Econs - 3.1 Flashcards
money - definition
any commodity that can be used as a medium of exchange for the purchase of goods / services
forms of money
- cash
- bank deposits
- central bank reserves
cash - forms of money
- physical form (bank notes)
- can be convenient but only for small transactions
bank deposits - forms of money
- money reserves placed in commercial bank accounts
- instead of carrying large amounts of money, can withdraw from bank / use a credit card
central bank reserves - forms of money
- deposits that commercial banks hold at central banks
- ensures financial stability and facilitates banking operations
functions of money
- medium of exchange
- measure of value
- store of value
- standard of deferred payment
medium of exchange - function
- widely accepted and recognised as a means of payment for goods / services
- replaces barter trade
measure of value
- measures the market value of different goods / services (for comparing)
store of value - functions
- to store and use over time / in the future
- must be able to hold its purchasing power over time
standard of deferred payment - functions
- allows people to buy goods and services now and pay for them later
- eg. loans, credit
characteristics of money
- durability
- acceptability
- divisibility
- uniformity
- scarcity
- portability
durability - characteristics
- long lasting
acceptability - characteristics
- widely recognised and accepted as a medium of payment for goods and services
divisibility - characteristics
- allows exact payment
- makes trade easier
uniformity - characteristics
- easily recognisable
- looks identical
scarcity - characteristics
- limited in supply to keep value
portability - characteristics
- light and small for convenience
- encourages trades
bartering - definition
the act of swapping items in exchange for other items through a process of bargaining and negotiations due to the absence of money in the economy
central bank - definition
is the monetary authority that oversees and manages the economy’s money supply and banking system in a country
functions of a central bank
- sole issuer of banknotes and coins
- the governments bank
- the bankers bank
- the lender of last resort
sole issuer of banknotes and coins - functions
- central bank can print official
- prevents fake money
- control money supply to avoid inflation
governments bank - functions
- manages government accounts
- handles national debt
- helps government borrow / lend money
- controls monetary policy
bankers bank - functions
- provides loans to commercial banks
- ensures the banking systems runs smoothly
- holds reserves for commercial banks to maintain stability
lender of last resort - functions
- central bank can give emergency funding for struggling commercial banks
- prevents bank failures
- protects economy from financial crisis