Beige Book

The Beige Book, more formally called the Summary of Commentary on Current Economic Conditions, is a report published by the United States Federal Reserve Board eight times a year. The report is published in advance of meetings of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC).

The Beige Book describes economic conditions in each of the twelve Federal Reserve Bank districts

Each report is a gathering of “anecdotal information on current economic conditions” by each Federal Reserve Bank in its district from “Bank and Branch directors and interviews with key business contacts, economists, market experts, and others.”

The book is nicknamed the Beige Book because the cover is beige.

What is the Beige Book For?

When the Federal Reserve Open Market Committee (FOMC) meets eight times per year to discuss and decide issues of U.S. monetary policy, such as raising or lowering the fed funds rate, the information in the beige book is one of the sources of data considered in the process.