How the Fed compiles the Beige Book, at a glance

Anchorage Daily News:  Eight times a year, the Federal Reserve issues the Beige Book, a snapshot of business conditions in each of the Fed's 12 regional bank districts. The findings are all anecdotal; there are no numbers. The Beige Book is updated two weeks before each meeting of the Fed's policymaking meeting in Washington.

Staffers at each of the 12 regional banks compile the information. They do so after contacting businesses, economists and other financial experts by phone, through questionnaires and email. The businesses range from retailers and home builders to hotels and restaurant owners.

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