Feds Chose Mortgage Bonds to Bolster Housing Gains

The Federal Reserve structured its latest stimulus program around the purchase of mortgage bonds after members agreed that helping a nascent housing recovery was a good way to lift the broader economy.

Minutes of the Fed's Sept. 12-13 meeting also show that most members now agree that tying a future increase in short-term interest rates to economic measures, such as a specific unemployment rate, could be effective. But members agreed to hold off on the change to work out the details.

After the meeting the Fed said it would keep buying mortgage bonds until the job market showed substantial improvement. The Fed also extended its plan to keep its benchmark short-term interest rate near zero until mid-2015 and left open the possibility of taking other steps.

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