New regulations underscore Fed gathering

JACKSON HOLE, Wyo., Aug. 21 (UPI) -- New regulations may be the underlying theme of the U.S. Federal Reserve's annual meeting in Jackson Hole, Wyo., this week, analysts said.

The official theme of the three-day meeting, which began Thursday, is "Maintaining Stability in a Changing Financial System," USA Today reported.

But, as the newspaper noted, times have changed.

A year ago, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said it would not be appropriate for the central bank to step in as a safety net for banks making poor decisions.

However, they have. In March, the Fed orchestrated a bailout for investment bank Bear Stearns. The U.S. Treasury Department later initiated a bill to bail out the nation's largest mortgage concerns, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. and the Federal National Mortgage Association.

"We are providing (banks) lots of cash," said professor Peter Morici of the University of Maryland. "But, yet they are not required to change their business models," he said.