- Home - Reserves Central
Reserves Central
Federal Reserve balances can be classified as balances maintained to satisfy reserve balance requirements, clearing balances, or excess reserve balances. Reserve balance requirements are the amount of balances that a financial institution must hold with the Federal Reserve to satisfy its reserve requirement. An institution’s reserve requirement is a fraction of its reservable liabilities (which includes certain deposits and other liabilities); the fraction—the required reserve ratio—is set by the Board of Governors within limits prescribed in the Federal Reserve Act. A financial institution satisfies its reserve requirement by its holdings of vault cash (currency in its vault) and, if vault cash is insufficient to meet the requirement, by the balance maintained directly with a Federal Reserve Bank. Financial institutions also hold clearing balances and excess reserve balances (balances held in excess of the institution’s total balance requirement.) In addition, financial institutions may hold interest-bearing term deposits with Federal Reserve Banks. Term deposits are not considered reserve balances and cannot be used to satisfy an institution’s total balance requirement.
Reserves Administration Enhancements
The Federal Reserve will be implementing changes to the policies, internal processes, and technologies that support the administration of reserve requirements. Upcoming enhancements are centered on two key areas:
- Simplifying the rules governing the administration of reserve requirements
- Introducing Reserves Central—Reserve Account Administration, a new application that supports reserves administration
Follow this link to the Reserves Administration Enhancements Resource Center to learn more. Please consult your Reserves Central District Contact with any questions.
Term Deposit Facility
The Term Deposit Facility (TDF) is a program under which the Federal Reserve offers term deposits to institutions that are eligible to receive interest on the balances they maintain at the Reserve Banks. A term deposit allows eligible institutions to place funds at its Reserve Bank in a term deposit for an agreed upon number of days and reduce the amount of reserves it holds.
Follow this link to the Term Deposit Facility Resource Center to learn more.
Click the button below to access the Term Deposit Facility application.
Excess Balance Account
Excess balance accounts are limited-purpose accounts for maintaining the excess balances of institutions that are eligible to earn interest on balances at Federal Reserve Banks. The participating eligible institutions (‘participants’) authorize another institution (‘agent’) to manage the excess balance account on their behalf.
Follow this link to the Excess Balance Account Resource Center to learn more.
Interest on Reserves
As of October 1, 2008, the Federal Reserve has the authority to pay interest on balances held at Reserve Banks to satisfy reserve balance requirements and on excess balances.
The following materials will help familiarize you with Interest on Reserves:
- Announcement Letter
- Federal Reserve Board Announcement
- How to Calculate Required Reserve Balances and Excess Balances
- Related Press Releases
- Federal Register Notice
- Frequently Asked Questions
ReserveCalc
ReserveCalc is a software application of the Federal Reserve that allows staff at financial institutions to view reserve maintenance information from a desktop computer. ReserveCalc connects institutions to the Federal Reserve through the Internet, which provides access to reserves data around the clock, 365 days a year. Instead of waiting for scheduled reports, staff can access ReserveCalc anytime.
Follow this link to learn more about ReserveCalc.
Click the button below to access the ReserveCalc application.
Reserve Maintenance Manual
This manual provides information fundamental to understanding reserve calculations and account maintenance. The manual is updated each year to reflect the annual indexation of values used in the calculation of reserve requirements and any other changes affecting reserve calculation and maintenance.
Reserve Maintenance Calendars
Weekly and quarterly reserve maintenance calendars for FR 2900 reporters are below:
Weekly:
Quarterly:
Current Exemption and Tranche Levels and Deposit Cutoff Levels
Read about the 2012 annual adjustments to amounts (reserve requirement exemption amount and the low reserve tranche) used in the calculation of reserve requirements and cutoff levels (nonexempt deposit cutoff and the reduced reporting limit) used to determine deposit reporting panels.
Clearing Balance
A contractual clearing balance (sometimes called a clearing balance requirement) is an amount that an institution may contract (or be required) to maintain with a Reserve Bank in addition to any reserve balance requirement. Balances held to meet a contractual clearing balance, up to a limit, generate earnings credits that can be used to offset service charges an institution may incur through its use of eligible Federal Reserve services.
To establish or make changes to a clearing balance requirement, complete the Clearing Balance Request Form . For additional information about contractual clearing balances, review the Clearing Balance Fact Sheet .
Use the Clearing Balance Calculator to determine the contractual clearing balance level required to generate desired earnings credits or the earnings credits generated based on your institution’s clearing balance level.
FedMail®
FedMail is an electronic messaging system used to transmit information from the Federal Reserve Banks to your organization. FedMail provides an alternate delivery mechanism to paper-based delivery. The service offers same-day delivery of statements and advices from a number of financial service areas.
FedMail can deliver the following reserves statements to your Internet e-mail address or fax machine:
- Report of Required Reserves
- Reserve Position Reports
- Preliminary Position Report
- Final Position Report
- Report of Required Reserves in Pass-Through Accounts
- Statement of Adjustments Applied
- Interest on Reserves Advices
- Advice of Interest Payment
- Advice of Interest Payment Adjustment
If you would like to sign up for the FedMail access solution or if you need to make changes to your FedMail service, please complete the FedMail Service Request Form .
Questions?
Please contact your Reporting and Reserves District Contact with questions about reserves administration.