The Discount Rate. Учетная ставка

The second instrument of monetary control available to the central bank is the discount rate.

The discount rate is the interest rate that the Bank charges when the commercial banks want to borrow money.

Suppose banks think the minimum safe ratio of cash to deposits is 10%. Say their cash reserves are 12% of deposits. How far dare they let their cash reserves fall towards the minimum level of 10%?

Banks have to balance the interest rate they will get on extra lending with the dangers and costs involved if there is a sudden flood of withdrawals, which push their cash reserves below the critical 10% figure. This is where the discount rate comes in. Suppose market interest rates are 8% and the central bank makes it known it is prepared to lend to commercial banks at 8%. Commercial banks may as well lend up to the hilt and drive their cash reserves down to the minimum 10% of deposits. The banks are lending at 8% and, if the worst comes to the worst and they are short of cash, they can always borrow from the Bank at 8%. Banks cannot lose by lending as much as possible.

Suppose however that the Bank announces that, although market interest rates arc 8%, it will lend to commercial banks only at the penalty rate of 10%. Now a bank with cash reserves of 12% may conclude that it is not worth making the extra loans at 8% interest that would drive its cash reserves down to the minimum of 10% of deposits. There is too high a risk that sudden withdrawals will then force the bank to borrow from the Bank at 10% interest. It will have lost money by making these extra loans. It makes more sense to hold some excess cash reserves against the possibility of a sudden withdrawal.

Thus, by setting the discount rate at a penalty level in excess of the general level of interest rates, the Bank can induce commercial banks voluntarily to hold additional cash reserves. Since banks have to hold more cash as reserves, the money multiplier is reduced, less money can be created and the money supply is lower.