Tag Archives: Banks
Money Creation (reprise)
Posted by on Sep 1, 2019
In 2013 I came across The New Economics Foundation (nef) publication guide to the UK monetary and banking system with the title ‘Where Does Money Come From?’ contending that there is widespread misunderstanding of how new money is created. The original can be read here, implying that the only widespread understanding of ‘money’ lying in its purchasing power seems a reasonable conclusion and may compliment the monetarist viewpoint. Read more of this post
The Quantity Theory of Money
Posted by on Aug 31, 2019
This week on Facebook: I have to think very hard about whether I am a monetarist or not, the answer seems to depend on how strongly I believe that the State guides its political economy by changes to the monetary supply and other forms of fiat money creation. It was an article or remark of Mervyn King in which he displayed misconceptions about money velocity, particularly with regard to quantitative easing, that first brought the Irving Fisher equation of exchange (MV=PT) to my attention. Economist vacillate over measuring Instruments in economics¹ and while I would hardly call myself an economist — I share in their vacillations. Read more of this post
Plastic Cards & Money
Posted by on Aug 24, 2019
This week on Facebook: As I remarked in my post last week, It is interesting that there appears to be different views on when credit cards become money!
Where does “plastic money” like debit cards, credit cards, and smart money fit into this picture? A debit card, like a check, is an instruction to the user’s bank to transfer money directly and immediately from your bank account to the seller. It is important to note that in our definition of money, it is checkable deposits that are money, not the paper check or the debit card. Although you can make a purchase with a credit card, it is not considered money but rather a short term loan from the credit card company to you. When you make a purchase with a credit card, the credit card company immediately transfers money from its checking account to the seller, and at the end of the month, the credit card company sends you a bill for what you have charged that month. Until you pay the credit card bill, you have effectively borrowed money from the credit card company. Measuring Money — M1 and M2
But what is Money?
Posted by on Aug 17, 2019
This week on Facebook: I have posted a lot on the subject of money, often referring to Investopedia, the International Monetary Fund, European Central Bank (which is not a ‘central‘ bank at all) and the Encyclopaedia Britannica¹.
- Investopedia: Everyone uses money.
- IMF: Money may make the world go around, as the song says.
- ECB: The nature of money has evolved over time.
Holding the views I do about money and especially ‘the double coincidence of wants‘ problem, I now find myself torn between the notions of commodity money and fiat money. Of course whether or not either money has value ultimately comes back to the double coincidence of wants, this time being set by the Foreign Exchange Market².
The value of a country’s currency depends on whether it is a “free float” or “fixed float”. Free floating currencies are those whose relative value is determined by free market forces, such as supply / demand relationships. A fixed float is where a country’s governing body sets its currency’s relative value to other currencies, often by pegging it to some standard. Free floating currencies include the U.S. Dollar, Japanese Yen and British Pound, while examples of fixed floating currencies include the Chinese Yuan and the Indian Rupee. Foreign Exchange Market
The reasons for a State investing in another State’s money may be quite complex, which raises the question of if China’s wealth is in the free floating USA dollars debt that it owns, or the fixed floating currency of the Yuan. Read more of this post
Inflation!
Posted by on Aug 3, 2019
This week on Facebook: Last Sunday I tried to show the inflationary effect of fiat money that was introduced at Bretton Woods in 1971. While I think it was something that I failed to do successfully, I may have indicated how difficult it is to arrive at a figure for inflation that is not subject to government fiscal policy. Read more of this post
Cassandra on Money & Debt
Posted by on Jan 12, 2019
This week on Facebook: To follow on from last week I reprised this post in which I reviewed money and debt from previous postings. With only slight variations the post remains much the same and now includes a new one from 2011 (click on image below).
Cassandra on the greatest illusion!
Posted by on Jan 5, 2019
¯This week on Facebook: The ascendancy of unconstrained finance has always been a feature of wealth and poverty, exacerbated in 1981 (and since) by the cost of a social welfare programme. With deficit financing used to increase the inevitable shortfall in government budgets and the cost being borne by a fiscal policy that is an increasing burden on the taxpayer already burdened with government financial errors.
The greatest illusion held in the UK and becoming prevalent globally, is that the State will always provide a social welfare programme that mitigates its users from the effects of any austerity.
State prediction of economic growth have not been realised and the general public have, of recent years, mostly been subjected to austerity. This austerity is created by debts encouraged by The City and low incomes encouraged by State fiscal policy.
Cassandra on debt
Posted by on Oct 27, 2018
This week on Facebook: I can’t think of an answer to a financial dilemma constantly driven by political imperatives and am not so conceited that I would ever try to suggest one¹. Regression at my age is a common occurrence and my diffuse dissatisfactions increase day by day, with my belief that the world “is going to hell in a handcart”. On becoming an octogenarian next May what other view would I hold! Perhaps my interest in history is an expression of that regression. I constantly regard events as being a case of “one step forward two steps back” and history replete with stories of debt. Read more of this post
Cassandra on Money & Debt
Posted by on Aug 4, 2018
This week on Facebook: Money and debt caused me to review my postings from five years ago, and one from even earlier (2011). I posted Money money money…. in January 2013 and then Crises & Credit in February, the first article posted being somewhat allegorical and intending to be amusing. However, it did lead to the second article, which is intended to be specifically about private debt but mentioning both private and public debt. The difference being that private debt is the debt accumulated by individuals or private businesses in the debts of personal loans, credit cards, or business loans (including corporate bonds). Whereas public debt is the sum of the financial obligations incurred by the State and its public administrations. This debt can be accumulated by the government directly or a government agency at any level and is recovered by taxation and income from the sale of government bonds (gilts).
Trouble in Paradise?
Posted by on Nov 18, 2017
This week on Facebook: Blissful ignorance, Tax Havens and the Paradise Papers —
To each his suff’rings: all are men,Condemn’d alike to groan,The tender for another’s pain;Th’ unfeeling for his own.Yet ah! why should they know their fate?Since sorrow never comes too late,And happiness too swiftly flies.Thought would destroy their paradise.No more; where ignorance is bliss,‘Tis folly to be wise.
