Question

What does it mean to say that banks "create money"?

Short answer

When we say banks 'create money', we refer to the process of lending. Banks create new money whenever they extend loans to individuals or businesses. The money is created not physically, but digitally in the borrowers' bank accounts. This process expands the economy's money supply.

Step-by-step solution

Definition of Banks

A bank is a financial institution licensed to receive deposits and make loans. Banks may also provide financial services, such as wealth management, currency exchange, and safe deposit boxes.

Understand How Money Is Created

The money that banks create is not about physical money (currency notes) but the digital money that flashes on the screen when we check our bank accounts. Banks create new money whenever they make loans. This is because money is really just an IOU. The role of the central bank is to preside over a legal order that effectively grants banks the exclusive right to create IOU’s of a certain kind, ones that the government will recognize as legal tender by its willingness to accept them in payment of taxes.

The Lending Process

When a bank provides a loan, for example to someone taking out a mortgage to buy a home, it does not give them thousands of pounds worth of bank notes. Instead, it credits their bank account with a bank deposit of the size of the loan. At that moment, new money is created.

Key concepts

Financial Institutions

Financial institutions play a pivotal role in the economy by serving as intermediaries between savers and borrowers. These institutions include banks, credit unions, and investment companies, among others. They are essential because they enable the flow of money within the economy.

Some key functions of financial institutions include:

• Receiving deposits: They offer accounts where individuals and businesses can safely deposit their money, providing reassurance and security.
• Providing loans: Through lending, banks create opportunities for individuals and businesses to invest, spend, and grow.
• Offering financial services: This includes things like wealth management and currency exchange, helping individuals and businesses with all their financial needs.

By facilitating these functions, financial institutions are able to influence money circulation and liquidity in the market.

Central Bank Role

The central bank plays an essential role in regulating the money supply and maintaining financial stability. It is often considered the custodian of a country's monetary policy and is responsible for overseeing the health of the economy.

Central banks perform several vital functions:

• Monetary policy: They control interest rates and influence inflation by adjusting the amount of money flowing within the economy.
• Legal authority: Central banks are empowered to issue currency and recognize which financial IOU's are considered legal tender.
• Bank oversight: They regulate and supervise other financial institutions to ensure compliance and stability in the banking system.

Through these roles, the central bank plays a crucial part in supporting banking operations and the broader economic environment.

Lending Process

The lending process is a fundamental mechanism through which banks "create money." When a bank issues a loan, it doesn't hand out piles of cash to the borrower. Instead, it credits the borrower's bank account with a deposit equivalent to the loan amount.

Here’s how the lending process creates money:

• Credit creation: The bank records the loan as both an asset (the loan itself) and a liability (the deposit in the borrower's account). This effectively adds new money to the economy because it increases the total deposits available.
• Loan repayment: Over time, as the borrower repays the loan, the money goes back to the bank, reducing the balance of money created previously. However, while the loan is active, it contributes to the money supply.

By understanding this process, we see how banks facilitate liquidity and economic activity without requiring physical currency to change hands.