1ChapterOneWhyAreFinancialIntermediariesSpecial?ChapterOutlineIntroductionFinancialIntermediaries’SpecialnessInformationCostsLiquidityandPriceRiskOtherSpecialServicesOtherAspectsofSpecialnessTheTransmissionofMonetaryPolicyCreditAllocationIntergenerationalWealthTransfersorTimeIntermediationPaymentServicesDenominationIntermediationSpecialnessandRegulationSafetyandSoundnessRegulationMonetaryPolicyRegulationCreditAllocationRegulationConsumerProtectionRegulationInvestorProtectionRegulationEntryRegulationTheChangingDynamicsofSpecialnessTrendsintheUnitedStatesFutureTrendsGlobalIssuesSummary2SolutionsforEnd-of-ChapterQuestionsandProblems:ChapterOne1.Identifyandbrieflyexplainthefiveriskscommontofinancialinstitutions.Defaultorcreditriskofassets,interestrateriskcausedbymaturitymismatchesbetweenassetsandliabilities,liabilitywithdrawalorliquidityrisk,underwritingrisk,andoperatingcostrisks.2.Explainhoweconomictransactionsbetweenhouseholdsaversoffundsandcorporateusersoffundswouldoccurinaworldwithoutfinancialintermediaries(FIs).InaworldwithoutFIstheusersofcorporatefundsintheeconomywouldhavetoapproachdirectlythehouseholdsaversoffundsinordertosatisfytheirborrowingneeds.Thisprocesswouldbeextremelycostlybecauseoftheup-frontinformationcostsfacedbypotentiallenders.Costinefficiencieswouldarisewiththeidentificationofpotentialborrowers,thepoolingofsmallsavingsintoloansofsufficientsizetofinancecorporateactivities,andtheassessmentofriskandinvestmentopportunities.Moreover,lenderswouldhavetomonitortheactivitiesofborrowersovereachloan'slifespan.Thenetresultwouldbeanimperfectallocationofresourcesinaneconomy.3.Identifyandexplainthreeeconomicdisincentivesthatprobablywoulddampentheflowoffundsbetweenhouseholdsaversoffundsandcorporateusersoffundsinaneconomicworldwithoutfinancialintermediaries.Investorsgenerallyareaversetopurchasingsecuritiesdirectlybecauseof(a)monitoringcosts,(b)liquiditycosts,and(c)pricerisk.Monitoringtheactivitiesofborrowersrequiresextensivetime,expense,andexpertise.Asaresult,householdswouldprefertoleavethisactivitytoothers,andbydefinition,theresultinglackofmonitoringwouldincreasetheriskinessofinvestingincorporatedebtandequitymarkets.Thelong-termnatureofcorporateequityanddebtwouldlikelyeliminateatleastaportionofthosehouseholdswillingtolendmoney,asthepreferenceofmanyfornear-cashliquiditywoulddominatetheextrareturnswhichmaybeavailable.Third,thepriceriskoftransactionsonthesecondarymarketswouldincreasewithouttheinformationflowsandservicesgeneratedbyhighvolume.4.IdentifyandexplainthetwofunctionsinwhichFIsmayspecializethatenablethesmoothflowoffundsfromhouseholdsaverstocorporateusers.FIsserveasconduitsbetweenusersandsaversoffundsbyprovidingabrokeragefunctionandbyengagingintheassettransformationfunction.Thebrokeragefunctioncanbenefitbothsaversandusersoffundsandcanvaryaccordingtothefirm.FIsmayprovideonlytransactionservices,suchasdiscountbrokerages,ortheyalsomayofferadvisoryserviceswhichhelpreduceinformationcosts,suchasfull-linefirmslikeMerrillLynch.Theassettransformationfunctionisaccomplishedbyissuingtheirownsecurities,suchasdepositsandinsurancepoliciesthataremoreattractivetohouseholdsavers,andusingtheproceedstopurchasetheprimarysecuritiesof3corporations.Thus,FIstakeonthecostsassociatedwiththepurchaseofsecurities.5.InwhatsensearethefinancialclaimsofFIsconsideredsecondarysecurities,whilethefinancialclaimsofcommercialcorporationsareconsideredprimarysecurities?Howdoesthetransformationprocess,orintermediation,reducetherisk,oreconomicdisincentives,tothesavers?Thefundsraisedbythefinancialclaimsissuedbycommercialcorporationsareusedtoinvestinrealassets.Thesefinancialclaims,whichareconsideredprimarysecurities,arepurchasedbyFIswhosefinancialclaimsthereforeareconsideredsecondarysecurities.SaverswhoinvestinthefinancialclaimsofFIsareindirectlyinvestingintheprimarysecuritiesofcommercialcorporations.However,theinformationgatheringandevaluationexpenses,monitoringexpenses,liquiditycosts,andpriceriskofplacingtheinvestmentsdirectlywiththecommercialcorporationarereducedbecauseoftheefficienciesoftheFI.6.Explainhowfinancialinstitutionsactasdelegatedmonitors.Whatsecondarybenefitsoftenaccruetotheentirefinancialsystembecauseofthismonitoringprocess?Byputtingexcessfundsintofinancialinstitutions,individualinvestorsgivetotheFIstheresponsibilityofdecidingwhoshouldreceivethemoneyandofensuringthatthemoneyisutilizedproperlybytheborrower.InthissensethedepositorshavedelegatedtheFItoactasamonitorontheirbehalf.TheFIcancollectinformationmoreefficientlythanindividualinvestors.Further,theFIcanutilizethisinformationtocreatenewproducts,suchascommercialloans,thatcontinuallyupdatetheinformationpool.Thismorefrequentmonitoringprocesssendsimportantinformationalsignalstootherparticipantsinthemarket,aprocessthatreducesinformationimperfectionandasymmetrybetweentheultimatesourcesandusersoffundsintheeconomy.7.WhatarefivegeneralareasofFIspecialnessthatarecausedbyprovidingvariousservicestosectorsoftheeconomy?First,FIscollectandprocessinformationmoreefficientlythanindiv