The Evolving Role of the Fed’s Balance Sheet: Effects and Challenges

he Federal Reserve's balance sheet more than doubled to nearly $9 trillion in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, primarily due to large-scale asset purchases (LSAPs). Although the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) had previously employed LSAPs during the global financial crisis, the pace of asset purchases in March 2020 was unprecedented, as the FOMC sought to relieve severe strains in financial markets that threatened to halt the flow of credit to households and businesses. The Federal Reserve continued to purchase assets at a reduced pace through March 2022 to support the economic recovery.