The interest rate set by the Federal Reserve is a crucial tool for promoting economic conditions that meet the mandate established by the United States Congress, which includes high employment, low and stable inflation, sustainable economic growth, and the moderation of long-term interest rates. The interest rates determined by the Fed directly influence the cost of credit, making financing either more accessible or more restrictive. When interest rates are low, there is a greater incentive for consumers to purchase homes through mortgages, finance automobiles, or undertake home renovations. Additionally, businesses are encouraged to invest in expanding their operations, whether by purchasing new equipment, modernizing facilities, or hiring more workers. Conversely, higher interest rates tend to curb such activity, discouraging borrowing and slowing economic expansion.

The dataset analyzed contains information on the economic conditions in the United States on a monthly basis since 1954, including the federal funds rate, which represents the percentage at which financial institutions trade reserves held at the Federal Reserve with each other in the interbank market overnight. This rate is determined by the market but is directly influenced by the Federal Reserve through open market operations to reach the established target. The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meets eight times a year to determine the federal funds rate target, which has been defined within a range with upper and lower limits since December 2008.

Furthermore, real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is calculated based on the seasonally adjusted quarterly rate of change in the economy, using chained 2009 dollars as a reference. The unemployment rate represents the seasonally adjusted percentage of the labor force that is unemployed. Meanwhile, the inflation rate is determined by the monthly change in the Consumer Price Index, excluding food and energy prices for a more stable analysis of core inflation.

The interest rate data was sourced from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis' economic data portal, while GDP information was provided by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, and unemployment and inflation data were made available by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The analysis of this data helps to understand how economic growth, the unemployment rate, and inflation influence the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy decisions. Additionally, it allows for a study of the evolution of interest rate policies over time and raises the question of how predictable the Fed’s future decisions may be. Based on observed trends, it is possible to speculate whether the target range set in March 2017 will be maintained, lowered, or increased, considering the prevailing economic context and the challenges faced in conducting U.S. monetary policy.

Content

This dataset has no description from FRED.

Context

This is a dataset hosted by the Federal Reserve Economic Database (FRED). The organization has a data platform found here and they update their information according the amount of data that is brought in. Explore FRED using Kaggle and all of the data sources available through the FRED organization page!

• Update Frequency: This dataset is updated daily.

• Observation Start: 2002-12-18

• Observation End : 2018-08-08

Acknowledgements

This dataset is maintained using FRED's APIs and Kaggle's API.

Cover photo by Jongsun Lee on Unsplash
Unsplash Images are distributed under a unique Unsplash License.

Content

This dataset has no description from FRED.

Context

This is a dataset from the Federal Reserve hosted by the Federal Reserve Economic Database (FRED). FRED has a data platform found here and they update their information according to the frequency that the data updates. Explore the Federal Reserve using Kaggle and all of the data sources available through the Federal Reserve organization page!

• Update Frequency: This dataset is updated daily.

• Observation Start: 1959-01-01

• Observation End : 2019-11-01

Acknowledgements

This dataset is maintained using FRED's API and Kaggle's API.

Cover photo by Henri Pham on Unsplash
Unsplash Images are distributed under a unique Unsplash License.

Content

More details about each file are in the individual file descriptions.

Context

This is a dataset from the Federal Reserve hosted by the Federal Reserve Economic Database (FRED). FRED has a data platform found here and they update their information according to the frequency that the data updates. Explore the Federal Reserve using Kaggle and all of the data sources available through the Federal Reserve organization page!

• Update Frequency: This dataset is updated daily.

Acknowledgements

This dataset is maintained using FRED's API and Kaggle's API.

Cover photo by Armando Arauz on Unsplash
Unsplash Images are distributed under a unique Unsplash License.

Content

This dataset has no description from FRED.

Context

This is a dataset from the Federal Reserve hosted by the Federal Reserve Economic Database (FRED). FRED has a data platform found here and they update their information according to the frequency that the data updates. Explore the Federal Reserve using Kaggle and all of the data sources available through the Federal Reserve organization page!

• Update Frequency: This dataset is updated daily.

• Observation Start: 1975-01-06

• Observation End : 2019-12-09

Acknowledgements

This dataset is maintained using FRED's API and Kaggle's API.

Cover photo by Fineas Anton on Unsplash
Unsplash Images are distributed under a unique Unsplash License.

Content

This dataset has no description from FRED.

Context

This is a dataset from the Federal Reserve hosted by the Federal Reserve Economic Database (FRED). FRED has a data platform found here and they update their information according to the frequency that the data updates. Explore the Federal Reserve using Kaggle and all of the data sources available through the Federal Reserve organization page!

• Update Frequency: This dataset is updated daily.

• Observation Start: 1973-01-03

• Observation End : 2019-12-11

Acknowledgements

This dataset is maintained using FRED's API and Kaggle's API.

Cover photo by timJ on Unsplash
Unsplash Images are distributed under a unique Unsplash License.

Content

Reserve balance requirements series is the portion of the reserve requirements not satisfied by vault cash. The series is calulated as Required reserves (https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/REQRESNS) less Vault cash used to satisfy required reserves (https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/VAULT).

Context

This is a dataset from the Federal Reserve hosted by the Federal Reserve Economic Database (FRED). FRED has a data platform found here and they update their information according to the frequency that the data updates. Explore the Federal Reserve using Kaggle and all of the data sources available through the Federal Reserve organization page!

• Update Frequency: This dataset is updated daily.

• Observation Start: 1984-02-01

• Observation End : 2019-11-01

Acknowledgements

This dataset is maintained using FRED's API and Kaggle's API.

Cover photo by David Clode on Unsplash
Unsplash Images are distributed under a unique Unsplash License.

Content

More details about each file are in the individual file descriptions.

Context

This is a dataset hosted by the Federal Reserve Economic Database (FRED). The organization has a data platform found here and they update their information according the amount of data that is brought in. Explore FRED using Kaggle and all of the data sources available through the FRED organization page!

• Update Frequency: This dataset is updated daily.

Acknowledgements

This dataset is maintained using FRED's APIs and Kaggle's API.

Cover photo by Abraham Osorio on Unsplash
Unsplash Images are distributed under a unique Unsplash License.

Content

This series is a sum of total reserve balances maintained plus vault cash used to satisfy required reserves.

Context

This is a dataset from the Federal Reserve hosted by the Federal Reserve Economic Database (FRED). FRED has a data platform found here and they update their information according to the frequency that the data updates. Explore the Federal Reserve using Kaggle and all of the data sources available through the Federal Reserve organization page!

• Update Frequency: This dataset is updated daily.

• Observation Start: 1959-01-01

• Observation End : 2019-11-01

Acknowledgements

This dataset is maintained using FRED's API and Kaggle's API.

Cover photo by Kalen Emsley on Unsplash
Unsplash Images are distributed under a unique Unsplash License.

Content

The FOMC has authorized temporary reciprocal currency arrangements (central bank liquidity swaps) with certain foreign central banks to help provide liquidity in U.S. dollars to overseas markets.

These swaps involve two transactions. First, when the foreign central bank draws on the swap line, it sells a specified amount of its currency to the Federal Reserve in exchange for dollars at the prevailing market exchange rate. The foreign currency that the Federal Reserve acquires is placed in an account for the Federal Reserve at the foreign central bank. This line in the statistical release reports the dollar value of the foreign currency held under these swaps.

Second, the dollars that the Federal Reserve provides are deposited in an account for the foreign central bank at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. At the same time as the draw on the swap line, the Federal Reserve and the foreign central bank enter into a binding agreement for a second transaction in which the foreign central bank is obligated to repurchase the foreign currency at a specified future date at the same exchange rate. At the conclusion of the second transaction, the foreign central bank pays a market-based rate of interest to the Federal Reserve. Central bank liquidity swaps are of various maturities, ranging from overnight to three months.

Context

This is a dataset from the Federal Reserve hosted by the Federal Reserve Economic Database (FRED). FRED has a data platform found here and they update their information according to the frequency that the data updates. Explore the Federal Reserve using Kaggle and all of the data sources available through the Federal Reserve organization page!

• Update Frequency: This dataset is updated daily.

• Observation Start: 2002-12-18

• Observation End : 2019-12-18

Acknowledgements

This dataset is maintained using FRED's API and Kaggle's API.

Cover photo by Hillie Chan on Unsplash
Unsplash Images are distributed under a unique Unsplash License.

Content

More details about each file are in the individual file descriptions.

Context

This is a dataset from the Federal Reserve hosted by the Federal Reserve Economic Database (FRED). FRED has a data platform found here and they update their information according to the frequency that the data updates. Explore the Federal Reserve using Kaggle and all of the data sources available through the Federal Reserve organization page!

• Update Frequency: This dataset is updated daily.

Acknowledgements

This dataset is maintained using FRED's API and Kaggle's API.

Cover photo by Pepi Stojanovski on Unsplash
Unsplash Images are distributed under a unique Unsplash License.

Content

Reserve Bank credit is the sum of securities held outright, repurchase agreements, term auction credit, other loans, net portfolio holdings of Commercial Paper Funding Facility LLC, net portfolio holdings of LLCs funded through the Money Market Investor Funding Facility, net portfolio holdings of Maiden Lane LLC, net portfolio holdings of Maiden Lane II LLC, net portfolio holdings of Maiden Lane III LLC, float, central bank liquidity swaps, and other Federal Reserve assets.

Context

This is a dataset from the Federal Reserve hosted by the Federal Reserve Economic Database (FRED). FRED has a data platform found here and they update their information according to the frequency that the data updates. Explore the Federal Reserve using Kaggle and all of the data sources available through the Federal Reserve organization page!

• Update Frequency: This dataset is updated daily.

• Observation Start: 1988-11-30

• Observation End : 2019-12-18

Acknowledgements

This dataset is maintained using FRED's API and Kaggle's API.

Cover photo by Casey Horner on Unsplash
Unsplash Images are distributed under a unique Unsplash License.

Content

More details about each file are in the individual file descriptions.

Context

This is a dataset from the Federal Reserve hosted by the Federal Reserve Economic Database (FRED). FRED has a data platform found here and they update their information according to the frequency that the data updates. Explore the Federal Reserve using Kaggle and all of the data sources available through the Federal Reserve organization page!

• Update Frequency: This dataset is updated daily.

Acknowledgements

This dataset is maintained using FRED's API and Kaggle's API.

Cover photo by Jordan on Unsplash
Unsplash Images are distributed under a unique Unsplash License.

Content

More details about each file are in the individual file descriptions.

Context

This is a dataset from the Federal Reserve hosted by the Federal Reserve Economic Database (FRED). FRED has a data platform found here and they update their information according to the frequency that the data updates. Explore the Federal Reserve using Kaggle and all of the data sources available through the Federal Reserve organization page!

• Update Frequency: This dataset is updated daily.

Acknowledgements

This dataset is maintained using FRED's API and Kaggle's API.

Cover photo by Hamish Duncan on Unsplash
Unsplash Images are distributed under a unique Unsplash License.

Content

More details about each file are in the individual file descriptions.

Context

This is a dataset from the Federal Reserve hosted by the Federal Reserve Economic Database (FRED). FRED has a data platform found here and they update their information according to the frequency that the data updates. Explore the Federal Reserve using Kaggle and all of the data sources available through the Federal Reserve organization page!

• Update Frequency: This dataset is updated daily.

Acknowledgements

This dataset is maintained using FRED's API and Kaggle's API.

Cover photo by Loïc Mermilliod on Unsplash
Unsplash Images are distributed under a unique Unsplash License.

Content

Total reserve balances maintained is the amount of balances institutions hold in accounts at Federal Reserve Banks that are available to satisfy reserve requirements. Historically, this series excluded balances held in a reserve account for contractual clearing purposes (contractual clearing balances program has been discontinued on July 12, 2012).

Context

This is a dataset from the Federal Reserve hosted by the Federal Reserve Economic Database (FRED). FRED has a data platform found here and they update their information according to the frequency that the data updates. Explore the Federal Reserve using Kaggle and all of the data sources available through the Federal Reserve organization page!

• Update Frequency: This dataset is updated daily.

• Observation Start: 1950-01-01

• Observation End : 2019-11-01

Acknowledgements

This dataset is maintained using FRED's API and Kaggle's API.

Cover photo by Hudson Hintze on Unsplash
Unsplash Images are distributed under a unique Unsplash License.

Content

More details about each file are in the individual file descriptions.

Context

This is a dataset from the Federal Reserve hosted by the Federal Reserve Economic Database (FRED). FRED has a data platform found here and they update their information according to the frequency that the data updates. Explore the Federal Reserve using Kaggle and all of the data sources available through the Federal Reserve organization page!

• Update Frequency: This dataset is updated daily.

Acknowledgements

This dataset is maintained using FRED's API and Kaggle's API.

Content

More details about each file are in the individual file descriptions.

Context

This is a dataset from the Federal Reserve hosted by the Federal Reserve Economic Database (FRED). FRED has a data platform found here and they update their information according to the frequency that the data updates. Explore the Federal Reserve using Kaggle and all of the data sources available through the Federal Reserve organization page!

• Update Frequency: This dataset is updated daily.

Acknowledgements

This dataset is maintained using FRED's API and Kaggle's API.

Cover photo by Joe McDaniel on Unsplash
Unsplash Images are distributed under a unique Unsplash License.

This dataset represents a snapshot of the FRED catalog, captured on 2025-03-24.

What is FRED? As per the FRED website,

Short for Federal Reserve Economic Data, FRED is an online database consisting of hundreds of thousands of economic data time series from scores of national, international, public, and private sources. FRED, created and maintained by the Research Department at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, goes far beyond simply providing data: It combines data with a powerful mix of tools that help the user understand, interact with, display, and disseminate the data. In essence, FRED helps users tell their data stories. The purpose of this article is to guide the potential (or current) FRED user through the various aspects and tools of the database.

The FRED database is an abolute gold mine of economic data time series. Thousands of such series are published on the FRED website, organized by category and avialable for viewing and downloading. In fact, a number of these economic datasets have been uploaded to kaggle. With in the current notebook, however, we are not interested in the individual time series; rather, we are focused on catalog itself.

The FRED API has been used for gaining access to the catalog. The catalog consists of two files

• categories.csv - the heirarchy of categories used for organizing the time series
• series.csv - the list of avialable time series themselves

A given category is identified by a category_id. And, in a similar fashion, a given series is identified by a series_id. In a given category, one may find both a group of series and a set of sub-categories. As such every series record contains a category_id to identify the immediate category under which it is found category record contains a parent_id to indicate where in the category heirarchy it resides

Content

Source ID: FL313066220.Q

For more information about the Flow of Funds tables, see: https://www.federalreserve.gov/apps/fof/Default.aspx

For a detailed description, including how this series is constructed, see: https://www.federalreserve.gov/apps/fof/SeriesAnalyzer.aspx?s=FL313066220&t=

Context

This is a dataset from the Federal Reserve hosted by the Federal Reserve Economic Database (FRED). FRED has a data platform found here and they update their information according to the frequency that the data updates. Explore the Federal Reserve using Kaggle and all of the data sources available through the Federal Reserve organization page!

• Update Frequency: This dataset is updated daily.

• Observation Start: 1945-10-01

• Observation End : 2019-04-01

Acknowledgements

This dataset is maintained using FRED's API and Kaggle's API.

Cover photo by Michael on Unsplash
Unsplash Images are distributed under a unique Unsplash License.