
The Federal Reserve System, often referred to as the Fed, is the central banking system of the United States. It was created on December 23, 1913, with the enactment of the Federal Reserve Act during the presidency of Woodrow Wilson. The Fed was established to provide the nation with a safer, more flexible, and more stable monetary and financial system. Its creation was a response to a series of financial panics and bank runs that had plagued the U.S. economy in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Federal Reserve Act granted the Fed authority over monetary policy, bank regulation, and financial stability. The system is composed of a central Board of Governors in Washington, D.C., and twelve regional Federal Reserve Banks located in major cities across the country. The Fed's primary functions include conducting monetary policy, supervising and regulating banking institutions, maintaining financial system stability, and providing financial services to the U.S. government. In Hebrew, the Federal Reserve is known as הפדרל ריזרב (Ha-Federal Rezerv). In Spanish, it is referred to as la Reserva Federal, and in French, it is called la Réserve fédérale.