FDIC BankFind MCP Server

Regional Economic Context

fdic_regional_context

Read-onlyIdempotent

Get regional economic context for a bank: state and national unemployment trends, federal funds rate, and macro narrative. Accepts FDIC certificate number or state.

Instructions

Overlay macro/regional economic data on a bank's geographic context. Uses FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) for state unemployment, national unemployment, and federal funds rate. Provides trend analysis and narrative context for bank performance assessment. Gracefully degrades if FRED API is unavailable.

Output includes:

State and national unemployment rates with trend analysis
Federal funds rate and rate environment classification
Narrative assessment of macro conditions for bank performance
Structured JSON for programmatic consumption

NOTE: Requires FRED_API_KEY environment variable for reliable data access. Degrades gracefully without it.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`cert`	No	FDIC Certificate Number — auto-detects state from institution record.
`state`	No	Two-letter state abbreviation (e.g., TX). Alternative to cert-based lookup.
`repdte`	No	Reference report date (YYYYMMDD). FRED data fetched for 2 years before this date.

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
No arguments

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed4 schema fields changedv3.0.1Sep 22, 2026

changedInput schema / $schema

Previous value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"New value: +"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"

addedInput schema / properties / cert / maximum
```
Added value: +9007199254740991
```

changedOutput schema / $schema

Previous value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"New value: +"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"

changedOutput schema / additionalProperties
```
Previous value: -trueNew value: +{}
```

Addedv1.26.0May 1, 2026

TDQS

A3.7/5.0

Behavior4/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already cover readOnly, idempotent, and non-destructive behavior. The description adds valuable behavioral context beyond annotations: it depends on the FRED API, requires FRED_API_KEY for reliable data, degrades gracefully without it, and returns narrative plus structured JSON. No contradiction with annotations.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

The description is well-structured with a clear opening sentence, bulleted output list, and a separate note about environment requirements. Minor redundancy exists: 'gracefully degrades' appears twice, once in the first paragraph and again in the NOTE, but overall it is organized and front-loaded with the core purpose.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness4/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

With output schema present and safety annotations covering side-effect behavior, the description covers the main outputs, external dependency, and degradation behavior. A minor gap is that it does not explain what happens when neither cert nor state is provided, or which input should be preferred for a bank-level look-up versus a state-level analysis.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 100%, so the schema already documents cert, state, and repdte thoroughly, including the auto-detection from cert and the 2-year lookback. The description does not add parameter-specific meaning beyond what the schema provides; it mostly describes output content rather than parameter behavior.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose4/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description states a specific action ('Overlay macro/regional economic data') and a clear resource (FRED data for unemployment and federal funds rate). It is clear what the tool produces, though it does not explicitly differentiate itself from sibling analytical tools like fdic_peer_group_analysis or fdic_market_share_analysis.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines3/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Usage context is implied through 'for bank performance assessment' and the focus on geographic/economic context, but there is no explicit when-to-use/when-not-to-use guidance or reference to alternatives. An agent must infer that this tool is for macro overlay rather than institution-level financial analysis.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.