Floating rate notes (FRNs) are bonds that have a variable coupon, equal to a money market reference rate, like LIBOR or federal funds rate, plus a quoted spread (also known as quoted margin). The spread is a rate that remains constant. Almost all FRNs have quarterly coupons, i.e. they pay out interest every three months. At the beginning of each coupon period, the coupon is calculated by taking the fixing of the reference rate for that day and adding the spread. A typical coupon would look like 3 months USD LIBOR +0.20%. Issuers In the United States, banks and financial service companies have been among the largest issuers of these securities. The U.S. Treasury began issuing them in 2014, and government sponsored enterprises (GSEs) such as the Federal Home Loan Banks, the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) are important issuers. In Europe, the main issuers are banks. Variations Some FRNs have special features such as maximum or minimum coupons, called "capped FRNs" and "floored FRNs". Those with both minimum and maximum coupons are called "collared FRNs". "Perpetual FRNs" are another form of FRNs that are also called irredeemable or unrated FRNs and are akin to a form of capital. FRNs can also be obtained synthetically by the combination of a fixed rate bond and an interest rate swap. This combination is known as an asset swap. Perpetual notes (PRN) Variable rate notes (VRN) Structured FRN Reverse FRN Capped FRN Floored FRN Collared FRN Step up recovery FRN (SURF) Range/corridor/accrual notes Leveraged/deleveraged FRN A deleveraged floating-rate note is one bearing a coupon that is the product of the index and a leverage factor, where the leverage factor is between zero and one. A deleveraged floater, which gives the investor decreased exposure to the underlying index, can be replicated by buying a pure FRN and entering into a swap to pay floating and receive fixed, on a notional amount of less than the face value of the FRN. Deleveraged FRN = long pure FRN + short (1 - leverage factor) x swap A leveraged or super floater gives the investor increased exposure to an underlying index: the leverage factor is always greater than one. Leveraged floaters also require a floor, since the coupon rate can never be negative. Leveraged FRN = long pure FRN + long (leverage factor - 1) x swap