Credit and Risk Management is comprised of the Discount Window, Reserve Account Management, and Payments System Risk functions.

• Federal Reserve Banks extend credit to depository institutions to accommodate commerce, industry, and agriculture. The Discount Window functions as a safety valve in relieving pressures in reserve markets; in circumstances where extensions of credit can help relieve liquidity strains in the banking system, the Discount Window also helps to assure the basic stability of financial markets more generally.
  
  
• Federal Reserve Banks maintain and monitor accounts of depository institutions to ensure compliance with reserve and clearing balance requirements.
  
  
• The Federal Reserve Board’s Payments System Risk policy is intended to assist Reserve Banks and depository institutions in controlling risk.