Federal Reserve Bank
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The United States Federal Reserve System consists of twelve Federal Reserve Banks, each responsible for a particular district, and some with branches.
The twelve regional Federal Reserve Banks, which were established by the Congress as the operating arms of the nation's central banking system, are organized much like private corporations—possibly leading to some confusion about “ownership.” For example, the Reserve Banks issue shares of stock to member banks. However, owning Reserve Bank stock is quite different from owning stock in a private company. The Reserve Banks are not operated for profit, and ownership of a certain amount of stock is, by law, a condition of membership in the System. The stock may not be sold or traded or pledged as security for a loan; dividends are, by law, limited to 6 percent per year. [1] (http://minneapolisfed.org/info/sys/faq/frs.cfm#3)
The dividends paid to member banks are considered partial compensation for the lack of interest paid on member banks' required reserves held at the Fed. By law, banks in the United States must maintain fractional reserves, most of which are kept on account at the Fed. The Federal Reserve does not pay interest on these funds.
The Federal Reserve System was created via the Federal Reserve Act of 1913 which "established a new central bank designed to add both flexibility and strength to the nation's financial system. The legislation provided for a system that included a number of regional Reserve Banks and a seven-member governing board. All national banks were required to join the system and other banks could join. The Reserve Banks opened for business in November 1914. Congress created Federal Reserve notes to provide the nation with an elastic supply of currency. The notes were to be issued to Reserve Banks for subsequent transmittal to banking institutions in accordance with the needs of the public.
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York is located only a few blocks from the former location of the World Trade Center buildings. It has a gold vault 100 feet (30 m) beneath the street. That depository is the largest in the world – even larger than the legendary Fort Knox gold reserves in the mid-1980s. The gold is owned by foreign nations, including Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Its value is estimated at $25 billion.
Banks
- 1st District - Federal Reserve Bank of Boston [2] (http://www.bos.frb.org/)
- 2nd District - Federal Reserve Bank of New York [3] (http://www.ny.frb.org/), with a branch in Buffalo, New York
- 3rd District - Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia [4] (http://www.phil.frb.org/)
- 4th District - Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland [5] (http://www.clevelandfed.org/), with branches in Cincinnati, Ohio and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- 5th District - Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond [6] (http://www.rich.frb.org/), with branches in Baltimore, Maryland and Charlotte, North Carolina
- 6th District - Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta [7] (http://www.frbatlanta.org/), with branches in Birmingham, Alabama, Jacksonville, Florida, Miami, Florida, Nashville, Tennessee, and New Orleans, Louisiana
- 7th District - Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago [8] (http://www.chicagofed.org/), with a branch in Detroit, Michigan
- 8th District - Federal Reserve Bank St. Louis [9] (http://www.stlouisfed.org/), with branches in Little Rock, Arkansas, Louisville, Kentucky, and Memphis, Tennessee
- 9th District - Federal Reserve Bank Minneapolis [10] (http://minneapolisfed.org/), with a branch in Helena, Montana
- 10th District - Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City [11] (http://www.kc.frb.org/), with branches in Denver, Colorado, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Omaha, Nebraska
- 11th District - Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas [12] (http://www.dallasfed.org/), with branches in El Paso, Texas, Houston, Texas, and San Antonio, Texas
- 12th District - Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco [13] (http://www.frbsf.org/), with branches in Los Angeles, California, Portland, Oregon, Salt Lake City, Utah, and Seattle, Washington