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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFederal Reserve minutes are the Federal Open Market Committee’s (FOMC’s) summary of discussion and decisions at a meeting. They explain policymakers’ reasoning, describe views expressed during deliberations, and record actions, votes, and attendance. They generally come out three weeks after the policy decision, so they add context to an announcement rather than announce a new decision.
What are the Federal Reserve minutes?
The minutes are a public record of the FOMC’s deliberations and decisions. The Federal Reserve says they summarize policymakers’ expressed views, explain the reasoning behind Committee decisions, identify attendees, and record policy actions and votes. They are a summary, not a verbatim transcript. The Federal Reserve’s explanation of FOMC minutes describes their purpose and contents.
The minutes are distinct from the policy statement released when the FOMC announces its decision. The statement communicates the decision and its rationale; the minutes provide a fuller account of the discussion behind it. The Federal Reserve’s public-disclosure FAQ explains the different materials the Committee releases.
When do Fed minutes come out?
Minutes of regularly scheduled meetings are generally published three weeks after the day of the policy decision. The FOMC holds eight regularly scheduled meetings per year, with additional meetings as needed. Because the exact release date varies, use the Federal Reserve’s meeting calendar to check a particular meeting’s minutes release rather than assuming a fixed weekday.
For example, minutes for the June 16–17, 2026 meeting were released on July 8, 2026. The current publication interval followed a December 2004 decision to expedite release; previously, minutes were made public after the next meeting. The Federal Reserve’s historical materials page describes that change.
How to read the FOMC minutes
- Start with the meeting date and policy statement. Read the statement for the decision announced at the meeting. Then use the later minutes to understand the discussion and reasoning behind it.
- Read the economic and financial sections for context. These describe developments and conditions participants considered. The June 2026 minutes, for example, begin with financial-market developments and open market operations before turning to participants’ views on current conditions and the economic outlook. Read the June 16–17, 2026 minutes.
- Distinguish discussion from formal action. Participants may express different assessments or preferences. To identify what the Committee formally did, look for the policy action and recorded vote rather than treating every view in the discussion as an adopted position.
- Keep the meeting’s information boundary in mind. Minutes describe conditions using information available to the Committee at that meeting, not data released afterward. The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System stated in its July 8, 2026 release of the June 16–17 minutes: “The descriptions of economic and financial conditions contained in these minutes are based solely on the information that was available to the Committee at the time of the meeting.”
Minutes can help explain how policymakers discussed a decision, but they do not establish what the Committee will do next or provide a mechanical rule for forecasting market reactions.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How minutes compare with other Fed communications
| Material | What it is for | When it is available |
|---|---|---|
| Policy statement | Communicates the announced policy decision and its rationale. | At the meeting announcement. |
| Press conference | Provides the Chair’s oral explanation and answers to questions. | Associated with the meeting; see the Federal Reserve’s public-disclosure FAQ. |
| Summary of Economic Projections (SEP) | Provides participants’ economic projections when published. | Published for meetings that include an SEP; see the Federal Reserve’s historical materials page. |
| Minutes | Summarize discussion and reasoning and record actions and votes. | Generally three weeks after the policy decision. |
| Transcript | Provides a more detailed historical record of the meeting. | Released after about five years. |
The formats answer different questions: use the statement to find the decision, the minutes to understand the deliberation and recorded vote, the press conference for the Chair’s explanation, the SEP for projections when available, and transcripts for a more detailed historical account. The Federal Reserve describes transcripts and historical records on its historical materials page.
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