Question

If the Fed lowers the required reserve ratio, __________ in the banking system will remain unchanged but __________ will rise. This will (likely) lead to an increase in new loans and checkable deposits and a(n) __________ in the money supply.

a. excess reserves; vault cash; increase
b. reserves; vault cash; decrease
c. reserves; excess reserves; increase
d. reserves; required reserves; increase
e. none of the above

Answer 1

Answer: c. reserves; excess reserves; increase

Explanation: The reserve ratio (cash reserve ratio) is determined by a country's central bank (Federal Reserve in this case) as an important monetary policy tool to increase or decrease the economy's money supply. As such, it is the percentage of a bank's deposits that it must keep in cash as a reserve rather than invest with or lend out.

The reserves in the banking system would remain unchanged when the Fed lowers the required reserve ratio. However, the excess reserve (funds that a bank keeps back beyond what is required by regulation) would rise that would in most instances, lead to an increase in the money supply (due to increases in new loans and checkable deposits).