The Federal Reserve System is the central banking system of the United States. It was created in 1913 by the enactment of the Federal Reserve Act. Currently, Ben Bernanke serves as the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

The Federal Reserve System is the third central banking system in the United States' history. The First Bank of the United States (1791-1811) and the Second Bank of the United States (1816-1836) each had 20-year charters, and both issued currency, made commercial loans, accepted deposits, purchased securities, had multiple branches, and acted as fiscal agents for the U.S. Treasury.

In 1863, as a means to help finance the Civil War, a system of national banks was instituted by the National Currency Act. The banks each had the power to issue standardized national bank notes based on United States bonds held by the bank. The Act was totally revised in 1864 and later named as the National-Bank Act, or National Banking Act, as it is popularly known.