Answer:
Lower reserves increase the money supply in the economy.
Banks can either keep deposits in reserves or give them out as loans.
the lower the reserve ratio, the higher the money multiplier and the higher the money supply.
Lowering the reserves can be a form of expansionary monetary policy
Explanation:
Fractional banking is a banking system where a portion of customer's deposits is kept as reserves while remaining portion is lent out. The amount kept as reserves is determined by the required reserve ratio set by the Central bank.
If the required reserve ratio is 10% and $100 is deposited, reserves would be $10 and $90 would be lent out
Increase in the total value of checkable deposit is determined by the money multiplier
Money multiplier = 1 / reserve requirement
Increase in value of total deposit = amount deposited / reserve requirement
Assume 100 is deposited in a bank and the reserve requirement is 10%
Increase in value of total deposit = 100 / 0.1 = 1000
Imagine that the reserve is reduced to 5%
Increase in value of total deposit = 100 / 0.05 = 2000
reducing the reserve requirement increased the value of total deposit and thus the money supply in the economy
