ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Federal Reserve Note

Have you ever seen paper money before? You know, like dollar bills or other types of bills that we use to buy things? Well, a Federal Reserve note is just another name for paper money that is used in the United States.

The Federal Reserve is like the boss of all the banks in the United States. They make sure that the banks follow rules and that the money in the banks is safe. One of the things they do is make sure that there is enough money available for people to use to buy things, like food and clothes.

So, when the Federal Reserve wants to make more money available, they print more money. That's when you might see a new design on a $5 or $10 bill, for example. These new bills are Federal Reserve notes.

When you use a Federal Reserve note to buy something, you give it to the person you're buying from and they give you the thing you're buying. They might give you some change back, which is usually other Federal Reserve notes.

The important thing to remember is that a Federal Reserve note is just a type of paper money that's used in the United States. It's printed by the Federal Reserve and used by banks and people to buy things.