Audits of the Federal Reserve System

The Board of Governors, the Federal Reserve Banks, and the Federal Reserve System as a whole are all subject to several levels of audit and review. The Board's financial statements, and its compliance with laws and regulations affecting those statements, are audited annually by an outside auditor retained by the Board's Office of Inspector General. The Office of Inspector General also conducts audits, reviews, and investigations relating to the Board's programs and operations as well as to Board functions delegated to the Reserve Banks.

The Reserve Banks' financial statements are audited annually by an independent outside auditor retained by the Board of Governors. In addition, the Reserve Banks are subject to annual examination by the Board. As discussed in the chapter "Federal Reserve Banks," the Board's examination includes a wide range of ongoing oversight activities conducted on and off site by staff of the Board's Division of Reserve Bank Operations and Payment Systems.

Federal Reserve operations are also subject to review by the Government Accountability Office.

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