Federal Reserve Discount Window

Posted on January 21st, 2008 in DISCOUNT WINDOWS

The Federal Reserve Discount Window is an instrument of monetary policy that allows
eligible institutions to borrow money, usually on a short-term basis, to meet temporary shortages of liquidity caused by internal or external disruptions.

The Federal Reserve will not publish information regarding institutions’ eligibility for primary or secondary credit.

Indeed, at the Fed’s Primary discount windows the list of eligible counterparties is, in principle, not restricted to banks. If the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System determines that there are “unusual and exigent circumstances” and at least five out of seven governors vote to authorize lending under Section 13(3) of the Federal Reserve Act, the Federal Reserve can discount for individuals, partnerships and corporations “notes, drafts and bills of exchange … indorsed or otherwise secured to the satisfaction of the Federal Reserve bank…”. This means that, should it decide to do so, the Fed can accepts cats and dogs as collateral at its discount window, and from any US-based
individual, partnership or corporate entity. I would hurry to register my UK-based or Eurozone-based SIV or conduit in the US, to take advantage of this unique (discount) window of opportunity for liquifying the illiquid.

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