Economic Understanding of Money and Banking
Money:
- Definition: Any generally accepted medium of exchange that serves as a store of value and unit of account.
- Functions:
- Medium of exchange: Facilitates transactions without the need for bartering.
- Store of value: Holds purchasing power over time.
- Unit of account: Measures the value of goods and services.
- Types:
- Commodity money: Derived value from intrinsic properties (e.g., gold, silver)
- Fiat money: Government-issued with no intrinsic value, but backed by the full faith and credit of the issuer.
- Digital money: Electronic form of money that exists only in digital form (e.g., cryptocurrency)
Banking
- Definition: Institutions that provide financial services, such as lending, investing, and accepting deposits.
- Functions:
- Intermediation: Match borrowers with lenders, facilitating capital formation.
- Money creation: Through fractional reserve banking, banks create new money when they issue loans.
- Payment facilitation: Enable electronic payments, checks, and other forms of financial transactions.
- Risk management: Provide financial instruments (e.g., insurance) to mitigate financial risks.
Relationship between Money and Banking
- Money is the lifeblood of the banking system: Banks rely on the existence of money to function.
- Banks create money: Through deposits and loans, banks expand the money supply in an economy.
- Banks influence the economy: The actions of banks (e.g., interest rate setting, lending practices) can impact economic growth, inflation, and stability.
Economic Concepts Related to Money and Banking:
- Monetary Policy: Central bank actions that influence the money supply and interest rates, typically to meet macroeconomic goals (e.g., price stability, economic growth).
- Inflation: A sustained increase in the general price level of goods and services.
- Interest Rates: The cost of borrowing money, which can influence consumption, investment, and economic growth.
- Financial System Stability: The resilience of the financial system to shocks and disruptions.
- Fractional Reserve Banking: The practice of banks holding only a fraction of deposits as reserves, enabling them to create new money through lending.