Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED)

Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED) Overview

What is fred-mcp-server?

fred-mcp-server is an open-source Model Context Protocol (MCP) server designed to provide access to Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED®) financial datasets. It acts as an intermediary, allowing applications and services to easily retrieve various economic indicators and financial data directly from FRED.

How to use fred-mcp-server?

There are two primary ways to install and use fred-mcp-server:

Installing via Smithery

For automated installation, especially for Claude Desktop, you can use Smithery:

npx -y @smithery/cli install @stefanoamorelli/fred-mcp-server --client claude

Manual Installation

Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/stefanoamorelli/fred-mcp-server.git cd fred-mcp-server 2. **Install dependencies:** bash pnpm install 3. **Build the project:** bash pnpm build ```

Configuration

To use the server, you need a FRED® API key, obtainable from the FRED® website. You then configure the server, for example, within Claude Desktop's claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "FRED MCP Server": {
      "command": "/usr/bin/node",
      "args": [
        "<PATH_TO_YOUR_CLONED_REPO>/fred-mcp-server/build/index.js"
      ],
      "env": {
        "FRED_API_KEY": "<YOUR_API_KEY>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Key Features of fred-mcp-server

Access to FRED® Data: Provides programmatic access to a wide range of Federal Reserve Economic Data.
Model Context Protocol (MCP) Server: Implements the MCP for seamless integration with compatible applications.
Multiple Data Series: Supports retrieval of various key economic indicators, including:
- Overnight Reverse Repurchase Agreements (RRPONTSYD)
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPIAUCSL)
- 30-Year Fixed Rate Mortgage Average (MORTGAGE30US)
- 10-Year Treasury Constant Maturity Minus 2-Year Treasury Constant Maturity (T10Y2Y)
- Unemployment Rate (UNRATE)
- Federal Reserve Total Assets (WALCL)
- Gross Domestic Product (GDP, GDPC1)
- 10-Year Treasury Constant Maturity Rate (DGS10)
- S&P/Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index (CSUSHPINSA)
- ICE BofA US High Yield Index Option-Adjusted Spread (BAMLH0A0HYM2)
- 10-Year Breakeven Inflation Rate (T10YIE)
- Inflation, consumer prices for the United States (FPCPITOTLZGUSA)
- Median Sales Price of Houses Sold for the United States (MSPUS)
- M1 Money Stock (M1SL)
- Delinquency Rate on Credit Card Loans, All Commercial Banks (DRCCLACBS)
- Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 10-Year Constant Maturity, Inflation-Indexed (DFII10, FII10, WFII10, RIFLGFCY10XIINA)
Flexible Data Retrieval: Allows specifying start_date, end_date, limit, and sort_order for data queries.
Open-Source: Freely available for use and modification under the Apache 2.0 License.

Use Cases of fred-mcp-server

Financial Analysis: Retrieve and analyze historical and current financial data for research, modeling, and forecasting.
Economic Research: Access key economic indicators for academic or professional economic studies.
AI/LLM Applications: Integrate FRED data into AI and Large Language Model (LLM) applications that require real-time or historical economic context.
Data-Driven Decision Making: Power dashboards and applications that rely on up-to-date economic information.
Automated Data Pipelines: Build automated systems to fetch and process FRED data for various purposes.

FAQ about fred-mcp-server

Q: Is fred-mcp-server affiliated with the Federal Reserve? A: No, this open-source project is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by the Federal Reserve or the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. "FRED" is used for descriptive purposes only.

Q: Do I need an API key to use fred-mcp-server? A: Yes, a FRED® API key is required to access the data. You can obtain one from the FRED® website.

Q: How can I cite this project? A: If you use this project in your research or work, please cite it using the CITATION.cff file, or the APA format provided in the README:

Amorelli, S. (2025). Federal Reserve Economic Data MCP (Model Context Protocol) Server [Computer software]. GitHub. https://github.com/stefanoamorelli/fred-mcp-server

Q: What are the common parameters for data retrieval? A: All tools accept optional parameters such as start_date (YYYY-MM-DD), end_date (YYYY-MM-DD), limit (maximum observations), and sort_order ("asc" or "desc").