The business of money creation is conceptually distinct from that of intermediation. Yet, these two activities are frequently---but not always---combined together in the form of a banking system. We develop a simple model to examine the question: When is banking essential? There is a role for...

In this paper, I provide a rationale for why money should earn interest; or, what amounts to the same thing, why risk-free claims to non-interest-bearing money should trade at discount. I argue that interest-bearing money is essential when individual money balances are private information. The...