ChartObject Federal Funds Target RateAccording to Investopedia, quantitative easing is a government monetary policy occasionally used to increase the money supply by buying securities, such as U.S. Treasury Bonds, in the open market.

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This optional monthly payment program, called Fidelity Smart Payment Program, uses quantitative analysis to determine a schedule of annual target payment rates, with a goal of not running out of money before the target date is achieved.

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The BOE also declined to add to its Asset Purchase Target (APT), another acronym in the alphabet soup of names for quantitative easing programs, leaving it on hold at 375 billion.

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Inflation has been above target in 38 out of the last 44 months, and the Bank, through policies such as quantitative easing and the more recent Funding for Lending scheme, has been trying to ensure homeowners and businesses have greater access to cheaper loans to try to stimulate the recovery.

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