U.S. Fed extends help on bond-buying to smaller cities and counties

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Reserve on Monday broadened its help for local governments, offering to buy bonds of up to three years' duration from counties with as few as 500,000 residents and cities with as few as 250,000 residents.The initial population size limits of 2 million for counties and 1 million for cities had restricted the Fed program to about two dozen of the largest local governments when it was announced earlier this month. That led to complaints, particularly among..