Grumpy Editor lists FOMC’s meeting dates in 2008

Many business and financial stories relating to future Fed action, for some strange reason, tend to bury or not pinpoint actual dates of upcoming Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meetings in advance.  Sometimes they come close with “next week” or “next month.”

So Grumpy Editor lists all scheduled 2008 dates below.

For the remainder of 2007 are this week’s two-day meeting, Oct. 30 and 31, with another gathering on Dec. 16.

Changes in the federal funds rate trigger a chain of events that affect other short-term interest rates, foreign exchange rates, long-term interest rates, the amount of money and credit, and, ultimately, a range of economic variables.  That includes employment, output, prices of goods and services plus, of course, the stock market.

Investors, seeking clues on the direction of interest rates, focus on actions and wording in statements of FOMC’s 12 members headed by chairman Ben S. Bernanke.

Eight meetings, including four two-day sessions, scheduled for 2008:

Jan. 29 and 30.

March 18.

April 29 and 30.

June 24 and 25.

Aug. 5.

Sept. 16.

Oct. 28 and 29.

Dec. 16.

Following the meetings (or at the end of two-day gatherings), statements are released to media around 2:15 p.m., Eastern time.