The Federal Reserve and the Supply and Cost of Credit
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Presentation Transcript
Chapter 3 The Federal Reserve and The Supply and Cost of Credit
The Federal Reserve(the Fed) • The nation's central bank • Purpose: to control the supply of money in order to achieve • Stable prices • Full employment • Economic growth
The Assets of the Fed • Gold certificates • Cash items in process • The float • U.S. government securities • Foreign currencies
The Liabilities of the Fed • Federal Reserve Notes • Deposits by • Banks (reserves) • Federal government • Foreign depositor
Structure of the Federal Reserve • Board of Governors • The twelve district banks • Federal Open Market Committee
Expansion of Money and Credit • Fractional reserve banking • Expansion (and contraction) of the money supply • Importance of excess reserves
Multiple Expansion • Reserves are either • Required or • Excess • The process of loan credition
Multiple Epansion of the Supply of Money Initial Dep: $100 Reserve Req: 10%
Multiple Expansion • Change in the money supply = change in excess reserves / reserve requirement
Multiple Expansion • Reserve requirement = 10% • Reserves increase by $100 • Possible increase in the money supply: $100/0.1 = $1,000
Impact of Cash Withdrawals • Multiple expansion in reverse • Money supply contracts
Importance of the Federal Funds Market • Market for reserves • The lending of reserves between banks • The federal funds rate
The Tools of Monetary Policy • The discount rate • Rate the Fed charges banks to borrow reserves
The Reserve Requirement • Percentage banks must hold against deposit liabilities • Changing commercial banks' reserves leads to: • Multiple expansion or • Multiple contraction
The Tools of Monetary Policy • Open market operations • The buying and selling of Federal government securities • By far the most important tool of monetary policy
Impact of The Federal Reserve • The Fed affects interest rates through its impact on the ability of the banking system to lend
Monetary Expansion • To expand the money supply, the Fed buys government securities • Paying for the securities puts reserves into the banking system • The purchases reduce interest rates
Monetary Contraction • To contract the money supply, the Fed sells government securities • Receiving payment for the securities removes reserves from the banking system • The sales increase interest rates
Fiscal Policy • The federal government's • taxation • spending • debt management
Deficit Spending • Government spending exceeds revenues • Sources of funds to finance the deficit • commercial banks • non-bank public • Federal Reserve
Surplus • Government revenues exceed revenues • Question of how to use any surplus
Fiscal Policy • The possible impact of deficit spending or a surplus on • the money supply • the reserves of the banking system • security prices
Inflation • General increase in prices • CPI - measures the rate of inflation • Excessive expansion of money
Changes in Inflation • Affect firms with natural resources • Oil • Precious metals (e.g., gold) • Some firms are better able to pass on price increases
Fight Inflation by • Contracting the money supply • Raising interest rates • Raising taxes
Deflation • A general decline in prices • Opposite impact of inflation • Unexpected deflation hurts debtors and helps creditors
Impact of Monetary and Fiscal Policy on the Firm • Cost of funds • Demand for firm’s products and services • Ability to anticipate changes in economic policy
Foreign Exchange • Foreign currencies • Exchange rate • Value of one currency in terms of another
Foreign Exchange • Devaluation - depreciation of a currency • Revaluation - appreciation of a currency
Balance of Payments • Current account • merchandise trade deficit or surplus • Capital account • Official reserve account - The IMF
International Monetary Fund (IMF) • Bretton Woods agreements • Loans to less-developed countries