Komiachko M.
PhD
Zhukova O.S.
PhD Petrachkova O.L.
Donetsk State University of Management
Money supply and its measures
Money supply is the amount
of money freely circulating in an economy. Money supply is made up of currency
and bank deposits. Economists divide money into four categories known as
measures: Ml, M2, M3, and L.
This breakdown measures,
the money supply by degree of liquidity. Liquidity refers to how easy it is to convert
money into cash - the most liquid form of money. Checking accounts represent
the next most liquid form because money in a checking account can be easily
withdrawn by writing a check. Savings accounts are slightly more difficult to
access than checking accounts and therefore are less liquid. Certificates of
deposit are still less liquid because money cannot be withdrawn before a
specified date without a penalty.
Each measure of money
includes a portion of the money supply that is more liquid than the next
measure - that is, Ml is more liquid than M2. The
measures are cumulative; each measure includes the forms of money (cash,
savings accounts, US treasury bonds, etc.) counted in the previous measure,
plus additional, less liquid forms. For example, M2 includes Ml plus certain
additions.
M1 is the
most liquid measure and includes cash, travellers' checks, and demand deposits
— checking accounts from which money can be withdrawn on demand: In 1994 Ml in the
United States accounted for over $1.1 trillion
on a daily basis. M2 is less liquid. It consists of Ml plus savings deposits-of
$100,000 or less.
M3 consists of M2 plus savings deposits of more than $100,000. L
consists of M3 plus government securities, such as savings bonds and
treasury notes.
In the
United States, money supply is regulated by the Federal Reserve Bank in one of
three ways: buying and selling government securities; raising or lowering
banks' required reserve ratio (percentage of their total deposits that banks must maintain at Federal Reserve Banks); and raising or
lowering the discount rate (interest rate banks pay to borrow money from the
Federal Reserve).
Money supply is an
important aspect of government monetary policy.
Governments use monetary policy, alongside fiscal policy (which is concerned
with taxation and spending), to maintain economic growth, high employment, and
low inflation. In the United States, monetary policy is determined by the
Federal Reserve's Board of Governors.
Literature
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Flaherty, M. O’Connor. Intermediate Accounting. McGraw-Hill, 1989. ISBN:
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N.G. „Principles of international accounting“ Austin Press, 1986. ISBN:
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