Open Market Operations Open market operations, the major tool of Fed
policy, involve the buying and selling of government securities on the open market
(not on an organized stock exchange) by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York
under the direction of the FOMC. The Fed engages in open market operations
to influence the amount of reserves held by commercial banks, which, in turn,
influences the federal funds rate, the rate banks charge each other for loans of
reserves to meet their minimum reserve requirements. Banks are required to hold
between 3 and 10 percent of their demand deposits as reserves, whether as cash
in their vaults or as noninterest-bearing deposits with the Fed. They may also hold
additional or excess reserves for clearing overnight checks or other purposes.
If a bank needs additional reserves, it can borrow them at the federal funds rate
from other banks in a private financial market called the federal funds market.
Most loans in this market mature within one or two days, some within only a few
hours. If increased reserves are supplied to this market, the federal funds rate will
fall, making it easier for banks to borrow additional reserves and continue making
loans. Changes in the federal funds rate are also reflected in other interest rates
that influence real spending.