Everything We Learned about the New Fed This Week

Today's Post - https://bahnsen.co/4wwsHI5 David Bahnsen reviews this week’s Fed meeting, noting some credible forecasts expected a surprise 25–50 bp hike, though the Fed ultimately held. He argues the Fed’s rationale was unusually direct: financial conditions tightened without a hike as yields rose across the curve, and further tightening should prioritize stopping balance-sheet expansion after $200–$250B of added assets this year. Bahnsen contrasts camps calling for hikes because inflation has stayed above 2% with those citing falling TIPS-implied inflation expectations near 2%, while emphasizing Warsh’s market-focused approach and opposition to investors “gaming” Fed guidance (“play the ball, not the referee”). Warsh rejects a Phillips-curve tradeoff, saying price stability and full employment are not in conflict and inflation harms labor markets. Bahnsen expects falling hike odds and is skeptical rates rise this year, viewing Warsh as reform-minded but incremental, independent from President Trump despite citing tariffs and oil-driven supply shocks. 00:00 Welcome and Setup 00:36 Why This Fed Meeting 03:36 Case for Rate Hike 05:12 Fed Transparency Shift 08:22 Markets Tightened Already 10:21 Balance Sheet First 14:11 Warsh Philosophy Shift 16:50 Hike Odds and Outlook 17:55 Independence and Politics 20:47 Closing Takeaways 22:44 Sign Off and Weekend Links mentioned in this episode: DividendCafe.com TheBahnsenGroup.com