About the Fed

Fed FAQs

Frequently asked questions about the Federal Reserve, the Dallas Fed and other related topics. You can also use our searchable Fed FAQ database to seek answers to your questions.

Questions

The Federal Reserve

• How many Federal Reserve Banks are there?
• Who owns the Fed?
• Are employees of the Federal Reserve Bank government employees?

Dallas Fed

• Can I tour the Dallas Fed and its branch offices?
• How can I find out about job openings at the Bank?

Savings Bonds & Treasury Securities

• Where can I find information about Savings Bonds?
• Where can I find information about Treasury securities?
• Where can I find information about the Treasury Direct program?

Currency & Coins

• How can I find out how much a specific bill or coin is worth?
• What should I do with mutilated or burnt currency?
• Where can I obtain newly minted coins, the new state quarters or commemorative coin sets?

Statistical Information

• Where can I find the Consumer Price Index?
• Where can I find the Producer Price Index?
• Where can I find H-15 Selected Interest Rates?

Answers

The Federal Reserve

How many Federal Reserve Banks are there?

Twelve. Their head offices are located in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Richmond, Atlanta, Chicago, St. Louis, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Dallas and San Francisco.

Who owns the Fed?

Federal Reserve Banks, created by an act of Congress in 1913, are operated in the public interest rather than for profit or to benefit any private group. Member banks hold stock in their regional Reserve Banks, but do not control the Federal Reserve System. Holding this stock does not carry with it the control and financial interest that holding publicly traded stock allows. Fed stock cannot be sold or traded. Member banks receive a fixed 6 percent dividend annually on their stock and elect six of the nine members of the Reserve Bank’s board of directors.

So, who owns the Fed? Although it is set up like a private corporation and member banks hold its stock, the Fed owes its existence to an act of Congress and has a mandate to serve the public. Therefore, the most accurate answer may be that the Fed is "owned" by the citizens of the United States.

Are employees of the Federal Reserve Bank government employees?

Fed employees are employed by the individual Bank and are not civil service employees.

Dallas Fed

Can I tour the Dallas Fed and its branch offices?

Yes. For more information on touring the Dallas Fed, call 214-922-5250. For tour information at the branch offices call 915-521-8203 (El Paso Office), 713-652-1539 (Houston Office) and 210-978-1663 (San Antonio Office).

How can I find out about job openings at the Bank?

Visit our Employment section for a complete list of job openings in the Eleventh District.

Savings Bonds & Treasury Securities

Where can I find information about Savings Bonds?

Treasury Direct  offers information for all your Savings Bond questions. They also provide a handy Savings Bond redemption calculator  to help you determine how much your bonds are worth.

Where can I find information about Treasury securities?

You can learn all about Treasury Bills, Notes and Bonds on the TreasuryDirect website .

Where can I find information about the Treasury Direct program?

Everything you always wanted to know about the Treasury Direct program can be found on their website .

Currency & Coins

How can I find out how much a specific bill or coin is worth?

Consult a currency collector or dealer, listed in your local Yellow Pages or by searching the web. You can also try the American Numismatic Association  for more information.

What should I do with mutilated or burnt currency?

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing  offers specific guidelines on what to do with badly damaged currency.

Where can I obtain newly minted coins, the new state quarters or commemorative coin sets?

You may request the newly minted coins from your local financial institution. However, not all newly minted coins are "commemorative" and may not be available in your local market. Additionally, the U.S. Mint sells special collector sets of coins. You can purchase these sets as well as commemorative coin sets from them via their web site , or call 800-USA-MINT.

Statistical Information

Where can I find the Consumer Price Index?

At the Bureau of Labor Statistics .

Where can I find the Producer Price Index?

At the Bureau of Labor Statistics .

Where can I find H-15 Selected Interest Rates?

The Federal Reserve Board of Governors provides current releases for various interest rates . The Dallas Fed publishes the Selected Interest Rates booklet  (updated monthly online), which contains selected interest rates on U.S. Treasury bills, U.S. Treasury constant maturity indexes, and federal funds, prime rate and discount rate.