Federal Reserve Board (2024)

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Structure of the Federal Reserve System

Federal Reserve Board

Federal Reserve Board (1)

The Board of Governors--located in Washington, D.C.--is the governing body of the Federal Reserve System. It is run by seven members, or "governors," who are nominated by the President of the United States and confirmed in their positions by the U.S. Senate. The Board of Governors guides the operation of the Federal Reserve System to promote the goals and fulfill the responsibilities given to the Federal Reserve by the Federal Reserve Act.

All of the members of the Board serve on the FOMC, which is the body within the Federal Reserve that sets monetary policy.

Board Appointment

Each member of the Board of Governors is appointed for a 14-year term; the terms are staggered so that one term expires on January 31 of each even-numbered year. After serving a full 14-year term, a Board member may not be reappointed. If a Board member leaves the Board before his or her term expires, however, the person nominated and confirmed to serve the remainder of the term may later be appointed to a full 14-year term.

The Chair and Vice Chair of the Board are also appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, but serve only four-year terms. They may be reappointed to additional four-year terms. The nominees to these posts must already be members of the Board or must be simultaneously appointed to the Board.

Board Responsibilities

The Board oversees the operations of the 12 Reserve Banks and shares with them the responsibility for supervising and regulating certain financial institutions and activities. The Board also provides general guidance, direction, and oversight when the Reserve Banks lend to depository institutions and others and when the Reserve Banks provide financial services to depository institutions and the federal government. The Board also has broad oversight responsibility for the operations and activities of the Federal Reserve Banks. This authority includes oversight of the Reserve Banks' services to depository institutions, and to the U.S. Treasury, and of the Reserve Banks' examination and supervision of various financial institutions. As part of this oversight, the Board reviews and approves the budgets of each of the Reserve Banks.

The Board also helps to ensure that the voices and concerns of consumers and communities are heard at the central bank by conducting consumer-focused supervision, research, and policy analysis, and, more generally, by promoting a fair and transparent consumer financial services market.

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Last Update: April 01, 2024

Federal Reserve Board (2024)

FAQs

What does the Federal Reserve Board do? ›

Today, the Fed is tasked with managing U.S. monetary policy, regulating bank holding companies and other member banks, and monitoring systemic risk in the financial system. The seven-member Board of Governors, the system's seat of power, is based in Washington, DC, and currently led by Fed Chair Jerome Powell.

Who oversees the Federal Reserve Board? ›

The Board of Governors--located in Washington, D.C.--is the governing body of the Federal Reserve System. It is run by seven members, or "governors," who are nominated by the President of the United States and confirmed in their positions by the U.S. Senate.

What are the five major responsibilities of the Federal Reserve Board? ›

The Fed Explained
  • Overview of the Federal Reserve System. ...
  • The Three Key System Entities. ...
  • Conducting Monetary Policy. ...
  • Promoting Financial System Stability. ...
  • Supervising and Regulating Financial Institutions and Activities. ...
  • Fostering Payment and Settlement System Safety and Efficiency.
Dec 28, 2023

How are the 7 members of the Federal Reserve Board placed on the board? ›

The seven members of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System are nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate. A full term is fourteen years. One term begins every two years, on February 1 of even-numbered years. A member who serves a full term may not be reappointed.

Does the Federal Reserve Board get paid? ›

Federal Reserve Board Salary FAQs

How much does Federal Reserve Board pay? The average Federal Reserve Board salary ranges from approximately $54,740 per year (estimate) for a Train Operator to $234,528 per year (estimate) for a Director.

What two jobs does the Federal Reserve Board have? ›

The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, commonly known as the Federal Reserve Board, is the main governing body of the Federal Reserve System. It is charged with overseeing the Federal Reserve Banks and with helping implement the monetary policy of the United States.

Does Congress control the Federal Reserve? ›

Many people are surprised to learn that the central bank of the United States, the Federal Reserve ("the Fed," for short), operates for the most part independently of the federal government. But the Fed is also a quasi-governmental agency with a board of governors selected by the President and approved by Congress.

Is the Fed privately owned? ›

So is the Fed private or public? The answer is both. While the Board of Governors is an independent government agency, the Federal Reserve Banks are set up like private corporations. Member banks hold stock in the Federal Reserve Banks and earn dividends.

What are the criticism of the Federal Reserve? ›

Critics have questioned its effectiveness in managing inflation, regulating the banking system, and stabilizing the economy. Notable critics include Nobel laureate economist Milton Friedman and his fellow monetarist Anna Schwartz, who argued that the Fed's policies exacerbated the Great Depression.

Who owns the 12 banks of the Federal Reserve? ›

Federal Reserve Banks' stock is owned by banks, never by individuals. Federal law requires national banks to be members of the Federal Reserve System and to own a specified amount of the stock of the Reserve Bank in the Federal Reserve district where they are located.

How much do federal reserve board members get paid? ›

The Congress sets the salaries of the Board members. For 2019, the Chair's annual salary is $203,500. The annual salary of the other Board members (including the Vice Chair and Vice Chair for Supervision) is $183,100.

How many people work for the Federal Reserve Board? ›

The Board employs nearly 3,000 people in Washington, D.C. Regardless of where they work within the Federal Reserve System, employees aspire to achieve one mission: to provide our nation with a safer, more flexible, and more stable monetary and financial system.

Does Congress oversee the Federal Reserve? ›

General. The Federal Reserve is subject to oversight by Congress.

Can the president fire the chairman of the Federal Reserve? ›

The president may not have the legal authority to dismiss a chairman before the end of a term, although this assumption has never been tested in court. The current chairman is Jerome Powell, who was sworn in on February 5, 2018.

Is the Federal Reserve Board a government agency? ›

There is a common misconception that the Federal Reserve System is privately owned. In fact, it combines public and private characteristics: The central governing board of the FRS is an agency of the federal government and reports to Congress.

Is the Federal Reserve Board a regulator? ›

As a result, the Federal Reserve now supervises and regulates all savings and loan holding companies regardless of the charters of the subsidiary savings associations.

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