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Discount Window

The Federal Reserves direct lender-of-last-resort facility, where banks can borrow short-term cash against pledged collateral. The discount window has historically carried a stigma -- borrowing was often interpreted as a sign of distress -- which limited its use during the 2023 stress episodes and prompted the Fed to launch the Bank Term Funding Program as a less-stigmatized alternative. The discount window remains the formal backstop that lets a solvent-but-illiquid bank ride out short-term funding stress without firesales.

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