Fed Taper Could Wait Until December or Later: Neil Irwin

If not now, when? That's the question many economists and investors have been asking about Fed policy since the central bank decided Wednesday not to taper its $85 billion worth of monthly asset purchases. In its statement, the Fed said that "tightening of financial conditions observed in recent months, if sustained, could slow the pace of improvement in the economy and labor market." So it decided to wait for "more evidence that progress will be sustained before adjusting the pace of its purchases."