[Federal Reserve Official Paulson Says Gradual Tightening of Policy Appropriate at Present] According to Jinse Finance, on November 11th, Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank President Anna Paulson stated that she favors a gradual increase in interest rates, adding that wage pressures are limited and inflation expectations remain consistent with the central bank's 2% target. Speaking at an event organized by the Philadelphia Fed on Tuesday, Paulson said, "For now, further gradual tightening of policy seems appropriate." She added, "If inflation expectations rise, wage pressures increase, or underlying inflation rises, I would like to act more quickly. But at the moment, I haven't seen that." Federal Reserve officials kept the benchmark interest rate unchanged at 3.75% to 4% last month, after raising rates by 0.25 percentage points in September. Since the October meeting, several policymakers have stated that further tightening is needed to keep inflation within the 2% target range. Paulson stated, "One meeting without action is a matter of pace, not direction. There may be more work to be done. But I prefer a gradual tightening of policy as conditions allow." She added that slowing down the pace would give households, businesses, and the financial sector time to adjust, while also allowing policymakers time to assess the data. She stated, "A gradual approach works best when the policy direction is clear. If the market anticipates further tightening, a gradual approach will not leave us behind our intended goals." (Sina Finance)