Central Bank
A central bank directs and deals with a nation's monetary policy. It is responsible for controlling a country's money supply (through the issuance of fiat currency), and to set interest rates. A portion of its stated objectives are to prevent inflation, fight unemployment and balance out the currency system. A nation's money supply can incredibly impact these and other economic factors, and to that end central banks frequently go to currency manipulation when a country is facing economic struggle - as an endeavor to balance out the economy.
In the United States, the Federal Reserve Bank - the "Fed" - operates as the nation's central bank. Other notable central banks around the world incorporate the European Central Bank, the People's Bank of China, and the Bank of England.
Central banks exist in many countries around the world. They utilize different methods to deal with their nations' monetary systems alongside commercial banks. In the US, commercial banks that are registered as part of the Federal Reserve System are additionally called member banks. A few common methods incorporate setting reserve requirements, adjusting banking interest rates, and coordinating open market operations.
Financial reserves
Reserves are essential as part of the fractional reserve banking system that most financial institutions use internationally. The central bank is responsible for setting the base reserve requirement for commercial banks, implying that these banks must hold a small percentage of the money stored by their customers in their accounts, while as yet having the option to make loans with the remainder of the money.
Interest rates
Central banks set the rates of interest charged to member banks when they advance credit through short-term loans. The member banks are responsible for offering loans to businesses and consumers for mortgages, vehicles, business expansion, equipment, and other large purchases. They additionally sell bonds at set interest rates. The central bank's interest rate is intended to direct commercial banks in their lending activities. At the point when the interest rate is low, banks are bound to loan more money. Be that as it may, when the central bank raises the rates, member banks fix their lending rehearses.
Open Market Operations
Member banks sell and buy securities from the central bank (e.g., government bonds and mortgage-backed securities). At the point when a central bank buys securities from its member banks, it gives the commercial banks more cash to loan to their consumers. In recent economic emergencies, central banks have involved this method in endeavors to help in economic recovery through quantitative easing (QE). In short, QE strategies "made" new money by adding currency to a bank's financial reserves through credit.
Features
- A central bank is a financial institution that is responsible for supervising the monetary system and policy of a nation or group of nations, controlling its money supply, and setting interest rates.
- A central bank can be a lender of last resort to troubled financial institutions and even governments.
- Central banks institute monetary policy, by easing or tightening the money supply and availability of credit, central banks look to keep a nation's economy balanced out.
- A central bank sets requirements for the banking industry, for example, the amount of cash reserves banks must keep up with versus their deposits.
