What are Bank Reserves?

Reserve balances with Federal Reserve Banks are the difference between "total factors supplying reserve funds" and "total factors, other than reserve balances, absorbing reserve funds." This item includes balances at the Federal Reserve of all depository institutions that are used to satisfy reserve requirements and balances held in excess of balance requirements. It excludes reserves held in the form of cash in bank vaults, and excludes service-related deposits.

Developments


Series Bank Reserves[1]
Units/Seasonality Billions NSA M/M Level M/M % Y/Y %
Date
2024-08-01 3,314 20 0.61 2.32
2024-07-01 3,294 -9 -0.28 3.82
2024-06-01 3,303 -107 -3.13 4.13
2024-05-01 3,409 85 2.56 3.02
2024-04-01 3,324 -172 -4.91 6.02
2024-03-01 3,496 -71 -2.00 1.70
2024-02-01 3,568 41 1.17 18.26
2024-01-01 3,526 80 2.31 16.30
2023-12-01 3,446 5 0.14 14.20
2023-11-01 3,442 180 5.51 8.60
2023-10-01 3,262 92 2.89 7.20
2023-09-01 3,170 -68 -2.10 7.08
2023-08-01 3,238 66 2.08 -0.32
2023-07-01 3,172 1 0.02 -2.60
2023-06-01 3,172 -138 -4.17 1.33
2023-05-01 3,309 174 5.54 0.10
2023-04-01 3,136 -302 -8.78 -5.89
2023-03-01 3,438 421 13.96 -10.24
2023-02-01 3,017 -15 -0.50 -19.98
2023-01-01 3,032 14 0.46 -20.13
2022-12-01 3,018 -151 -4.77 -26.68
2022-11-01 3,169 126 4.15 -23.87
2022-10-01 3,043 82 2.78 -25.37
2022-09-01 2,961 -288 -8.87 -28.23
2022-08-01 3,249 -8 -0.25 -22.05
2022-07-01 3,257 127 4.05 -18.26
2022-06-01 3,130 -176 -5.33 -17.21
2022-05-01 3,306 -26 -0.77 -13.11
2022-04-01 3,332 -498 -13.00 -12.99
2022-03-01 3,830 60 1.59 -1.20
2022-02-01 3,770 -26 -0.69 11.90
2022-01-01 3,796 -320 -7.77 20.02
2021-12-01 4,116 -47 -1.12 31.84
2021-11-01 4,163 86 2.10 35.00
2021-10-01 4,077 -48 -1.17 41.53
2021-09-01 4,125 -42 -1.02 45.29
2021-08-01 4,168 183 4.60 48.01
2021-07-01 3,984 204 5.38 52.35
2021-06-01 3,781 -24 -0.64 29.53
2021-05-01 3,805 -24 -0.63 16.43
2021-04-01 3,829 -47 -1.21 21.21
2021-03-01 3,876 507 15.05 77.24
2021-02-01 3,369 206 6.51 107.14
2021-01-01 3,163 41 1.31 95.69
2020-12-01 3,122 39 1.25 89.00
2020-11-01 3,084 203 7.04 101.98
2020-10-01 2,881 41 1.46 94.16
2020-09-01 2,839 24 0.84 102.78
2020-08-01 2,816 201 7.67 87.88
2020-07-01 2,615 -303 -10.40 70.43
2020-06-01 2,919 -349 -10.69 93.97
2020-05-01 3,268 109 3.45 111.57
2020-04-01 3,159 972 44.45 109.85
2020-03-01 2,187 561 34.46 34.81
2020-02-01 1,626 10 0.63 -0.87
2020-01-01 1,616 -36 -2.15 -0.07
2019-12-01 1,652 125 8.20 -0.56

What can the FED do if reserves get very low?

References