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Renée Menéndez's avatar

Sorry to point out that there are some misunderstandings here. You say at (24:20):

"... and cash reserves move when deposits move from bank to bank..."

The point is that deposits essentially represent a relationship between the customer and the bank, whereby the deposits, which are a floating debt of the bank, have their counterpart in the claims of the customer - one does not exist without the other. This is an expression of the central principle of accounting, according to which there is no entry without an offsetting entry. This means that a deposit ALWAYS has a counterpart, regardless of which side you look at it from.

A deposit is therefore a debt relationship and debt relationships are defined between two precisely defined parties. Such a debt relationship between a buyer and his bank can be referred to as a DRb (= Debt Relation buyer). After a transfer to the seller, this debt relation DRb disappears (direct debit), while the seller and his bank establish a new debt relation DRs (credit note), which has NOTHING to do with the debt relation DRb. Even if both are for the same amount, they are not the same thing. DRb has ceased to exist, while DRs has been created NEW. You can say that one is conditioned by the other, but conditionality does not mean identity.

In short: deposits do not move! They are created and pass away - but they do not move.

In case you are interested in the processes that actually take place during a transfer:

https://reneemenendez.substack.com/p/who-is-transferring-money-when-a?utm_source=profile&utm_medium=reader2

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Natan Galula's avatar

Hi Jim, great introduction. I am really looking forward to this series.

As someone who thinks that money is precious metals and PM only, do you differentiate between fiduciary media and credit? And if so, how? And if "standard money" like cash and bank reserves are liabilities of the central bank, doesn't that make them credit?

Thanks.

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