Thursday, September 14, 2006

Why do firms use derivative markets?

Why are money market assets typically more liquid than capital market assets? Does the relative illiquidity of capital market assets have any consequences for the banking system?

What factors explain the need for financial markets? (We discussed four today.) Who is more likely to use a stock broker (ceteris paribus): an active college professor in Alabama or a retired college professor in Florida? Why?

What are the benefits to savers and borrowers if financial markets communicate all available information about financial instruments via their prices?

Here is an interesting recent story about moral hazard. How does U.S. foreign aid promote moral hazard? What are some ways that ailing countries can be helped without creating it?

Here is Sam Peltzman on seat belts and moral hazard. Don Cherry noted that when hockey players were forced to wear face masks, there was a higher incidence of high sticking and slashing calls. Explain how possible moral hazard problems can result from (i) financial regulation, (ii) general insurance, and (iii) deposit insurance.

What factors do savers consider when deciding where to put their money (besides rates of return, of course). What are the reasons for government regulation of financial markets?

Differentiate between Treasury Bills, Treasury Bonds, Treasury Notes, and Treasury Auctions.

Differentiate between a simple loan, a discount loan, a fixed payment loan, and a coupon bond.

How does a discount bond differ from a simple loan? What is the main difference between a coupon bond and a fixed payment loan?

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

How is income related to saving and investment?

Define the loanable funds market and the production possibilities frontier as discussed today in class. What happens to each if (for instance) an economy is characterized with many productive baby boomers entering retirement?

Why do financial markets exist? What are financial instruments? Explain financial markets role in providing risk sharing, liquidity, and increases in information. Why are risk sharing, liquidity, and information valued by savers and borrowers?

Do banks and other financial intermediaries like high interest rates? Why or why not?

Differentiate between the primary and secondary, money and capital, and cash and derivative ways to analyze financial markets. What goods are associated with each?