The Federal Reserve's responsibilities fall into four broad categories:
• Conducting the nation's monetary policy in pursuit of maximum employment, stable prices, and moderate long-term interest rates
• Supervising and regulating banking institutions to ensure the safety and soundness of the nation's banking and financial system
• Maintaining the stability of the financial system and containing systemic risk that may arise in financial markets
• Providing financial services to depository institutions, the U.S. government, and foreign official institutions