Who owns the Federal Reserve?

Question

Hint- it isn't the American people.

Answer 1

The Federal Reserve System is 'owned' by the government, but there are some semblance of private bank ownership and influence at the branch level.

At the top of the Federal Reserve System is the Board of Governors. These are all appointed for 14-year terms by the president and confirmed by congress. It operates per it's charter and laws set by congress. it is overseen by congress. There is absolutely no structure or mechanism for private ownership at this level. (If you disagree, please explain how someone could take legal title to own and control the Board of Governors).

The 12 branches, however, are organized similar to private corporations. Member banks are required to buy shares in their branch. They can vote for 6 of their 9 board members. The shares get a standard 6% dividend. The shares cannot be sold on the open market. All 'profit' from the Federal Reserve branches are turned over to the Treasury at the end of the year. Whether this branch structure constitutes 'private ownership' is the subject of much debate. Even the courts have a hard time with making the distinction in related decisions. I personally equate it to contracting out; the Board of Governors has oversight and ultimate responsibility but the branch work is carried out by this contrived joint partnership arrangement of member banks.

A key point to your question is: Who controls monetary supply - Public or Private interests? There is no question that is controlled by the public arm of the Federal Reserve - the Board of Governors.

Anti-Fed folks will sometimes claim that the Federal Reserve is own and run by foreign individuals. Perhaps that is what you mean by your hint.

Let's look at that for the moment. First shares in branches cannot be owned by individuals, only by their member banks. Though shares are somewhat proportional to bank size, no single bank has absolute control. So do foreignors have control of these large banks? By law, a public company has to list anyone with more than 5% ownership. if you look at the big banks, you do not see any significant foreign ownership.

Answer 2

The following is from the link below, "The Federal Reserve System is a quasi-governmental banking system composed of (1) a presidentially-appointed Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in Washington, D.C.; (2) the Federal Open Market Committee; (3) 12 regional Federal Reserve Banks located in major cities throughout the nation; and (4) numerous private member banks, which own varying amounts of stock in the regional Federal Reserve Banks. Ben Bernanke serves as the current Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System."
Now you may have one of the conspiracy theories in play. One can not disprove these ideas or prove them either.
Most economists would not support such an unfounded concept.

Answer 3

Who owns the Federal Reserve?
The Federal Reserve System is not "owned" by anyone and is not a private, profit-making institution. Instead, it is an independent entity within the government, having both public purposes and private aspects.

As the nation's central bank, the Federal Reserve derives its authority from the U.S. Congress. It is considered an independent central bank because its decisions do not have to be ratified by the President or anyone else in the executive or legislative branch of government, it does not receive funding appropriated by Congress, and the terms of the members of the Board of Governors span multiple presidential and congressional terms. However, the Federal Reserve is subject to oversight by Congress, which periodically reviews its activities and can alter its responsibilities by statute. Also, the Federal Reserve must work within the framework of the overall objectives of economic and financial policy established by the government. Therefore, the Federal Reserve can be more accurately described as "independent within the government."

The twelve regional Federal Reserve Banks, which were established by Congress as the operating arms of the nation's central banking system, are organized much like private corporations--possibly leading to some confusion about "ownership." For example, the Reserve Banks issue shares of stock to member banks. However, owning Reserve Bank stock is quite different from owning stock in a private company. The Reserve Banks are not operated for profit, and ownership of a certain amount of stock is, by law, a condition of membership in the System. The stock may not be sold, traded, or pledged as security for a loan; dividends are, by law, 6 percent per year.

Answer 4

It is owned by private investors that have the federal authority to authorize our money. It is mostly owned by one family, the Rothschild family who has a total wealth of around 300 trillion dollars.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayer_Amschel_Rothschild_family


1.) The Federal Reserve Central Bank has the Federal Reserve Notes printed by the US Treasury with not a cent of reserve or investment.

2.) Then it lends this money to the Federal Regional Banks. For every billion dollars they borrow from the Federal Reserve Central Bank, Regional Banks lend seven billion dollars.

3.) The people and businesses(all Americans) who borrow this created credit line and are forced to pay it back with interest that is collateralized by real assets (their homes, cars, land, factories, etc.).

Reserve means that the bank has gold or silver to back the paper money. Otherwise this would seemingly work.

Since the FEDreserve decided not to back our paper money with anything, why are people giving real assets in exchange for nothing?

They print it for free, then make 7 times profit out of thin air, and we work for it ITS OUR MONEY.

Answer 5

The federal government.

Answer 6

If you know the answer, why do you ask the question, then?

Answer 7

yeah but no but yeah but no but yeah