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In a fractional reserve banking system, banks create money by lending. This process is based on the idea that banks can lend out a portion of the deposits they receive, while keeping a fraction of them in reserve.
Banks lend out a percentage of deposits, not the entire amount. For example, if a customer deposits $100, the bank might lend out $90 and keep $10 in reserve.
This system allows banks to create new money by making loans. The loan is essentially a new deposit, which can then be lent out again, creating even more money.
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What Is Banking?
In a fractional reserve banking system, banks create money because they use customer deposits to make new loans and reward them with interest.
Those deposits sit as reserves in the bank's account with the central bank or currency in their bank, but only a fraction of bank deposits are backed by actual cash on hand and available for withdrawal.
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The reserve requirement allows commercial banks to act as go-betweens between the savers and borrowers by providing loans for borrowers and creating liquidity for depositors who wish to withdraw their money.
When we deposit at a bank, the funds are no longer our property, instead the funds become the property of the bank, and we receive an asset in the form of a checking or savings account.
That deposit is a liability on the bank's balance sheet because, at some point, the depositor will want their money back.
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Fractional Reserve Banking
In a fractional reserve banking system, banks create money because they are allowed to keep only a relatively small portion of deposits in their reserves. This means that when you deposit money into a bank, the bank can use some of that money to make loans to other customers.
The amount of money created in a fractional reserve banking system is determined by three main factors: the amount of cash in deposits, the reserve ratio, and default risk. The reserve ratio dictates how much money the bank must keep in its reserves, and a high reserve ratio would prevent banks from creating money.
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Banks create money by lending out the excess reserves, which are then deposited into other bank accounts, creating a multiplier effect. For example, if Anna deposits $10,000 into a bank account, the bank might keep $1,000 in reserves and lend out $9,000 to another customer. The recipient of the loan then deposits the $9,000 into their account, and the bank is required to keep a portion of that in reserves, allowing it to lend out even more.
Here's a breakdown of the money multiplier:
- Initial deposit: $10,000
- Bank keeps 10% in reserves: $1,000
- Bank lends out $9,000 to another customer
- Customer deposits $9,000 into their account
- Bank keeps 10% of $9,000 in reserves: $900
- Bank lends out $8,100 to another customer
- And so on...
As you can see, the money multiplier can create a significant amount of new money from a single initial deposit.
Where Did It Begin?
The concept of fractional reserve banking has a fascinating history that dates back to ancient goldsmiths. They stored precious metals in their vaults and people trusted them enough to deposit their precious metals, which the goldsmiths then lent out to earn more.
In 1668, Sweden introduced the first central banks to avoid bank runs, which were a major problem at the time. These early central banks had the authority to set reserve requirements and the monetary base.
The idea of reserve requirements was later adopted in the US to protect depositors' funds from being invested in risky ventures. This was a solution to the problems stemming from bank runs during the Great Depression.
The government introduced reserve requirements to help prevent bank runs, which were devastating to the economy.
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Fractional Banking System
In a fractional banking system, banks are allowed to lend out a portion of the deposits they receive, rather than holding all of the deposits in reserve. This means that when you deposit money into a bank, the bank doesn't just keep it in a vault, but instead uses it to make loans to other customers.
The bank is required to keep a certain percentage of the deposits in reserve, known as the reserve ratio, which is typically around 10%. This means that if you deposit $10,000 into a bank, the bank will keep $1,000 in reserve and use the remaining $9,000 to make loans to other customers.
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As we saw in the example of Anna depositing $10,000 into a bank, the bank created $19,000 in new money through the lending process. This is because the bank used the $9,000 it borrowed from Anna to make loans to other customers, who then deposited the money into their own bank accounts.
The money multiplier plays a crucial role in fractional banking, as it determines how much new money is created through the lending process. In the example of Anna's deposit, the money multiplier was 2.9, which means that for every dollar deposited, the bank created $2.90 in new money.
The reserve system is a bank payment system that allows banks to transfer money between each other. In this system, banks hold deposits with the Central Bank, which is the Federal Reserve in the US. The Central Bank issues these deposits, which are then used by banks to make loans to customers.
The reserve system is a two-tiered system, with the deposit system we all use for everyday banking and the reserve system that all banks use with accounts at the Federal Reserve. The reserve system allows banks to transfer money between each other, which is essential for the smooth functioning of the banking system.
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Here's a breakdown of the reserve system:
In this table, we can see that Wells Fargo has a higher cash reserve percentage than Ally, which means that Wells Fargo is holding more cash in reserve than Ally. This is because Wells Fargo is still in the penalty box with the Federal Reserve due to past discretions, which means they are required to hold more cash in reserve.
The credit market funnel is a crucial part of the fractional banking system, as it allows banks to create new money through the lending process. When the Federal Reserve prints new money, it enters the banking system as bank reserves, which can then be used to make loans to customers.
The credit market funnel is a funnel-like process, where new money enters the system and is then used to make loans to customers. This process can create a lot of new money, as we saw in the example of the $100 billion in new bills being printed, which could potentially result in a nominal monetary increase of $1 trillion.
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The Federal Reserve creates money when it decides that the economy would benefit from it, and it does this in various ways, including changing the target fed funds rate and buying Treasury securities on the open market. The Fed also creates money by lending excess reserves to consumers and businesses, which can then be deposited and loaned again.
In the early days of central banking, money creation was a physical reality, but today's Federal Reserve creates money electronically by crediting new balances to accounts. This process is cheaper and more efficient than printing new bills and transporting them to the banks' vaults.
The amount of new money created each year depends on the decisions made by the Fed, which concern the country's economic well-being and whether the money supply should be increased to affect it. The Board of Governors of the Fed provides the Treasury Department with an order each year for the amount of paper money to print.
Federal System
In a fractional reserve banking system, banks create money because the central bank, like the Fed, determines the new dollar balances needed and credits them to other accounts. This process is essentially digital money creation, where the central bank buys new, readily liquefiable accounts, such as U.S. Treasuries, on the open market from financial institutions.
Banks then hold these newly credited balances in their existing bank reserves, which can be used to make loans and investments. This has the same effect as printing new bills and transporting them to the banks' vaults, but it's a much cheaper and more efficient process.
The newly credited balances count just as much as physical bills in the economy, and can also be just as inflationary.
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Federal System Functions
The Federal Reserve System has three primary functions that enable banks to operate effectively under a fractional reserve system. Monetary policy is one of these functions, which involves managing the money supply to promote economic growth.
The Federal Reserve creates money by issuing reserve deposits to banks, such as when Wells Fargo loans us $100 and the Central Bank requires a 10% reserve, creating a $10 deposit for Wells Fargo. This reserve deposit is an asset for Wells Fargo and a liability because it owes the Central Bank $10.
Supervision and regulation is another function of the Federal Reserve System, which helps to maintain stability in the banking system. This function is important because the banking system was entirely dependent on the strength of private banks before the Federal Reserve formed in 1913.
The Federal Reserve System also provides services to depository institutions, such as banks and credit unions. These services help banks to operate efficiently and provide financial services to their customers.
Money is created to facilitate the ease of exchange of goods, and it's a social contract that we all agree upon. The dollar is money, and we all agree on its value, which is essential for trade to occur without chaos.
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Federal Work Operations
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The Federal Reserve works through the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), which meets regularly to assess the U.S. money supply and general economic conditions.
These meetings involve associated economic advisers who help determine if new money needs to be created. If so, the Fed targets the amount of money needed and institutes a corresponding policy to inject it into the economy.
The Fed can only estimate the money supply because many things can be defined as money, making it hard to track the actual amount in the economy.
Paper bills and metal coins are obvious forms of money, but savings accounts and checking accounts also represent direct and liquid money balances.
Money market funds, short-term notes, and other reserves are also counted as part of the money supply, even though they're not as tangible as cash.
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Supervision
The Federal Reserve plays a crucial role in supervising commercial banks, ensuring they adhere to laws and regulations that guarantee satisfactory service to depositors and communities.
The Federal Reserve Board of Governors is responsible for creating regulations that limit or allow bank activity, often in response to federal legislation.
Commercial banks are subject to a wide range of laws that promote ethical banking practices and community service.
The Federal Reserve and other regulatory organizations share the responsibility of formulating laws and conducting compliance checks on banks.
The regulatory tasks of the Federal Reserve are carried out by the Board of Governors, which adopts rules as a reaction to federal legislation.
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Monetary Policy
The Federal Reserve's monetary policy aims to foster economic development, lower unemployment, and balance the nation's trade with other countries.
The Fed impacts the cost of money and credit, and the amount available, by directly affecting interest rates in the economy.
Monetary policy becomes crucial under a fractional reserve system because it influences the amount and cost of funds available for borrowing.
The Federal Reserve designs a monetary policy that keeps interest rates aligned with the economic environment.
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The Fed's monetary policy is closely tied to the money supply in the economy, which can be difficult to track due to the various forms money can take.
The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) and economic advisers regularly assess the U.S. money supply and economic conditions to determine if new money needs to be created.
If new money is needed, the Fed targets the amount and institutes a policy to inject it into the economy through open market operations (OMO).
Banking System
In a fractional reserve banking system, banks create money because they're allowed to lend out a portion of the deposits they receive. This is known as the reserve requirement, which is typically around 10%. For example, when Anna deposits $10,000 into a bank account, the bank must keep $1,000 in reserve and use the remaining $9,000 to lend to other customers.
The bank's ability to create money is also influenced by the reserve ratio, which dictates how much money they have to keep in their reserves. A high reserve ratio would prevent banks from creating money as they need more funds in their reserves and thus they would generate fewer loans.
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By lending out a portion of the deposits, banks can create new money in the economy. In the example of Anna's deposit, the bank creates $19,000, which is $9,000 more than the original deposit. This process can continue, with each borrower depositing their loan into the bank and the bank lending out a portion of those deposits, creating even more money.
Here's an example of how this process works:
This shows how the bank creates $27,100 from Anna's initial deposit of $10,000, demonstrating the power of the fractional reserve banking system in creating new money in the economy.
Bank Services
Bank services play a crucial role in facilitating financial transactions and managing money.
The Federal Reserve Banks provide services to depository institutions that are similar to those provided by depository institutions to their clients. These services include moving money, giving cash, taking deposits, and protecting deposits.
Depository institutions offer a range of services to their clients, but the core services provided by the Federal Reserve Banks to depository institutions are centered around facilitating financial transactions.
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Aggregates
The banking system is complex, but let's break it down. The Federal Reserve, also known as the Fed, plays a crucial role in shaping monetary policy.
The Fed studies money supply figures regularly, even though the importance of the money supply as a guide for monetary policy isn't as great as it once was.
Key Concepts
In a fractional reserve banking system, banks create money because they're only required to keep a portion of client deposits in their reserves. This portion is known as the reserve requirement ratio.
The key to understanding how banks create money lies in the reserve requirement ratio. This ratio determines how much of client deposits banks must keep in their reserves.
Here are the three main factors that limit money creation in a fractional reserve banking system:
- The amount of cash in deposits
- The reserve ratio
- Default risk
Banks create money by lending out the remaining deposits after setting aside the required reserve. This means that the more loans banks make, the more money is created in the economy.
Fractional reserve banking can cause inflation if banks increase the number of loans they make, leading to an increase in the money supply.
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Sources
- https://einvestingforbeginners.com/fractional-reserve-banking-daah/
- https://www.vaia.com/en-us/explanations/macroeconomics/financial-sector/fractional-reserve-system/
- https://economicskey.com/money-creation-with-fractional-reserve-banking-6874
- https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/081415/understanding-how-federal-reserve-creates-money.asp
- https://economics.stackexchange.com/questions/40477/fractional-reserve-banking
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