A Federal Reserve official explains the planned changes to the FOMC meeting schedule and the reasoning behind them

This speech lays out a decision to adjust the Federal Open Market Committee's meeting schedule beginning next fall, and explains why the structure of the calendar matters for policy quality. It covers the number of meetings per year, how strategy-focused sessions will be added, and the rationale for separating long-horizon deliberation from rate-setting decisions.

■ FOMC meeting schedule changes
- Eight meetings per year confirmed as the appropriate number
- 2027: one meeting dedicated solely to broad monetary policy strategy
- No rate vote or policy statement expected at that strategy session
- Remaining 2027 meetings continue as regular policy-setting meetings
- 2028: two strategy sessions and six policy-setting meetings

■ Reasoning behind the change
- Near-term developments require timely, regular, and information-rich assessment
- Strategic deliberation needs dedicated time and space for an intellectually diverse group
- Focus on longer time horizons and the bigger questions of policy
- Meeting schedules and agendas framed as an institutional choice, not an administrative detail

Recommended for anyone following Federal Reserve policy, central bank governance, or monetary policy decision-making. Viewers will come away with an understanding of how the Fed organizes its deliberations and why that structure is treated as a factor in the quality of its decisions. Consider comparing this explanation with previous FOMC calendar announcements to track how the schedule has evolved over time.