Although the drought’s effects on the Seventh Federal Reserve District lingered, the year-over-year increase in agricultural land values only eased to 13 percent in the third quarter of 2012. In addition, there was a quarterly gain of 5 percent in the value of “good” farmland—actually...

In October 2012, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago hosted a U.S. Department of the Treasury’s State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) conference, which brought together over 150 representatives from states, territories and the District of Columbia, to discuss best practices in the...

The Chicago Fed and the Federal Reserve System have a longstanding interest in the causes and ramifications on unstable housing markets and high foreclosure rates, The Federal Reserve System helped to establish what is now known as NeighborWorks America, the umbrella organization for national...

Addressing the Financing Needs of Small Businesses is a Federal Reserve System initiative designed to inform policymakers on the issues that restrict the flow of credit and opportunities to improve the flow of credit to small businesses. A widely held view among policymakers and other observers...