Why the Fed could lose $1.5 trillion
July 31, 2025
9 min
Full
73 of 300

July 31, 2025
Why the Fed could lose $1.5 trillion
0:00 / 9:27
Excerpt playback isn’t available for this episode — use the full-episode link.
Search the Record
Moment search isn’t open for this episode yet
When it opens, you’ll be able to type any phrase and jump straight to the second it was said.
Nprs Planet Money Episodes Around July 31, 2025
Episode 73 of 300 — walk the feed in the order it was published.
9:27This episodeWhy the Fed could lose $1.5 trillion
Summary
The Fed is on the hook for an estimated <a href="https://www.mercatus.org/research/policy-briefs/federal-reserve-overstaffed-or-overworked-insights-feds-financial-statements" target="_blank">one-and-a-half trillion dollars</a>. Despite the recent headlines, that's not because of building renovations. It's a much larger cost blowout caused by big actions taken during the pandemic to help the economy: quantitative easing. <br /><br />Today on the show, we talk to both <a href="https://www.nber.org/papers/w30749" target="_blank">a critic of these actions</a> and someone who helped put those those actions in play. <br /><br />See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy">NPR Privacy Policy</a>
Episode details and artwork are published by the show’s own feed. Sentinel plays short cited excerpts and links every episode back to its publisher.




























