The Process of Credit Creation
Enroll to start learning
Youβve not yet enrolled in this course. Please enroll for free to listen to audio lessons, classroom podcasts and take practice test.
Interactive Audio Lesson
Listen to a student-teacher conversation explaining the topic in a relatable way.
Initial Deposit
π Unlock Audio Lesson
Sign up and enroll to listen to this audio lesson
Today, we're going to learn about the initial step in the credit creation process. When a customer deposits money into a bank, what do you think happens to that money?
I think the bank keeps the money safe.
That's correct! The bank keeps the money, but it doesn't just sit there. It gets recorded as part of the bank's total funds. Can anyone tell me what happens next with this deposit?
Isn't there a rule about how much money they have to keep?
Exactly! This is known as the reserve requirement. The bank must keep a portion of the deposit as a reserve. Remember, we can use the acronym 'R' for Reserve to help us remember this part.
What does the bank do with the rest of the money then?
Great question! The bank can lend out the excess reserves. This leads us to the next step in the credit creation process.
Reserve Requirement
π Unlock Audio Lesson
Sign up and enroll to listen to this audio lesson
Now, letβs discuss the reserve requirement in more detail. Why do you think banks are required to keep a reserve?
So they can handle withdrawals, right?
That's right! Banks need to ensure they have enough funds to meet customer withdrawals. The reserve ratio is crucial. Can anyone tell me what it determines?
It determines how much money can be lent out!
Exactly! A lower reserve ratio allows banks to lend more, creating more credit. Can you think of a potential consequence if the reserve requirement is too high?
The economy could slow down because less money is available for loans.
Correct! High reserve requirements can limit credit flow, which slows down economic activity. This is an important point to remember.
Lending the Excess Reserve
π Unlock Audio Lesson
Sign up and enroll to listen to this audio lesson
Now we move to the next step: lending the excess reserves. When banks lend out money, what happens to it?
The borrowers will spend it.
Correct! And when they spend it, what's likely to happen next?
I think the borrowers deposit that money back in another bank.
Exactly! This creates a cycle where the money continues to circulate within the banking system. This process is called the money multiplier effect. Can anyone describe what the money multiplier is?
Itβs how much money can be created from the initial deposit!
Excellent explanation! The money multiplier is determined by the reserve requirement. Let's summarize this process so we can move on.
Introduction & Overview
Read summaries of the section's main ideas at different levels of detail.
Quick Overview
Standard
This section delves into the mechanics of credit creation by commercial banks, detailing the steps involved from an initial deposit, reserve requirements, to the lending of excess reserves. It emphasizes the importance of the reserve ratio and its implications for the money supply in the economy.
Detailed
The Process of Credit Creation
Credit creation is a fundamental function of commercial banks, which allows them to stimulate economic growth by lending money. When a customer deposits money into a bank, the bank is required to maintain a fraction of this deposit as reserves, a requirement set by the central bank (known as the reserve requirement or reserve ratio). The process can be broken down into three main steps:
- Initial Deposit: A customer makes a deposit in the bank, increasing the bank's available funds.
- Reserve Requirement: The bank must hold a certain percentage of the deposit as required reserves. For example, if the reserve ratio is 10%, the bank must keep 10% of the deposit.
- Lending the Excess Reserve: The remaining funds can be lent out to borrowers or invested. When the borrowers spend the loaned money, it gets deposited back into the banking system, allowing for further lending and credit expansion.
This cycle continues, showcasing how a simple deposit can lead to a significant increase in the total money supply within the economy. The extent of credit creation hinges primarily on the reserve requirement: a lower reserve ratio increases potential credit creation, while a higher ratio constrains it.
Audio Book
Dive deep into the subject with an immersive audiobook experience.
Initial Deposit
Chapter 1 of 4
π Unlock Audio Chapter
Sign up and enroll to access the full audio experience
Chapter Content
- Initial Deposit: A customer deposits money in a bank.
Detailed Explanation
The process of credit creation begins when a customer makes an initial deposit into a bank. This deposit can come from various sources, such as salary, savings, or payments received. When this money is deposited, it becomes part of the bank's total reserves, which they can then use to manage their operations and make new loans.
Examples & Analogies
Imagine you save your birthday money and go to your local bank to deposit it. This act of depositing is the first step in the credit creation process β the bank now has that money on hand to help others who want to borrow.
Reserve Requirement
Chapter 2 of 4
π Unlock Audio Chapter
Sign up and enroll to access the full audio experience
Chapter Content
- Reserve Requirement: The bank is required to keep a certain percentage of the deposit as a reserve (this is known as the reserve ratio).
Detailed Explanation
The reserve requirement is a regulation set by the central bank that dictates how much of the total deposits a bank must hold in reserve and not lend out. This is usually expressed as a percentage. For example, if the reserve requirement is 10%, and a customer deposits $100, the bank must keep $10 in reserve and can lend out the remaining $90.
Examples & Analogies
Think of the reserve requirement like a safety net for the bank. If your birthday money is $100, and the bank must set aside $10, itβs like reserving some of your money for emergencies, ensuring they have enough cash available if needed.
Lending the Excess Reserve
Chapter 3 of 4
π Unlock Audio Chapter
Sign up and enroll to access the full audio experience
Chapter Content
- Lending the Excess Reserve: The remaining portion of the deposit is loaned out to borrowers, who then spend it. The borrowers' payments are deposited into other banks, starting the process again.
Detailed Explanation
After setting aside the required reserve amount, the bank can lend out the remaining funds, known as the excess reserve. When the lender spends the money, it usually gets deposited back into the banking system, which enables another round of deposits, reserves, and lending. This cycle is fundamentally how credit continues to create more money in the economy.
Examples & Analogies
Consider this process like a relay race: once a runner passes the baton to the next, the race continues. When the bank loans out the excess reserve, the recipient of that loan spends it, and as that money is deposited back into another bank, it sets off the next round of lending, creating further credit.
Impact of Reserve Requirement on Credit Creation
Chapter 4 of 4
π Unlock Audio Chapter
Sign up and enroll to access the full audio experience
Chapter Content
The extent of credit creation depends on the reserve requirement set by the central bank. A lower reserve ratio means more money can be created, and a higher ratio limits credit expansion.
Detailed Explanation
The reserve requirement significantly impacts how much money banks can create through loans. If the reserve ratio is low, banks can lend out a large portion of their deposits, leading to more credit in the economy. Conversely, if the ratio is high, banks must keep more funds in reserve, which restricts their ability to lend and reduces the amount of credit available.
Examples & Analogies
Think of it like a sponge soaking up water. If the sponge (the bank) has a small reserve (the sponge's capacity), it can soak up more water (lend more money). If the sponge is full (high reserve ratio), it can't absorb much more, meaning less water can go into circulation.
Key Concepts
-
Credit Creation: The process by which commercial banks lend out deposits and create new money in the economy.
-
Reserve Requirement: The percentage of deposits that must be held as reserves and not lent out, dictating the lending capacity of banks.
-
Money Multiplier: The potential expansion of the money supply based on bank lending activities affected by the reserve requirements.
Examples & Applications
If a customer deposits $10,000 in a bank with a reserve requirement of 10%, the bank must keep $1,000 but can lend out $9,000, which can eventually lead to a total of $90,000 in new loans if the process continues.
When borrowers use their loans to make purchases, the money they spend often gets redeposited into various banks, further enhancing the money creation process through additional lending.
Memory Aids
Interactive tools to help you remember key concepts
Rhymes
When funds are in a bank, some they must retain, the rest they lend, to create money gain.
Stories
Imagine a town with one bank. Bob deposits $100. The bank keeps $10 and lends $90 to Alice, who buys goods. Those goods get sold, and the money returns to the bank. This cycle builds wealth for the whole town!
Memory Tools
Think of R.E.L. - Reserve, Excess, Lending - to recall the steps in credit creation.
Acronyms
Remember LEAD
Lending
Excess reserves
Active banking
Deposit creation.
Flash Cards
Glossary
- Credit Creation
The process by which banks lend out a portion of their deposits, leading to an increase in the money supply.
- Reserve Requirement
The percentage of deposits that banks are required to hold in reserve and not lend out.
- Money Multiplier Effect
The potential increase in the money supply that results from banks lending out their reserves.
Reference links
Supplementary resources to enhance your learning experience.