Definition of "Federal Reserve System"

A system established by the Federal Reserve Act of 1913 to manage the monetary and banking system within the U.S. The Federal Reserve System, also known as the Fed, is broken up into 12 regions and is governed by the Federal Reserve Board. National banks are stockholders of the Federal Reserve Bank in their region. The Fed is responsible for regulating the national money supply, setting bank reserve requirements, controlling the printing of currency and acting as a clearinghouse for the transfer of funds throughout the banking system. The Fed also establishes and enforces bank regulations.