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On the social usefulness of fractional reserve banking

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  • Chari, V.V.
  • Phelan, Christopher

Abstract

In this paper we argue that if monetary policy has insufficient deflation, private agents have incentives to set up alternative payment systems like fractionally backed bank deposits, which pay interest on the means of payment. In a competitive environment with free entry, these alternative systems are inherently fragile in the sense that they are subject to socially costly bank runs. These social costs are not internalized by private individuals and banks and may exceed their social benefits. We argue that as communication technologies improve, the social benefits of fractional reserve banking decrease, but the private benefits may still exceed the private costs so that such systems continue to be used. In such situations, 100% reserve requirements are optimal.

Suggested Citation

  • Chari, V.V. & Phelan, Christopher, 2014. "On the social usefulness of fractional reserve banking," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 1-13.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:moneco:v:65:y:2014:i:c:p:1-13
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jmoneco.2014.04.008
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    Cited by:

    1. Hugo Rodríguez Mendizábal, 2020. "Narrow Banking with Modern Depository Institutions: Is There a Reason to Panic?," International Journal of Central Banking, International Journal of Central Banking, vol. 16(4), pages 145-197, September.
    2. Jakab, Zoltan & Kumhof, Michael, 2015. "Banks are not intermediaries of loanable funds – and why this matters," Bank of England working papers 529, Bank of England.
    3. Jakab, Zoltan & Kumhof, Michael, 2018. "Banks are not intermediaries of loanable funds — facts, theory and evidence," Bank of England working papers 761, Bank of England, revised 17 Jan 2020.
    4. Heon Lee, 2023. "On the Instability of Fractional Reserve Banking," Papers 2305.14503, arXiv.org, revised Apr 2024.
    5. Christian Wipf, 2020. "Should Banks Create Money?," Diskussionsschriften dp2015, Universitaet Bern, Departement Volkswirtschaft.
    6. Daniel Sanches, 2016. "On The Welfare Properties Of Fractional Reserve Banking," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 57(3), pages 935-954, August.
    7. Dirk Niepelt, 2024. "Money and Banking with Reserves and CBDC," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 79(4), pages 2505-2552, August.
    8. Daniel R. Sanches, 2014. "Banking panics and protracted recessions," Working Papers 14-37, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.
    9. Samuel Demeulemeester, 2022. "What analytical framework for Sovereign Money? Some insight from the 100% Money literature, and a comment on criticisms," Working Papers hal-03751756, HAL.
    10. Daniel R. Sanches, 2013. "On the welfare properties of fractional reserve banking," Working Papers 13-32, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.
    11. Christopher Phelan, 2015. "Should We Worry About Excess Reserves?," Economic Policy Paper 15-8, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.
    12. Ennis, Huberto M., 2018. "A simple general equilibrium model of large excess reserves," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 50-65.
    13. Samuel Demeulemeester, 2022. "Divorcing money creation from bank loans: revisiting the “100% money” proposal of the 1930s [Dissocier la création monétaire des prêts bancaires : retour sur la proposition "100% monnaie"," Post-Print hal-03938669, HAL.
    14. Daniel Sanches, 2016. "On The Welfare Properties Of Fractional Reserve Banking," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 57, pages 935-954, August.
    15. Zhixiu Yu, 2023. "On the Coexistence of Cryptocurrency and Fiat Money," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 49, pages 147-180, July.

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