5 Central Banks Hold the Global Economy in Their Hands (2024)

5 Central Banks Hold the Global Economy in Their Hands (1)

From Birch Gold Group

Following the 2008 crisis, the Federal Reserve wasn’t the only central bank to implement extreme measures in an effort to prop up an economy. In fact, the Fed’s example led other global central banks to do the same. As a result, the five largest central banks now hold the global economy in their hands.

What global central banks do next could impact our economic future for decades. Let’s examine why that’s the case, and how Americans could shield their savings…

Following the Fed

When people dropped out of the market after 2008, the Fed used Quantitative Easing (QE) to buy up stocks and bonds in an effort to keep the economy above water. When other central banks saw this trick, they quickly put it to use in their own national economies.

As a result, five global central banks now represent the largest holders of private equities around the world, with an astounding$14.6 trillion in total assets on their balance sheets. And they’re on track to purchase $3.6 billion more in 2017 alone.

To put this in perspective, the Swiss National Bank holds more publicly traded shares of Facebook than Mark Zuckerberg, and the Bank of Japan is a top-five owner in Japan’s 81 largest firms. (It’s set to become the #1 owner in 55 of those firms soon.)

The trend of central banks buying up private equities to prop up their economies spans the globe. And it all started with the Fed’s precedent-setting actions after 2008.

But now the Fed is being forced to unwind its mess of QE equities buying. Fed officials have already announced the central bank’s balance sheet will be trimmed, and details on how they’ll do it are emerging now.

How long will it be until other central banks stop their buying sprees and do the same as what the Fed is doing now? When that time comes, they’ll have to tread lightly…

The Risks

Experts are already concerned about what may happen as the Fed reverses its heavy QE from the past several years. As the central bank’s equities positions get pared down, private demand in the market must be sufficiently strong to fill the gap. If it’s not, another painful recession could be waiting at our door.

The situation is worrisome enough when we just consider the Fed’s actions. But it’s even more troubling when we account for other central banks.

Eventually, other global central banks will be shouldered with the same challenges the Fed is dealing with now. QE can only go so far. At some point, they’ll be forced to stop artificially supporting their economies with these reckless asset purchases. And those assets must be sold to restore balance.

But that’s easier said than done. Even under a conservative approach — selling off central bank assets in a slow, gradual drip — the process could quickly go awry. Alternatively, some commentators suggest central banks could throw caution to the wind, and frame President Trump’s policies for the fallout.

1 Safeguard Against This Central Banking Nightmare

We’re floating in uncharted waters with today’s global economy. Never before have global central banks purchased such vast amounts of private equities, and subsequently been liable for the damage of selling them.

In the same way central bank officials had no idea what would happen in response to their experimental and heavy-handed QE after 2008, nobody can predict what the results of undoing those measures will be.

But if economic history has taught us anything, we should always be prepared for the worst. So unless you trust global central bankers to keep you safe, it’s time to hedge your risk with an investment that their policies can’t destroy.

We’ve seen gold thrive in the face of economic adversity for centuries. It’s survived every central banking debacle thus far. And in 10 years, when we look back at the one that’s brewing now, gold will be the proven winner once again. If you want to keep your savings on the right side of history, buying gold today may be the smartest way to do it.

central banks, Featured, federal reserve, global economy

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FAQs

What is the role of central banks in the global economy? ›

Central banks use monetary policy to manage economic fluctuations and achieve price stability, which means that inflation is low and stable. Central banks in many advanced economies set explicit inflation targets. Many developing countries also are moving to inflation targeting.

What are the 5 central banks? ›

The U.S. Federal Reserve is one of the most powerful central banks in the world. The European Central Bank oversees the policies of the eurozone. Other notable central banks include the Bank of England, the Bank of Japan, the Swiss National Bank, the Bank of Canada, and the Reserve Banks of Australia and New Zealand.

How do central banks control the economy? ›

Their tools include influencing interest rates, setting reserve requirements, and employing open market operation tactics, among other approaches. Having the right quantity of money in circulation is crucial to ensuring a stable and sustainable economy.

Who controls the world economy? ›

Although governments do hold power over countries' economies, it is the big banks and large corporations that control and essentially fund these governments. This means that the global economy is dominated by large financial institutions.

What is the role of central banks in the global economy quizlet? ›

The central bank takes action to influence the manipulation of interest rates, the supply of money and credit, and the exchange rate.

What is the role of central banks in a transforming world? ›

Many central banks are crucial catalysts for the transformation of their payments market, either by creating an enabling and favorable environment, or by being on the forefront of innovation themselves through Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) projects.

What are the big 5 banks called? ›

What are the five largest banks in the U.S.? The five largest banks in the U.S., according to domestic assets, are Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo Bank, Citibank and U.S. Bank.

What is the most powerful central bank in the world? ›

The U.S. central banking system—the Federal Reserve, or the Fed—is the most powerful economic institution in the United States, perhaps the world. Its core responsibilities include setting interest rates, managing the money supply, and regulating financial markets.

What is the role of the central bank? ›

A central bank is a public institution that is responsible for implementing monetary policy, managing the currency of a country, or group of countries, and controlling the money supply.

How can central banks reduce inflation? ›

The central bank achieves that control by keeping the public's expectation of inflation equal to its inflation target and by varying the funds rate in a way that causes the real interest to track the natural rate.

What are the five ways central bank control commercial banks? ›

Central bank controls the activities of the commercial banks through the folloeing; 1) Open market operations 2) Special deposit 3) Bank rate 4) Special directives 5) Cash reserve or Cash ratio.

How the central bank plays the role of control of credit in an economy? ›

Central Banks are supposed to regulate and control the volume and direction of the credit by using the:i Quantitative techniques- are those techniques which influence the quantutm of credit in the economy like open market operations bank rate policy repo and reserve repo rate policy etc.

Who has the strongest economy in the world? ›

The United States is the undisputed heavyweight when it comes to the economies of the world. America's gross domestic product in 2022 was more than 40% greater than that of China, the world No. 2. Even more striking, U.S. GDP was over five times that of the next two largest economies, Japan and Germany.

Who controls the global money? ›

Central banks as monetary authorities in representative states are intertwined through globalized financial markets. As a regulator of one of the most widespread currencies in the global economy, the US Federal Reserve plays an outsized role in the international monetary market.

Who is running the world economy? ›

The U.S., China and India may take turns leading the global economy this century, according to an analysis from the Centre for Economics and Business Research. The CEBR forecast suggests China could potentially take the top spot as the world's largest economy by gross domestic product as early as 2037.

What are the main roles of a central bank? ›

A central bank is a public institution that is responsible for implementing monetary policy, managing the currency of a country, or group of countries, and controlling the money supply.

What is the role of the central bank in a level economics? ›

The central bank provides services to the Central Government. It collects payments to the governments and makes payments on behalf of the government. It maintains and operates deposit accounts of the government. The central bank also manages public debt and issues loans.

What does central bank mean in economics? ›

A central bank is a financial institution given privileged control over the production and distribution of money and credit for a nation or a group of nations. In modern economies, the central bank is usually responsible for the formulation of monetary policy and the regulation of member banks.

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