ECON 201

1. ECON 201 Chapter 14 Interest Rates & Monetary Policy

2. Interest rates & demand for $ Interest: the price paid for the use of money Transaction demand: the demand for money as a medium of exchange Asset demand: the demand for money to hold as an asset. Cost: when money is held, there is an opportunity cost to what is sacrificed concerning what you could have done with it.

3. Equilibrium, Interest rates & bond prices When you combine the demand for money and the supply of money, you find the equilibrium interest rate When interest rates increase, bond prices fall. When interest rates decrease, bond prices rise.

4. The Fed’s Assets Securities: government bonds that have been purchased by the Federal Reserve Banks. These have been issued by the gov’t to finance past budget deficits. Loans to Comm. Banks: sometimes banks borrow money, and they do so from the Fed

5. The Fed’s Liabilities Reserves of Comm. Banks: money that Comm. Banks are required to hold as reserves Treasury deposits: the U.S. Treasury keeps its deposits and its checking accounts with the Fed Federal Reserve Notes Outstanding: this is the paper money circulating in the economy

6. Tool #1 of Monetary Policy Open-Market Operations: This is where the Fed buys government bonds from, or sells government bonds to, commercial banks and the public Basically, when purchasing securities, the Fed transfers money to the commercial bank, who can then use that money to do things…like make more loans… which increases monetary activity!

7. Example 1 Fed Buys $1,000 Bond from a Commercial Bank New Reserves $1000 $1000 Excess Reserves $5000 Bank System Lending Total Increase in the Money Supply, ($5,000)

8. Example 2 Fed Buys $1,000 Bond from the Public Check is Deposited New Reserves $1000 $800 Excess Reserves $200 Required Reserves $1000 Initial Checkable Deposit $4000 Bank System Lending Total Increase in the Money Supply, ($5000)

9. Tool #1 of Monetary Policy…cont. Basically, when the Fed sells securities, the required reserves of commercial banks are reduced IMPORTANT: when the Fed buys gov’t bonds, the demand for them goes up. Bond prices rise, and interest rates fall. IMPORTANT: when the Fed sells gov’t bonds, the supply increases, reducing prices, and interest rates rise

10. Tool #2 of Monetary Policy The Reserve Ratio: if the Fed increases the reserve ratio, then banks don’t have as much money on hand to use as they wish. And decreasing the reserve ratio gives banks more money to do whatever they want to with it.

11. Tool #3 of Monetary Policy The Discount Rate: Just like Comm. Banks charge you interest on loans, the loans that the Fed gives banks also charge interest. This is called the discount rate. This rate is different from the Fed Funds rate (pg 251) which is the rate charged on overnight loans between banks.

12. Tool #3 of Monetary Policy…cont. If the Fed lowers the Discount Rate, this encourages banks to borrow money and increase their reserves, which also encourages banks to lend more money, which increases the money supply. If the Fed increases the Discount Rate, then the opposite occurs.

13. Targeting the Fed Funds rate The Fed Funds rate is the best one that the Fed can control. Banks use the Fed Funds rate because the Fed doesn’t pay interest to banks on the money that the banks are required to hold in reserves, so they loan it to other banks who need it temporarily.

14. Expansionary Policy • Often referred to as ‘easy money’ policy. It lowers interest rates to encourage borrowing and spending, which increases aggregate demand. • When banks’ reserves increase…. • They loan more money • The money supply goes up • Prime interest rate: this is the rate banks base their loans on to you.

15. Restrictive Policy • Often referred to as ‘tight money’ policy. It increases interest rates to discourage borrowing and spending, which curtails aggregate demand. • When banks’ reserves decrease… • The loan less money • The money supply goes down

16. The Taylor Rule • The Fed shoots for (targets) a 2 % rate of inflation by…. • If real GDP rises by 1% above potential GDP, the raise the Fed Funds rate by a ½ % • If inflation rises by 1% above its target of 2%, the Fed Funds rate goes up by ½ % • When real GDP is equal to potential GDP and inflation is equal to its target rate, the Fed Funds rate stays at 4%.

17. Policy affecting interest rates The impact of changing interest rates is mainly on investment Therefore, investment spending varies inversely with real interest rates The reason interest rates impact investment so much is because of the large cost and long-term nature of capital purchased (investment)

18. Effects of Expansionary Policy • To increase the money supply, the Fed will do some of the following things…. • Buy gov’t securities from banks & the public • Lower the reserve ratio requirement • Lower the discount rate • The intended outcome is to increase excess reserves in banks so they can loosen the money

19. Effects of Restrictive Policy • To decrease the money supply, the Fed will do some of the following things… • Sell gov’t securities to banks & the public • Increase the reserve ratio requirement • Increase the discount rate • The intended outcome is to decrease excess reserves in banks so they can tighten the money • NOTE: memorize table 14.3, pg 273

20. Issues in Monetary policy Adjusting monetary policy is much quicker than fiscal policy The members of the Fed are isolated from lobbying and political pressure Adjusting monetary policy is more politically palatable than changing taxes or congressional spending

21. Problems It can take time for the Fed to recognize that a recession or inflation is happening If the Fed reduces reserves too much, it make cause banks to completely stop loaning If they reduce reserve requirements for banks, they can’t force the banks to make loans…so they may just hold onto the money instead (this is what is happening now)

22. Alan Greenspan’s gut? Alan Greenspan and the FOMC more often than not simply used Greenspan’s personal intuition to decide what to do. So many people were very nervous about his retirement. Many economists think that instead of relying on ‘artful mgt’, we should rely on ‘inflation targeting’ for our monetary policy.

23. End