Does the Federal Reserve tell the public what it holds on its balance sheet?
The Federal Reserve publishes many reports that provide information about the assets and liabilities on its balance sheet as part of an effort to enhance transparency and ensure appropriate accountability to the Congress and the public.
Each week the Board publishes the H.4.1 statistical release, "Factors Affecting Reserve Balances of Depository Institutions and Condition Statement of Federal Reserve Banks."
The release presents the balance sheet for each Federal Reserve Bank, a consolidated balance sheet for all 12 Reserve Banks, and several other tables with information on specific assets, liabilities, and commitments of the Federal Reserve Banks.
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York publishes a list of all the securities held in the System Open Market Account. This list includes the amount held and the interest rate of each security and is updated each Wednesday. In addition, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York produces an annual report on the Federal Reserve's securities holdings and open market operations.
Finally, the Federal Reserve Board publishes a quarterly report, the Quarterly Report on Federal Reserve Balance Sheet Developments, with detailed information about the balance sheet, the consolidated financial position, and the results of operations of the Reserve Banks. This report is provided to the Congress.