The Fed's $2.2 trillion fire hose The Fed threw a lot of money at the financial crisis in 2008 to unfreeze credit markets and encourage economic activity. As part of its effort to keep the interest rate low, the Fed purchased government bonds worth $300 billion between March and September 2009. By October, the Fed held $770 billion in government securities, nearly double its pre-crisis total. Before the crisis, the Fed held mainly government securities, which it used to control the quantity of money in the economy. Now government securities make up just 35% of the Fed's balance sheet. Source: CNN Money, October 9, 2009 As the Fed purchased $300 billion of government securities, did the price of government securities fall or rise? Explain your answer.