[AznHisoka]

This.

Can someone with some financial background refute this? Why is buying assets a better idea? In concrete, non-abstract, non-hand-wavey, laymen terms, how is it going to make the Average Joe get through this crisis? How is it going to help him pay for his rent/food/etc in the next 2-3 months, and potentially longer when he possibly will have no job?

[QuesnayJr]

Legally, the Fed can't do that. Only the government can. Anyway, the Fed is mostly buying government debt or government-guaranteed debt. By buying up the existing debt, this creates space for the government to borrow and spend on supporting Average Joe.

Alternatively, the Treasury could print money and mail it out to Average Joe. But then there's no way for the Fed take the money out of circulation if we get inflation.