The cyclical volatility of interest rates

Interest rates change in response to a variety of economic events, such as changes in Fed policy, crises in financial markets, and changes in prospects for long-term economic growth and inflation. But such events are sporadic, and interest rates show a more regular pattern of volatility that corresponds to the business cycle. In this article, Keith Sill examines some facts and theory about the cyclical volatility of short-term and long-term interest rates.