Getty Images

The Two-Way

Federal Reserve Decides To Keep Interest Rates Low A While Longer

The Federal Reserve decided Wednesday to hold interest rates steady. The nation's central bank is watching for signs of overheating, but for now, says the economy is growing at a sustainable rate.

Outlook 'Uncertain' For Global Economy, Yellen Tells Congress

Federal Reserve Board Chair Janet Yellen listens to questions during a House Financial Services Committee hearing on Capitol Hill on Wednesday. Delivering the Federal Reserve's semiannual Monetary Policy Report to the House Committee, Yellen aired caution about global economic conditions. Mark Wilson/Getty Images hide caption

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Mark Wilson/Getty Images

The Two-Way

Outlook 'Uncertain' For Global Economy, Yellen Tells Congress

Testifying for the first time since the Federal Reserve raised interest rates, Janet Yellen says volatility in the global markets means that "as is always the case, the economic outlook is uncertain."

The Downside Of Keeping Interest Rates So Low For So Long

Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen testifies before the Senate Banking Committee in July. This week, Yellen and other policymakers are weighing the Fed's first rate increase in nine years. Susan Walsh/AP hide caption

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Susan Walsh/AP

The Two-Way

The Downside Of Keeping Interest Rates So Low For So Long

Some economists say the Federal Reserve should leave rates alone, but many say super-low rates have big risks, too. They argue that the central bank needs to push rates back up to historic norms.

Yellen Acknowledges Weaker Economic Data; Markets Rally

Federal Reserve Board Chair Janet Yellen gestures as she testifies during a Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee hearing while delivering the Federal Reserves semiannual Monetary Policy Report on Capitol Hill Thursday. Mark Wilson/Getty Images hide caption

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Mark Wilson/Getty Images

The Two-Way

Yellen Acknowledges Weaker Economic Data; Markets Rally

Citing "softness" in the U.S. economy, Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen says the Fed will try to determine if the results are a new trend or are related to this winter's intense cold and storms.