M2 Explained Comprehensive Guide to US Money Supply in Finance
3571 reads · Last updated: November 16, 2025
M2 is the U.S. Federal Reserve's estimate of the total money supply, including all the cash people have on hand, plus all the money deposited in checking accounts, savings accounts, and other short-term saving vehicles such as certificates of deposit (CDs). Retirement account balances and time deposits above $100,000 are omitted from M2.The Federal Reserve tracks a separate money supply number, M1, that includes currency in people's pockets or their checking accounts and savings accounts. The money deposited in time deposits and money market funds is not counted in M1. For the Fed's purposes, this is "near money." That is, the funds cannot be used as a medium of exchange and are not instantly convertible to cash.
