Tom Barkin: Driving Through Economic Fog (Still)

Does Older Mean Wiser for Mission-Driven Lenders?

"We aim to visit all corners of the Fifth District and have a strong strategic focus on rural communities and small towns. Talking to people who know their communities best is how we ground truth in what we think we're seeing in data."

Suzanne Holland

Senior Outreach Specialist

Speaking of the Economy Podcast, Affordable Housing Development in Rural Virginia

Listen to the episode >

Events Calendar

April 6, 2026

CORE Week

Richmond Office
Richmond, VA

April 7, 2026

District Dialogues: How Is the Economy, Really?

8:30 a.m. – 11 a.m.

Baltimore Branch
Baltimore, MD and Virtual

April 13, 2026

Navigating Labor Market Trends: College and Career Readiness Resources for Educators

5 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Virtual

View More Events

Who We Are and What We Do

As a regional Reserve Bank, the Richmond Fed works to strengthen the economy and the Fifth District communities we serve by helping to carry out the day-to-day operations of the Fed. Here's how we do it:

Keep Cash and Payments Flowing

We help keep the country’s electronic payment system running and make sure banks have enough cash and coin to do business.

Represent the Regional Economy

We represent our region in national monetary policy discussions that aim to keep prices and employment stable.

Engage in Our Local Communities

We listen and learn from regional voices, and we provide economic education and community development resources in support of a stronger economy for all.

Contribute Specialized Knowledge

We share our unique expertise with the Federal Reserve System, like the work we do to understand and uplift the economies of rural areas and small towns.

By the Numbers

61.7

was the average rating CFOs gave when asked between Feb. 17 and Mar. 5 to rate optimism about the overall U.S. economy on a scale from 0 to 100, improving slightly from 60.3 in the fourth quarter of 2025.

See more results from the CFO Survey >