The Beige Book is a summary of economic conditions around the United States compiled for the Federal Reserve Board. It is composed of anecdotal comments and data collected from businesses and other contacts outside the Federal Reserve. "Beige" refers to no color in particular, but is a play on the board's name. The Beige Book is published eight times per year, about five weeks after each of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meetings. The book is released around 2:00 pm Eastern Time.[1]Traders and financial markets watch the release of the Beige Book for an idea of how the Federal Reserve will act in the future.The Beige Book was launched in 1999. Prior to that, the Fed released a Green Book (for its green cover) that summarized regional economic conditions. The Green Book was discontinued in 1999 and replaced by the Beige Book.