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Press Release
Release Date: December 16, 2015
Decisions Regarding Monetary Policy Implementation
The Federal Reserve has made the following decisions to implement the monetary policy stance
announced by the Federal Open Market Committee in its statement on December 16, 2015:
The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System voted unanimously to raise the
interest rate paid on required and excess reserve balances to 0.50 percent, effective December
17, 2015.
As part of its policy decision, the Federal Open Market Committee voted to authorize and
direct the Open Market Desk at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, until instructed
otherwise, to execute transactions in the System Open Market Account in accordance with the
following domestic policy directive:1
"Effective December 17, 2015, the Federal Open Market Committee directs the Desk to
undertake open market operations as necessary to maintain the federal funds rate in a target
range of 1/4 to 1/2 percent, including: (1) overnight reverse repurchase operations (and
reverse repurchase operations with maturities of more than one day when necessary to
accommodate weekend, holiday, or similar trading conventions) at an offering rate of 0.25
percent, in amounts limited only by the value of Treasury securities held outright in the
System Open Market Account that are available for such operations and by a per­counterparty
limit of $30 billion per day; and (2) term reverse repurchase operations to the extent approved
in the resolution on term RRP operations approved by the Committee at its March 17­18,
2015, meeting.
The Committee directs the Desk to continue rolling over maturing Treasury securities at
auction and to continue reinvesting principal payments on all agency debt and agency
mortgage­backed securities in agency mortgage­backed securities. The Committee also
directs the Desk to engage in dollar roll and coupon swap transactions as necessary to
facilitate settlement of the Federal Reserve's agency mortgage­backed securities transactions."
More information regarding open market operations may be found on the Federal Reserve
Bank of New York's website.
In a related action, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System voted unanimously
to approve a 1/4 percentage point increase in the discount rate (the primary credit rate) to 1.00
percent, effective December 17, 2015. In taking this action, the Board approved requests
submitted by the Boards of Directors of the Federal Reserve Banks of Boston, Philadelphia,
Cleveland, Richmond, Atlanta, Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City, Dallas, and San Francisco.
This information will be updated as appropriate to reflect decisions of the Federal Open Market
Committee or the Board of Governors regarding details of the Federal Reserve's operational tools
and approach used to implement monetary policy.
Related Information

Press Release
Federal Reserve Board approves action by the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of
New York
Current FAQ
What is the Federal Reserve's new implementation note and how does it differ from the FOMC's
postmeeting statement?
1. This directive supersedes the resolution on the overnight reverse repurchase agreement (ON
RRP) test operations approved by the Committee at its December 16­17, 2014 meeting. Return to
text