QE

Bank of England governor Mark Carney has said rates could be as high as 3% over the medium term, endorsing comments made by colleague Charles Bean earlier this week.

SOAPBOX

Economist and founder of Capital Economics Roger Bootle has said that quantitative easing (QE) is not the "inflation danger" people should be worried about - the focus should be on the intentions of the government.

The Federal Reserve saw jobs growth in the US as the trigger to begin tapering QE, and has raised its economic growth forecast, the minutes of the last Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting reveal.

The US dollar is closing in on a five-year high versus the yen, with gold heading towards a one-year low, ahead of the release of minutes from the Federal Reserve's historic December meeting.

US markets soared to new all-time highs on Wednesday as the Federal Reserve made a surprise early move to gradually scale back quantitative easing.

Bank of England governor Mark Carney has warned on the complications of withdrawing monetary stimulus - just hours before the US Federal Reserve may announce a tapering of its own asset purchase programme.

The Bank of England has maintained interest rates at 0.5% and the size of the asset purchase programme at £375bn.

Jupiter's Peter Lawery has said the next five years promise to be uncomfortable for investors as they try to dodge 'punches' in the form of central bank policy moves.

Companies could be forced to funnel another £250bn into their final salary pension schemes over the next decade because of ultra-low interest rates and QE, according to a report.