The Sound Money Project was founded in January 2009 to conduct research and promote awareness about monetary stability and financial privacy. The project is comprised of leading academics and practitioners in money, banking, and macroeconomics. It offers regular commentary and in-depth analysis on monetary policy, alternative monetary systems, financial markets regulation, cryptocurrencies, and the history of monetary and macroeconomic thought. For the latest on sound money issues, subscribe to our working paper series and follow along on Twitter or Facebook.
Advisory Board: Steve H. Hanke, Jerry L. Jordan, Gerald P. O’Driscoll, Jr., Lawrence H. White
Director: William J. Luther
Senior Fellows: Gerald P. Dwyer, Joshua R. Hendrickson, Nicolás Cachanosky, Alexander W. Salter, Thomas L. Hogan
Fellows: James L. Caton, J.P. Koning
Two Types of Postal Banking
“It is possible that these prepaid card providers aren’t competing very hard, and thus unbanked households face abnormally high fees. If so, the unbanked population could benefit by having the USPS enter the market. On the other hand, if the market for prepaid cards is already competitive, a USPS card may have problems gaining a foothold, in which case it may not even be worth the effort.” ~ J.P. Koning
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The American Tradition of Ordered Liberty
“Regardless of what we think of these traditions and practices, we cannot comprehend the history and development of American institutions without reference to them. To understand money, we must understand the entire institutional chain: from money to banking and finance, to law and politics, to the ultimate sources of social authority. The story of money in America is itself a chapter in the story of ordered liberty in America.” ~ Alexander W. Salter
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Average Inflation Targeting Risks Further Politicizing the Fed
“Perhaps the Fed’s move to average inflation targeting won’t make much of a difference. But it nonetheless risks further politicizing the Fed. To the extent that it means the Fed will engage in even more credit allocation and Congress will take a more active role in guiding those credit allocation discussions, there is cause for concern.” ~ Nicolás Cachanosky
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What Should the Fed Do Now?
“As cities and states ease their lockdowns and restrictions, the Fed should continue to support the recovery with accommodative monetary policy. As Powell described, ‘A full economic recovery is unlikely until people are confident that it is safe to reengage in a broad range of activities.'” ~ Thomas L. Hogan
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Bitcoin Financial Literacy and Crypto-Twitter
“It is sad to see an excited gambler sell their house to go all-in on a longshot, whether that be on lottery tickets or on cryptocurrencies. It is shameful to encourage such behaviors. Cryptocurrencies like bitcoin are a game. Play responsibly.” ~ J.P. Koning
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Money, Markets, and Economic Order
“Provided there is widespread social respect and protection for the institution of private property, we can have both markets and money, and the material bounties they create. But if we fiddle with markets and money, for example by conducting misguided political experiments, we jeopardize the very roots of our economic well-being.” ~ Alexander W. Salter
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The Fed Can Generate Higher Inflation
“A lack of concern for fiscal discipline by both the U.S. Treasury Secretary and a call for persistent, near zero rates by the Chairman of the Federal Reserve suggests that the Federal Reserve and the U.S. Treasury will act in concert to make the new inflation target a reality. It is not a question of whether the inflation rate will pass 2 percent, but when.” ~ James L. Caton
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Citibank’s $900 Million Mistake and the Finality of Payments
“Cases like Citbank’s $900 million mispayment and $846,000 bank drafts stuck in financial limbo make for interesting stories. But keep in mind that the participants in these transactions are the accidental victims of a payments system that provides hard finality. What is unseen is the huge amount of trade that the certainty of hard finality facilitates.” ~ J.P. Koning
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Meet the New Fed, Same as the Old Fed: Jerome Powell’s Inflation Revelation Falls Flat
“If it’s serious about a 2% inflation target, the Fed will have to do better than a pep rally. We were promised meaningful change; what we got was the same old song and dance.” ~ Phillip W. Magness & Alexander W. Salter
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Where Does Money Come From?
“Money makes possible an incredible amount of interpersonal coordination in the market. Rules of private property and contract, of various kinds, predate money. But widespread market integration and economic growth only result when there is a critical mass of people in a single commercial network linked by money.” ~ Alexander W. Salter
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Average Inflation Targeting and Expectations
“If credible and clearly articulated, an average inflation targeting regime would provide a better anchor for inflation expectations than a period-by-period inflation targeting regime. Alas, the Fed’s new policy strategy has not been clearly articulated, leaving short-run inflation expectations unanchored.” ~ William J. Luther
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The Myth of the Crowding-Out Myth
“Recognizing that private investment usually works better than public investment does not mean that public investment is never desirable. But it does put the burden of proof on those who champion public investment projects. Rather than offering faux refutations of the crowding-out argument and citing anecdotal evidence, as Skidelsky does, those in favor of a public investment project should make the case for why it is desirable.” ~ William J. Luther & Nicolás Cachanosky
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