Global Markets

Probably no other American president has expressed so much public displeasure with his own choice to head the U.S. Federal Reserve as has Donald Trump with Jerome Powell. It actually reached the point that much speculation has arisen as to whether or not he can fire the Fed chair if he wishes. The quick answer seems to be no, but there may be some highly political and difficult means for…

The U.S. government shutdown of 2018-19 was the longest in history, illustrating a growing division in American politics. The product of a budgetary impasse, issues such as immigration reform and federal spending spurred the closure.

The Group of Twenty (G20) was founded in the late 1990s by ministers of the original G7. Formally launched in 1999, the G20 adheres to many of the tenets put forth at Bretton Woods. The annual Leaders' Summit is the culmination of each year's work.

In this FXCM Insights article, learn more about the Federal Open Market Committee—the 12-member organisation that serves as the policymaking unit of the U.S. Federal reserve.

The World Bank Group (WBG) is a product of the Bretton Woods Accords ratified in 1944. With a stated mission of eradicating world poverty, the WBG issues loans, grants, and other aid to developing economies in need of financial or technological assistance.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) is a private, not-for-profit agency authorised by the U.S. Congress to protect American investors from fraud and wrong-doing by securities brokers. It's not part of the U.S. government but is overseen by the Securities and Exchange Commission, which is part of the government. FINRA regulates U.S. brokerage firms by enforcing its own rules as well as federal securities laws and those of the Municipal…

Since its creation in 1973 by the Fed, the trade-weighted U.S. dollar index has been used to track the dollar's value against the currencies of major American trading partners.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government. It regulates the futures, options, derivatives and swaps markets. Learn more about how the CFTC functions at FXCM.

There is an important difference between "on-the-run" and "off-the-run" securities that goes beyond distinguishing between newer and older issues. Learn more about these securities at FXCM Insights.

2018 has been an active year on the geopolitical front, led by a developing U.S.-China trade war. Escalating tariffs between the two nations threaten to disrupt the US$640 billion in annual two-way trade, but how would this impact the USD?

The Canadian dollar (CAD) has a storied history throughout the development of North America, world wars and international financial challenges. Existing as a pegged or floating currency, the CAD has shown resilience in the face of global economic chaos.