Understanding the New York Fed's Survey of Primary Dealers

The New York Fed’s Survey of Primary Dealers plays a key role in the Federal Reserve’s understanding of market expectations for monetary policy and the economy, providing timely and comprehensive dealer insight into a range of topics. In recent years, the survey has evolved to reflect the changing macroeconomic environment brought about by the financial crisis and by the Fed’s move into new policy tools aimed at adjusting the size and composition of its balance sheet and giving more explicit forward guidance on the path of short-term interest rates. This study offers an in-depth look at the survey and discusses its structure and evolution.