This document provides an overview of key concepts related to money, financial institutions, and the Federal Reserve system. It covers what money is, the history and functions of the Federal Reserve, different types of financial institutions like banks and credit unions, how the Federal Reserve controls the money supply through tools like adjusting reserve requirements and conducting open market operations, international banking institutions like the World Bank and IMF, and technological advancements in banking. Learning objectives and test questions are also included to aid student comprehension.
See Learning Objective 1: Explain what money is and what makes money useful.
See Learning Objective 1: Explain what money is and what makes money useful.
The new $100 bill has features like a 3D ribbon, as well as ink with microscopic flakes that shift color.
See Learning Objective 1: Explain what money is and what makes money useful.
See Learning Objective 2: Describe how the Federal Reserve controls the money supply.
See Learning Objective 2: Describe how the Federal Reserve controls the money supply.
This slide shows the value of different bills printed in 2010.
In 2010 over 1 billion $1 bills, 2 billion $20 bills, and over 2 billion $100 bills were printed.
Most of the value of U.S. currency is $100 bills.
In 2010 the U.S. printed more bills in every category but $1s and $50s when compared to 2009.
See Learning Objective 2: Describe how the Federal Reserve controls the money supply.
This slide gives the students an idea of the life span of paper money in circulation.
The largest denomination ever printed was a $100,000 gold certificate.
Share with students some interesting facts regarding U.S. currency:
- Originally, U.S. currency included denominations of $500, $1,000, $5,000, and $10,000. No currency printed today is greater than $100 dollars.
- The percent of U.S. counterfeit currency in circulation is estimated to be .02%.
- U.S. Currency bills are 2.61 inches wide, 6.14 inches long, thickness of .0043 inches and weighs 1 gram.
- It costs 4.2 cents to produce a U.S. bill.
- The Bureau of Engraving prints about 16,650,000 one dollar bills per day.
(Source: enchantedlearning.com)
See Learning Objective 2: Describe how the Federal Reserve controls the money supply.
This slide illustrates some interesting dates regarding U.S. money
Have students look through the dates. Which do they find most interesting or surprising and why?
Ask students: How do some of the amounts listed compare to today?
See Learning Objective 2: Describe how the Federal Reserve controls the money supply.
See Learning Objective 2: Describe how the Federal Reserve controls the money supply.
See Learning Objective 2: Describe how the Federal Reserve controls the money supply.
The Impact of a Falling Dollar
This slide highlights some of the issues related to a falling dollar.
While these points are positive, the long term implications of a falling dollar are more serious.
A declining dollar will eventually result in the following:
Higher interest rates on government and consumer debt.
Higher inflation due to a rise in the price of imports, and commodity prices increase since most are priced in terms of U.S. dollars.
See Learning Objective 2: Describe how the Federal Reserve controls the money supply.
The Federal Reserve is a quasi-governmental agency not under the direct control of the U.S. government.
See Learning Objective 2: Describe how the Federal Reserve controls the money supply.
This slide is based on Figure 18.1.
See Learning Objective 2: Describe how the Federal Reserve controls the money supply.
See Learning Objective 2: Describe how the Federal Reserve controls the money supply.
Money can be anything that people accept as payment for goods and services.
The five characteristics of useful money are: Portability, divisibility, stability, durability, and uniqueness.
Bitcoin is a form of digital currency created in 2008. It has no central authority regulating its use and can be difficult to compute a dollar value.
The money supply is the amount of money available for people to buy goods and services. It is important to manage the money supply, since too much money could cause inflation and too little money may cause deflation.
To control the money supply the Federal Reserve can increase or decrease the reserve requirement, buy or sell government securities, or change the discount rate.
The Federal Reserve is responsible for creating an environment that fosters stable prices and full employment. It attempts to manage these two goals with monetary policy. The Federal Reserve is also responsible for the clearing of checks.
See Learning Objective 3: Trace the history of banking and the Federal Reserve System.
State banks were also permitted to join.
See Learning Objective 3: Trace the history of banking and the Federal Reserve System.
This slide highlights the largest bank failures in U.S. banking history.
Three of these failures are a direct result of the financial crisis that started in 2008.
Ask students: Why didn’t the Washington Mutual and IndyMac Bank failures create a total loss of confidence in the United States banking system like we saw during the Great Depression? (Students should be able to recognize the stepped up role of the US government including the creation of the FDIC insurance program and the increase in FDIC coverage from $100,000 to $250,000.)
See Learning Objective 4: Classify the various institutions in the U.S. banking system.
See Learning Objective 4: Classify the various institutions in the U.S. banking system.
See Learning Objective 4: Classify the various institutions in the U.S. banking system.
Commercial banks also offer credit cards, financial counseling, automatic payment of bills, brokerage services, safe-deposit boxes, travelers checks, and individual retirement accounts (IRAs).
See Learning Objective 4: Classify the various institutions in the U.S. banking system.
See Learning Objective 4: Classify the various institutions in the U.S. banking system.
See Learning Objective 4: Classify the various institutions in the U.S. banking system.
Due to their exemption from federal income taxes, credit unions: fees are typically less and the interest rates paid on deposits are often higher.
See Learning Objective 4: Classify the various institutions in the U.S. banking system.
See Learning Objective 4: Classify the various institutions in the U.S. banking system.
See Learning Objective 4: Classify the various institutions in the U.S. banking system.
The Federal Reserve emerged after the banking crisis of 1907 and was organized originally to be a lender of last resort.
After bank deregulation, the services offered by banks and S&Ls are now similar. They both offer many of the same services. Credit Unions are tax-exempt member-owned cooperatives that operate like banks.
Consumer finance companies offer short-term loans to those who cannot meet the credit requirements of regular banks.
See Learning Objective 5: Briefly trace the causes of the banking crisis, and explain how the government protects your funds during such crises.
See Learning Objective 5: Briefly trace the causes of the banking crisis, and explain how the government protects your funds during such crises.
The amount of depositors’ insurance was increased to $250,000 create confidence in the banking system.
See Learning Objective 6: Describe how technology helps make banking more efficient.
See Learning Objective 6: Describe how technology helps make banking more efficient.
See Learning Objective 7: Evaluate the role and importance of international banking, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund.
See Learning Objective 7: Evaluate the role and importance of international banking, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund.
Both the World Bank and the IMF were created to rebuild the world economy after World War II.
See Learning Objective 7: Evaluate the role and importance of international banking, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund.
After the internet bubble of the late 1990s, the Federal Reserve lowered interest rates creating a situation in which mortgage rates were low thus fueling a housing boom. Banks relaxed their underwriting standards and created mortgage-backed securities and sold them to organizations throughout the world. The government did not regulate these transactions well and banks collapsed as housing values fell and individuals defaulted on their loans.
The role of the FDIC is to insure bank deposits if a bank were to fail. Bank deposits are currently insured up to $250,000.
Unlike a credit card a debit card functions as a check, withdrawing funds directly from a checking account. The debit card only allows you to spend money that is in your account; once the balance is zero the card cannot be used. If the card is used with a zero balance, it will result in overdrafts.
The World Bank, also called the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, is responsible for financing economic development.
The IMF was established to assist the smooth flow of money among nations. Nations must join the IMF and allow for flexible exchange rates, inform the IMF of changes in a country's monetary policy, and to modify policies on the advice of the IMF.