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Line 1 - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items Less Food and Energy in U.S. City Average
Line 1
(a) Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items Less Food and Energy in U.S. City Average, Index 1982-1984=100, Seasonally Adjusted (CPILFESL)
The "Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items Less Food & Energy" is an aggregate of prices paid by urban consumers for a typical basket of goods, excluding food and energy. This measurement, known as "Core CPI," is widely used by economists because food and energy have very volatile prices. The Bureau of Labor Statistics defines and measures the official CPI, and more information can be found in the FAQ (https://www.bls.gov/cpi/questions-and-answers.htm) or in this article (https://www.bls.gov/opub/hom/pdf/cpihom.pdf).

Select a date that will equal 100 for your custom index:
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Write a custom formula to transform one or more series or combine two or more series.

You can begin by adding a series to combine with your existing series.

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    Now create a custom formula to combine or transform the series.

    For example, invert an exchange rate by using formula 1/a, where “a” refers to the first FRED data series added to this line. Or calculate the spread between 2 interest rates, a and b, by using the formula a - b.

    Use the assigned data series variables (a, b, c, etc.) together with operators (+, -, *, /, ^, etc.), parentheses and constants (1, 1.5, 2, etc.) to create your own formula (e.g., 1/a, a-b, (a+b)/2, (a/(a+b+c))*100). As noted above, you may add other data series to this line before entering a formula.

    Finally, you can change the units of your new series.

    Select a date that will equal 100 for your custom index:
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    Line 1 - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items Less Food and Energy in U.S. City Average
    Line 2
    (a) Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items in U.S. City Average, Index 1982-1984=100, Seasonally Adjusted (CPIAUCSL)
    The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items (CPIAUCSL) is a price index of a basket of goods and services paid by urban consumers. Percent changes in the price index measure the inflation rate between any two time periods. The most common inflation metric is the percent change from one year ago. It can also represent the buying habits of urban consumers. This particular index includes roughly 88 percent of the total population, accounting for wage earners, clerical workers, technical workers, self-employed, short-term workers, unemployed, retirees, and those not in the labor force. The CPIs are based on prices for food, clothing, shelter, and fuels; transportation fares; service fees (e.g., water and sewer service); and sales taxes. Prices are collected monthly from about 4,000 housing units and approximately 26,000 retail establishments across 87 urban areas. To calculate the index, price changes are averaged with weights representing their importance in the spending of the particular group. The index measures price changes (as a percent change) from a predetermined reference date. In addition to the original unadjusted index distributed, the Bureau of Labor Statistics also releases a seasonally adjusted index. The unadjusted series reflects all factors that may influence a change in prices. However, it can be very useful to look at the seasonally adjusted CPI, which removes the effects of seasonal changes, such as weather, school year, production cycles, and holidays. The CPI can be used to recognize periods of inflation and deflation. Significant increases in the CPI within a short time frame might indicate a period of inflation, and significant decreases in CPI within a short time frame might indicate a period of deflation. However, because the CPI includes volatile food and oil prices, it might not be a reliable measure of inflationary and deflationary periods. For a more accurate detection, the core CPI (CPILFESL (https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CPILFESL)) is often used. When using the CPI, please note that it is not applicable to all consumers and should not be used to determine relative living costs. Additionally, the CPI is a statistical measure vulnerable to sampling error since it is based on a sample of prices and not the complete average. For more information on the consumer price indexes, see: Bureau of Economic Analysis. "CPI Detailed Report." (https://www.bls.gov/cpi/) 2013. Handbook of Methods (https://www.bls.gov/opub/hom/pdf/cpihom.pdf) Understanding the CPI: Frequently Asked Questions (https://www.bls.gov/cpi/questions-and-answers.htm)

    Select a date that will equal 100 for your custom index:
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    to

    Write a custom formula to transform one or more series or combine two or more series.

    You can begin by adding a series to combine with your existing series.

    Type keywords to search for data

      Now create a custom formula to combine or transform the series.

      For example, invert an exchange rate by using formula 1/a, where “a” refers to the first FRED data series added to this line. Or calculate the spread between 2 interest rates, a and b, by using the formula a - b.

      Use the assigned data series variables (a, b, c, etc.) together with operators (+, -, *, /, ^, etc.), parentheses and constants (1, 1.5, 2, etc.) to create your own formula (e.g., 1/a, a-b, (a+b)/2, (a/(a+b+c))*100). As noted above, you may add other data series to this line before entering a formula.

      Finally, you can change the units of your new series.

      Select a date that will equal 100 for your custom index:
          Enter date as YYYY-MM-DD

      Line 1 - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items Less Food and Energy in U.S. City Average
      Line 3
      (a) Personal Consumption Expenditures Excluding Food and Energy (Chain-Type Price Index), Index 2017=100, Seasonally Adjusted (PCEPILFE)
      BEA Account Code: DPCCRG The Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index is a measure of the prices that people living in the United States, or those buying on their behalf, pay for goods and services. The change in the PCE price index is known for capturing inflation (or deflation) across a wide range of consumer expenses and reflecting changes in consumer behavior. For example, if car prices rise, car sales may decline while bicycle sales increase. The PCE Price Index is produced by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), which revises previously published PCE data to reflect updated information or new methodology, providing consistency across decades of data that's valuable for researchers. They also offer the series as a Chain-Type index and excluding food and energy products, as above. The PCE price index less food excluding food and energy is used primarily for macroeconomic analysis and forecasting future values of the PCE price index. The PCE Price Index is similar to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' consumer price index for urban consumers. The two indexes, which have their own purposes and uses, are constructed differently, resulting in different inflation rates. For more information on the PCE price index, see: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Guide to the National Income and Product Accounts of the United States (NIPA) (https://www.bea.gov/national/pdf/nipaguid.pdf) U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index (https://www.bea.gov/data/personal-consumption-expenditures-price-index) U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Prices & Inflation (https://www.bea.gov/resources/learning-center/what-to-know-prices-inflation) U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Differences between the Consumer Price Index and the Personal Consumption Expenditure Price Index (https://www.bls.gov/opub/btn/archive/differences-between-the-consumer-price-index-and-the-personal-consumption-expenditures-price-index.pdf)

      Select a date that will equal 100 for your custom index:
        Enter date as YYYY-MM-DD
      to

      Write a custom formula to transform one or more series or combine two or more series.

      You can begin by adding a series to combine with your existing series.

      Type keywords to search for data

        Now create a custom formula to combine or transform the series.

        For example, invert an exchange rate by using formula 1/a, where “a” refers to the first FRED data series added to this line. Or calculate the spread between 2 interest rates, a and b, by using the formula a - b.

        Use the assigned data series variables (a, b, c, etc.) together with operators (+, -, *, /, ^, etc.), parentheses and constants (1, 1.5, 2, etc.) to create your own formula (e.g., 1/a, a-b, (a+b)/2, (a/(a+b+c))*100). As noted above, you may add other data series to this line before entering a formula.

        Finally, you can change the units of your new series.

        Select a date that will equal 100 for your custom index:
            Enter date as YYYY-MM-DD

        Line 1 - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items Less Food and Energy in U.S. City Average
        Line 4
        (a) Personal Consumption Expenditures: Chain-type Price Index, Index 2017=100, Seasonally Adjusted (PCEPI)
        BEA Account Code: DPCERG The Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index is a measure of the prices that people living in the United States, or those buying on their behalf, pay for goods and services. The change in the PCE price index is known for capturing inflation (or deflation) across a wide range of consumer expenses and reflecting changes in consumer behavior. For example, if the price of beef rises, shoppers may buy less beef and more chicken. The PCE Price Index is produced by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), which revises previously published PCE data to reflect updated information or new methodology, providing consistency across decades of data that's valuable for researchers. They also offer the series as a Chain-Type index, as above. The PCE price index is used primarily for macroeconomic analysis and forecasting. The PCE Price index is the Federal Reserve’s preferred measure of inflation. The PCE Price Index is similar to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' consumer price index for urban consumers. The two indexes, which have their own purposes and uses, are constructed differently, resulting in different inflation rates. For more information on the PCE price index, see: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Guide to the National Income and Product Accounts of the United States (NIPA) (https://www.bea.gov/national/pdf/nipaguid.pdf) U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index (https://www.bea.gov/data/personal-consumption-expenditures-price-index) U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Prices & Inflation (https://www.bea.gov/resources/learning-center/what-to-know-prices-inflation) U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Differences between the Consumer Price Index and the Personal Consumption Expenditure Price Index (https://www.bls.gov/opub/btn/archive/differences-between-the-consumer-price-index-and-the-personal-consumption-expenditures-price-index.pdf)

        Select a date that will equal 100 for your custom index:
          Enter date as YYYY-MM-DD
        to

        Write a custom formula to transform one or more series or combine two or more series.

        You can begin by adding a series to combine with your existing series.

        Type keywords to search for data

          Now create a custom formula to combine or transform the series.

          For example, invert an exchange rate by using formula 1/a, where “a” refers to the first FRED data series added to this line. Or calculate the spread between 2 interest rates, a and b, by using the formula a - b.

          Use the assigned data series variables (a, b, c, etc.) together with operators (+, -, *, /, ^, etc.), parentheses and constants (1, 1.5, 2, etc.) to create your own formula (e.g., 1/a, a-b, (a+b)/2, (a/(a+b+c))*100). As noted above, you may add other data series to this line before entering a formula.

          Finally, you can change the units of your new series.

          Select a date that will equal 100 for your custom index:
              Enter date as YYYY-MM-DD

          Line 1 - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items Less Food and Energy in U.S. City Average
          Line 5
          (a) FOMC Summary of Economic Projections for the Fed Funds Rate, Median, Percent, Not Seasonally Adjusted (FEDTARMD)
          The projections for the federal funds rate are the value of the midpoint of the projected appropriate target range for the federal funds rate or the projected appropriate target level for the federal funds rate at the end of the specified calendar year or over the longer run. Each participant's projections are based on his or her assessment of appropriate monetary policy. The range for each variable in a given year includes all participants' projections, from lowest to highest, for that variable in the given year. This series represents the median value of the range forecast established by the Federal Open Market Committee. For each period, the median is the middle projection when the projections are arranged from lowest to highest. When the number of projections is even, the median is the average of the two middle projections. Digitized originals of this release can be found at https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/publication/?pid=677.

          Select a date that will equal 100 for your custom index:
            Enter date as YYYY-MM-DD
          to

          Write a custom formula to transform one or more series or combine two or more series.

          You can begin by adding a series to combine with your existing series.

          Type keywords to search for data

            Now create a custom formula to combine or transform the series.

            For example, invert an exchange rate by using formula 1/a, where “a” refers to the first FRED data series added to this line. Or calculate the spread between 2 interest rates, a and b, by using the formula a - b.

            Use the assigned data series variables (a, b, c, etc.) together with operators (+, -, *, /, ^, etc.), parentheses and constants (1, 1.5, 2, etc.) to create your own formula (e.g., 1/a, a-b, (a+b)/2, (a/(a+b+c))*100). As noted above, you may add other data series to this line before entering a formula.

            Finally, you can change the units of your new series.

            Select a date that will equal 100 for your custom index:
                Enter date as YYYY-MM-DD

            Line 1 - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items Less Food and Energy in U.S. City Average
            Line 6
            (a) Federal Funds Effective Rate, Percent, Not Seasonally Adjusted (FEDFUNDS)
            Daily Federal Funds Rate from 1928-1954 (https://fred.stlouisfed.org/categories/33951). The federal funds rate is the interest rate at which depository institutions trade federal funds (balances held at Federal Reserve Banks) with each other overnight. When a depository institution has surplus balances in its reserve account, it lends to other banks in need of larger balances. In simpler terms, a bank with excess cash, which is often referred to as liquidity, will lend to another bank that needs to quickly raise liquidity. (1) The rate that the borrowing institution pays to the lending institution is determined between the two banks; the weighted average rate for all of these types of negotiations is called the effective federal funds rate.(2) The effective federal funds rate is essentially determined by the market but is influenced by the Federal Reserve through open market operations to reach the federal funds rate target.(2) The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meets eight times a year to determine the federal funds target rate. As previously stated, this rate influences the effective federal funds rate through open market operations or by buying and selling of government bonds (government debt).(2) More specifically, the Federal Reserve decreases liquidity by selling government bonds, thereby raising the federal funds rate because banks have less liquidity to trade with other banks. Similarly, the Federal Reserve can increase liquidity by buying government bonds, decreasing the federal funds rate because banks have excess liquidity for trade. Whether the Federal Reserve wants to buy or sell bonds depends on the state of the economy. If the FOMC believes the economy is growing too fast and inflation pressures are inconsistent with the dual mandate of the Federal Reserve, the Committee may set a higher federal funds rate target to temper economic activity. In the opposing scenario, the FOMC may set a lower federal funds rate target to spur greater economic activity. Therefore, the FOMC must observe the current state of the economy to determine the best course of monetary policy that will maximize economic growth while adhering to the dual mandate set forth by Congress. In making its monetary policy decisions, the FOMC considers a wealth of economic data, such as: trends in prices and wages, employment, consumer spending and income, business investments, and foreign exchange markets. The federal funds rate is the central interest rate in the U.S. financial market. It influences other interest rates such as the prime rate, which is the rate banks charge their customers with higher credit ratings. Additionally, the federal funds rate indirectly influences longer- term interest rates such as mortgages, loans, and savings, all of which are very important to consumer wealth and confidence.(2) References (1) Federal Reserve Bank of New York. "Federal funds." Fedpoints, August 2007. (2) Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. "Monetary Policy (https://www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy.htm)". For questions on the data, please contact the data source (https://www.federalreserve.gov/apps/ContactUs/feedback.aspx?refurl=/releases/h15/%). For questions on FRED functionality, please contact us here (https://fred.stlouisfed.org/contactus/).</p>

            Select a date that will equal 100 for your custom index:
              Enter date as YYYY-MM-DD
            to

            Write a custom formula to transform one or more series or combine two or more series.

            You can begin by adding a series to combine with your existing series.

            Type keywords to search for data

              Now create a custom formula to combine or transform the series.

              For example, invert an exchange rate by using formula 1/a, where “a” refers to the first FRED data series added to this line. Or calculate the spread between 2 interest rates, a and b, by using the formula a - b.

              Use the assigned data series variables (a, b, c, etc.) together with operators (+, -, *, /, ^, etc.), parentheses and constants (1, 1.5, 2, etc.) to create your own formula (e.g., 1/a, a-b, (a+b)/2, (a/(a+b+c))*100). As noted above, you may add other data series to this line before entering a formula.

              Finally, you can change the units of your new series.

              Select a date that will equal 100 for your custom index:
                  Enter date as YYYY-MM-DD

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              Line 1
              Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items Less Food and Energy in U.S. City Average
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              Line 2
              Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items in U.S. City Average
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              Line 3
              Personal Consumption Expenditures Excluding Food and Energy (Chain-Type Price Index)
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              Line 4
              Personal Consumption Expenditures: Chain-type Price Index
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              Line 5
              FOMC Summary of Economic Projections for the Fed Funds Rate, Median
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              Federal Funds Effective Rate
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              Notes

              Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items in U.S. City Average  (CPIAUCSL)

              Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics  

              Release: Consumer Price Index  

              Units:  Index 1982-1984=100, Seasonally Adjusted

              Frequency:  Monthly

              Notes:

              The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items (CPIAUCSL) is a price index of a basket of goods and services paid by urban consumers. Percent changes in the price index measure the inflation rate between any two time periods. The most common inflation metric is the percent change from one year ago. It can also represent the buying habits of urban consumers. This particular index includes roughly 88 percent of the total population, accounting for wage earners, clerical workers, technical workers, self-employed, short-term workers, unemployed, retirees, and those not in the labor force.

              The CPIs are based on prices for food, clothing, shelter, and fuels; transportation fares; service fees (e.g., water and sewer service); and sales taxes. Prices are collected monthly from about 4,000 housing units and approximately 26,000 retail establishments across 87 urban areas. To calculate the index, price changes are averaged with weights representing their importance in the spending of the particular group. The index measures price changes (as a percent change) from a predetermined reference date. In addition to the original unadjusted index distributed, the Bureau of Labor Statistics also releases a seasonally adjusted index. The unadjusted series reflects all factors that may influence a change in prices. However, it can be very useful to look at the seasonally adjusted CPI, which removes the effects of seasonal changes, such as weather, school year, production cycles, and holidays.

              The CPI can be used to recognize periods of inflation and deflation. Significant increases in the CPI within a short time frame might indicate a period of inflation, and significant decreases in CPI within a short time frame might indicate a period of deflation. However, because the CPI includes volatile food and oil prices, it might not be a reliable measure of inflationary and deflationary periods. For a more accurate detection, the core CPI (CPILFESL) is often used. When using the CPI, please note that it is not applicable to all consumers and should not be used to determine relative living costs. Additionally, the CPI is a statistical measure vulnerable to sampling error since it is based on a sample of prices and not the complete average.

              For more information on the consumer price indexes, see:
              Bureau of Economic Analysis. "CPI Detailed Report." 2013.
              Handbook of Methods
              Understanding the CPI: Frequently Asked Questions

              Suggested Citation:

              U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items in U.S. City Average [CPIAUCSL], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CPIAUCSL, April 3, 2025.

              Personal Consumption Expenditures: Chain-type Price Index  (PCEPI)

              Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis  

              Release: Personal Income and Outlays  

              Units:  Index 2017=100, Seasonally Adjusted

              Frequency:  Monthly

              Notes:

              BEA Account Code: DPCERG

              The Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index is a measure of the prices that people living in the United States, or those buying on their behalf, pay for goods and services. The change in the PCE price index is known for capturing inflation (or deflation) across a wide range of consumer expenses and reflecting changes in consumer behavior. For example, if the price of beef rises, shoppers may buy less beef and more chicken.

              The PCE Price Index is produced by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), which revises previously published PCE data to reflect updated information or new methodology, providing consistency across decades of data that's valuable for researchers. They also offer the series as a Chain-Type index, as above. The PCE price index is used primarily for macroeconomic analysis and forecasting.

              The PCE Price index is the Federal Reserve’s preferred measure of inflation. The PCE Price Index is similar to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' consumer price index for urban consumers. The two indexes, which have their own purposes and uses, are constructed differently, resulting in different inflation rates.

              For more information on the PCE price index, see:
              U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Guide to the National Income and Product Accounts of the United States (NIPA)
              U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index
              U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Prices & Inflation
              U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Differences between the Consumer Price Index and the Personal Consumption Expenditure Price Index

              Suggested Citation:

              U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Personal Consumption Expenditures: Chain-type Price Index [PCEPI], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/PCEPI, April 3, 2025.

              Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items Less Food and Energy in U.S. City Average  (CPILFESL)

              Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics  

              Release: Consumer Price Index  

              Units:  Index 1982-1984=100, Seasonally Adjusted

              Frequency:  Monthly

              Notes:

              The "Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items Less Food & Energy" is an aggregate of prices paid by urban consumers for a typical basket of goods, excluding food and energy. This measurement, known as "Core CPI," is widely used by economists because food and energy have very volatile prices. The Bureau of Labor Statistics defines and measures the official CPI, and more information can be found in the FAQ or in this article.

              Suggested Citation:

              U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items Less Food and Energy in U.S. City Average [CPILFESL], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CPILFESL, April 3, 2025.

              Personal Consumption Expenditures Excluding Food and Energy (Chain-Type Price Index)  (PCEPILFE)

              Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis  

              Release: Personal Income and Outlays  

              Units:  Index 2017=100, Seasonally Adjusted

              Frequency:  Monthly

              Notes:

              BEA Account Code: DPCCRG

              The Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index is a measure of the prices that people living in the United States, or those buying on their behalf, pay for goods and services. The change in the PCE price index is known for capturing inflation (or deflation) across a wide range of consumer expenses and reflecting changes in consumer behavior. For example, if car prices rise, car sales may decline while bicycle sales increase.

              The PCE Price Index is produced by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), which revises previously published PCE data to reflect updated information or new methodology, providing consistency across decades of data that's valuable for researchers. They also offer the series as a Chain-Type index and excluding food and energy products, as above. The PCE price index less food excluding food and energy is used primarily for macroeconomic analysis and forecasting future values of the PCE price index.

              The PCE Price Index is similar to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' consumer price index for urban consumers. The two indexes, which have their own purposes and uses, are constructed differently, resulting in different inflation rates.

              For more information on the PCE price index, see:
              U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Guide to the National Income and Product Accounts of the United States (NIPA)
              U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index
              U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Prices & Inflation
              U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Differences between the Consumer Price Index and the Personal Consumption Expenditure Price Index

              Suggested Citation:

              U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Personal Consumption Expenditures Excluding Food and Energy (Chain-Type Price Index) [PCEPILFE], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/PCEPILFE, April 3, 2025.

              FOMC Summary of Economic Projections for the Fed Funds Rate, Median  (FEDTARMD)

              Source: U.S. Federal Open Market Committee

              Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis  

              Release: Summary of Economic Projections  

              Units:  Percent, Not Seasonally Adjusted

              Frequency:  Annual

              Notes:

              The projections for the federal funds rate are the value of the midpoint of the projected appropriate target range for the federal funds rate or the projected appropriate target level for the federal funds rate at the end of the specified calendar year or over the longer run. Each participant's projections are based on his or her assessment of appropriate monetary policy. The range for each variable in a given year includes all participants' projections, from lowest to highest, for that variable in the given year. This series represents the median value of the range forecast established by the Federal Open Market Committee. For each period, the median is the middle projection when the projections are arranged from lowest to highest. When the number of projections is even, the median is the average of the two middle projections.

              Digitized originals of this release can be found at https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/publication/?pid=677.

              Suggested Citation:

              U.S. Federal Open Market Committee and Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, FOMC Summary of Economic Projections for the Fed Funds Rate, Median [FEDTARMD], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/FEDTARMD, April 3, 2025.

              Federal Funds Effective Rate  (FEDFUNDS)

              Source: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (US)  

              Release: H.15 Selected Interest Rates  

              Units:  Percent, Not Seasonally Adjusted

              Frequency:  Monthly

              Notes:

              Averages of daily figures.

              For additional historical federal funds rate data, please see Daily Federal Funds Rate from 1928-1954.

              The federal funds rate is the interest rate at which depository institutions trade federal funds (balances held at Federal Reserve Banks) with each other overnight. When a depository institution has surplus balances in its reserve account, it lends to other banks in need of larger balances. In simpler terms, a bank with excess cash, which is often referred to as liquidity, will lend to another bank that needs to quickly raise liquidity. (1) The rate that the borrowing institution pays to the lending institution is determined between the two banks; the weighted average rate for all of these types of negotiations is called the effective federal funds rate.(2) The effective federal funds rate is essentially determined by the market but is influenced by the Federal Reserve through open market operations to reach the federal funds rate target.(2)
              The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meets eight times a year to determine the federal funds target rate. As previously stated, this rate influences the effective federal funds rate through open market operations or by buying and selling of government bonds (government debt).(2) More specifically, the Federal Reserve decreases liquidity by selling government bonds, thereby raising the federal funds rate because banks have less liquidity to trade with other banks. Similarly, the Federal Reserve can increase liquidity by buying government bonds, decreasing the federal funds rate because banks have excess liquidity for trade. Whether the Federal Reserve wants to buy or sell bonds depends on the state of the economy. If the FOMC believes the economy is growing too fast and inflation pressures are inconsistent with the dual mandate of the Federal Reserve, the Committee may set a higher federal funds rate target to temper economic activity. In the opposing scenario, the FOMC may set a lower federal funds rate target to spur greater economic activity. Therefore, the FOMC must observe the current state of the economy to determine the best course of monetary policy that will maximize economic growth while adhering to the dual mandate set forth by Congress. In making its monetary policy decisions, the FOMC considers a wealth of economic data, such as: trends in prices and wages, employment, consumer spending and income, business investments, and foreign exchange markets.
              The federal funds rate is the central interest rate in the U.S. financial market. It influences other interest rates such as the prime rate, which is the rate banks charge their customers with higher credit ratings. Additionally, the federal funds rate indirectly influences longer- term interest rates such as mortgages, loans, and savings, all of which are very important to consumer wealth and confidence.(2)
              References
              (1) Federal Reserve Bank of New York. "Federal funds." Fedpoints, August 2007.
              (2) Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. "Monetary Policy".

              For questions on the data, please contact the data source. For questions on FRED functionality, please contact us here.

              Suggested Citation:

              Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (US), Federal Funds Effective Rate [FEDFUNDS], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/FEDFUNDS, April 3, 2025.

              Release Tables

              Consumer Price Index
              H.15 Selected Interest Rates
              Personal Income and Outlays
              Summary of Economic Projections

              Related Data and Content

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              Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items in U.S. City Average

              Monthly, Not Seasonally Adjusted Semiannual, Not Seasonally Adjusted

              Personal Consumption Expenditures: Chain-type Price Index

              Annual, Not Seasonally Adjusted Quarterly, Seasonally Adjusted

              Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items Less Food and Energy in U.S. City Average

              Monthly, Not Seasonally Adjusted Semiannual, Not Seasonally Adjusted

              Personal Consumption Expenditures Excluding Food and Energy (Chain-Type Price Index)

              Percent Change from Quarter One Year Ago, Quarterly, Seasonally Adjusted

              Federal Funds Effective Rate

              Annual, Not Seasonally Adjusted Biweekly, Not Seasonally Adjusted Daily, Not Seasonally Adjusted Daily, Not Seasonally Adjusted Weekly, Not Seasonally Adjusted

              Related Categories

              Consumer Price Indexes (CPI and PCE) Prices Price Indexes & Deflators National Income & Product Accounts National Accounts Special Indexes FRB Rates - discount, fed funds, primary credit Interest Rates Money, Banking, & Finance

              Releases

              More Series from Consumer Price Index More Series from Personal Income and Outlays More Series from Summary of Economic Projections More Series from H.15 Selected Interest Rates

              Tags

              Headline Figure Average All Items Urban Consumer Consumer Price Index Inflation Price Index Indexes Price Seasonally Adjusted Bureau of Labor Statistics Monthly Nation Public Domain: Citation Requested United States of America Chained Personal Consumption Expenditures Consumption Expenditures Consumption Personal National Income and Product Accounts Bureau of Economic Analysis Core Inflation Energy Federal Open Market Committee Federal Open Markets Committee Projection Federal Median St. Louis Fed Rate Annual Not Seasonally Adjusted H.15 Selected Interest Rates Interest Rate Interest Board of Governors

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