Question

Assume there is an economy with a single bank, and the central bank sets the reserve requirement ratio at 5%. Assume also that the only bank had no transactions (i.e., no loans, reserves, or deposits) prior to an individual who deposits $2000 of currency with the bank.

a. As a result of this deposit, calculate the amount of required reserves, actual reserves, and excess reserves.
b. After the bank has issued the maximum amount of loans, what will be the total amount of loans, deposits, and money in the economy?
c. What is the size of the money multiplier for this economy?

Answer 1

An Economy with a Single Bank

a. The amount of required reserves = $100

The amount of actual reserves = $100

The amount of excess reserves = $0.

b. The total amount of loans, deposits, and money in the economy

= $40,000

c. The size of the money multiplier for this economy

= 20

Step-by-step explanation:

a) Data and Calculations:

Reserve requirement ratio = 5%

Customer's deposit = $2,000

Amount of required reserves

= Initial deposits multiplied by reserve ratio

= $100 ($2,000 * 5%)

Actual reserves = $100

Excess reserves = $0

Total amount of loans, deposits, and money in the economy

= Initial Deposits/Reserve Ratio

= $40,000 ($2,000/0.05)

The size of the money multiplier for this economy = Total money supply in the economy divided by the initial money deposits

= $40,000/$2,000

= 20

b) The Money Multiplier refers to how the initial deposit of $2,000 leads to a bigger final increase in the total money supply of $40,000. It means that the money multiplier is 20 or that the initial deposit of $2,000 has multiplied by 20 to $40,000.