Definitions [1]
- Prof. Crowther: "Money is anything that is generally acceptable as a means of exchange and at the same time acts as a measure and store of value."
- Prof. Walker: "Money is what money does" (Shows money is defined by its functions).
- Robertson: "anything which is widely accepted in payments for goods or in discharge of other kinds of business obligations.”
- “Anything which is commonly used and generally accepted as a medium of exchange or as a standard of value.” — Dr. Kent
- G.D.H. Cole: "Money is anything which is habitually and widely used as a means of payment and is generally accepted in the settlement of debts.”
Formulae [9]
CRR = (Cash Reserves / Total Deposits) × 100
\[\text{Money Multiplier}=\frac{1}{\text{Cash Reserve Ratio}}\]
\[M_d^T=kPY\]
where
Y = real GDP
P = general price level (GDP deflator), so PY = nominal GDP.
Conclusion:
Transaction demand for money increases with an increase in real GDP (Y) and the general price level (P).
\[M_d^T=kT\]
where
\[M_d^T\] = transaction demand for money,
T = total value of nominal transactions in the period,
k = positive fraction of transaction value held as money.
\[\frac{1}{k}M_d^T=T\quad\Rightarrow\quad vM_d^T=T\]
where,
\[v=\frac{1}{k}\] is the velocity of circulation of money (number of times each unit of money changes hands in the period).
\[M_d^T=kPY\]
where k>0, PP = price level, Y = real GDP.
\[M_d^S=\frac{r_\max-r}{r-r_\min}\]
where
\[M_d^S\] = speculative demand for money,
r = current market rate of interest,
rmax = upper limit of r,
rmin = lower limit of r.
As r falls towards rmin, \[M_d^S\]→∞ (liquidity trap).
\[\boxed{M_d=M_d^T+M_d^S}\]
or
\[\boxed{M_d=kPY+\frac{r_{max}-r}{r-r_{min}}}\]
\[M_d=M_d^T+M_d^S\quad\Rightarrow\quad M_d=kPY+\frac{r_\max-r}{r-r_\min}\]
Key Points
- Money eliminates barter system problems by providing a common medium of exchange.
- Three main functions: medium of exchange, measure of value, store of value.
- Must be generally acceptable to function as money.
- Modern economy completely depends on money for smooth transactions.
- Digital payments are the newest evolution in money's history.
- Money removes barter difficulties and supports smooth exchange.
- Primary functions: medium of exchange and measure of value/unit of account.
- Secondary functions: standard of deferred payments, store of value and transfer of value.
- Contingent functions: maximise utility and profit, distribute national income, support credit and provide liquidity.
- Overall, money is “a medium, a measure, a standard, a store” with transferability added by some authors.
- Demand for money depends on income (transactions) and rate of interest.
- Higher income → higher demand for money; higher interest rate → lower demand for money.
- Money supply consists of cash and bank deposits.
- Central Bank (RBI) issues currency and controls money supply (high-powered money).
- Commercial banks create money through deposit and credit creation.
- Money is created by banks when they give loans and advances to the public.
- Public deposits a part of its cash with commercial banks; banks use major part of these deposits for lending.
- Banks operate with a central bank (RBI) and hold a part of deposits as reserves with it.
- A bank’s balance sheet records its assets (reserves and loans) and liabilities (deposits).
- Deposits are liabilities because the bank must repay them to depositors on demand.
- Reserves include cash in vault plus deposits with RBI, while loans are amounts lent to customers.
- CRR limits the amount of credit banks can create.
- Higher CRR → Lower credit creation and money supply.
- Lower CRR → Higher credit creation and money supply.
- Loans become deposits, leading to multiple rounds of credit creation.
- Money Multiplier = 1 / CRR.
- RBI is the sole issuer of currency and the Lender of Last Resort.
- Monetary tools are Quantitative (CRR, Bank Rate, OMO) and Qualitative (moral suasion and margin requirements).
- Higher CRR reduces bank lending and decreases money supply.
- OMO: RBI buys bonds to increase money supply and sells bonds to decrease it.
- Repo injects liquidity; Reverse Repo absorbs liquidity.
- Higher Bank Rate reduces money supply; lower Bank Rate increases it.
- Money is the most liquid asset among all assets.
- There is an opportunity cost to holding money - foregone interest from bonds or other assets.
- The demand for money is called liquidity preference.
- People hold money due to different motives, primarily the transaction motive and the speculative motive.
- Transaction motive means holding money for day-to-day transactions.
- People hold cash because income receipts and expenditures occur at different times.
- Transaction demand is generally a fraction of total transactions.
- Velocity of circulation measures how many times a unit of money changes hands during a period.
- T is a flow variable, Mdᵀ is a stock variable, and v has a time dimension.
- Transaction Demand Formula: Mdᵀ = kT
- Velocity Formula: v = 1/k or vMdᵀ = T
- Modified Formula: Mdᵀ = kPY; transaction demand rises with real GDP (Y) and the general price level (P).
- Bonds are tradable securities promising future monetary returns.
- Bond price = Present Value (PV) in equilibrium.
- Bond price and interest rate are inversely related.
- Rising interest rates cause capital loss on bonds.
- Speculative demand for money depends on expectations and is inversely related to interest rates.
- A liquidity trap occurs at rminr_{min}rmin, where speculative demand becomes infinite.
- Total money demand = Transaction Demand + Speculative Demand.
- Money includes currency notes, coins and demand deposits.
- RBI issues currency notes; Government of India issues coins.
- Demand deposits are payable on demand, while time deposits have a fixed maturity.
- Currency has little intrinsic value but possesses purchasing power due to the guarantee of the issuing authority.
- Currency is fiat money and legal tender; cheques are not legal tender.
- Money supply is a stock variable: total stock of money with the public at a point of time.
- RBI uses four measures: M1, M2, M3, M4.
- M1 = CU + DD; M2 = M1 + savings deposits with Post Office savings banks.
- M3 = M1 + net time deposits of commercial banks; M4 = M3 + total deposits with Post Office savings organisations (excluding NSCs).
- CU = currency with the public; DD = net demand deposits of the public; interbank deposits are excluded.
- M1, M2 = narrow money; M3, M4 = broad money.
- Liquidity: M1 most liquid, M4 least; M3 is most commonly used and called aggregate monetary resources.
- Demonetisation = withdrawal of legal tender status of certain currency notes.
- 8 Nov 2016: ₹500 and ₹1,000 notes demonetized; about 86% of cash invalid.
- Main aims: black money, corruption, fake notes, and terror funding.
- Seen as a tax administration step and move to a less-cash, digital economy.
- Effects: cash crunch at first, then higher deposits, more digital payments, higher tax collection, lower real estate prices.
Important Questions [4]
- Explain the ‘Unit of Accounts’ Function of Money. How Has It Solved the Related Problem Created by Barter?
- Explain the Significance of 'Medium of Exchange' Function of Money
- Explain the 'Medium of Exchange' Function of Money. How Has It Solved the Related Problem Created by Barter?
- ‘Money is an asset which can be stored for use in future. In the light of given statement, identify the function of money.
Concepts [12]
- Concept of Money
- Functions of Money
- Demand for Money and Supply of Money
- Money Creation by Banking System
- Limits to Credit Creation and Money Multiplier
- Policy Tools To Control Money Supply
- Demand and Supply for Money : A Detailed Discussion
- The Transaction Motive
- The Speculative Motive
- Various Measures of Supply of Money
- Narrow and Broad Money
- Demonetisation
