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Workers who are paid in a currency which is experiencing high-[[inflation]] will prefer to spend their income quickly instead of [[saving]] it.<ref name="funofec"/> When a currency loses its store of value, or more accurately when a currency is perceived to lose its future purchasing power, it fails to function as money. This causes people to use currencies from other countries as a [[Currency substitution|substitute]].<ref name="funofec"/>
Workers who are paid in a currency which is experiencing high-[[inflation]] will prefer to spend their income quickly instead of [[saving]] it.<ref name="funofec"/> When a currency loses its store of value, or more accurately when a currency is perceived to lose its future purchasing power, it fails to function as money. This causes people to use currencies from other countries as a [[Currency substitution|substitute]].<ref name="funofec"/>


According to the Cambridge cash-balance theory, which is represented by the [[Cambridge equation]], money's ability to store value is more important than its function as a medium of exchange.<ref name="ecam">{{cite book |title=Economic Concepts and Methods |date=2008 |publisher=FK Publications |isbn=978-8188597185 |page=297 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DyrqBToCDgQC |accessdate=4 January 2017}}</ref> Cambridge claims that the [[demand for money]] is derived from its ability to store value. This is contrary to [[Irving Fisher|Fisher]] economists' belief that demand arises because money is needed for exchange.<ref name="amtp">{{cite book |title=Advanced Monitory Theory & Policies |last=Reddy |first=R. Jayaprakash |year=2004 |publisher=APH Publishing |isbn=8176486124 |page=50 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qem_6XaNkF4C |accessdate=4 January 2017}}</ref>
According to the Cambridge cash-balance theory, which is represented by the [[Cambridge equation]], money's ability to store value is more important than its function as a [[medium of exchange]].<ref name="ecam">{{cite book |title=Economic Concepts and Methods |date=2008 |publisher=FK Publications |isbn=978-8188597185 |page=297 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DyrqBToCDgQC |accessdate=4 January 2017 }}{{Dead link|date=May 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Cambridge claims that the [[demand for money]] is derived from its ability to store value. This is contrary to [[Irving Fisher|Fisher]] economists' belief that demand arises because money is needed for exchange.<ref name="amtp">{{cite book |title=Advanced Monitory Theory & Policies |last=Reddy |first=R. Jayaprakash |year=2004 |publisher=APH Publishing |isbn=8176486124 |page=50 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qem_6XaNkF4C |accessdate=4 January 2017}}</ref>


==Other stores of value==
==Other stores of value==
[[File:Bond of National Loan issued by Polish National Government 1863.png|thumb|Polish National Government bond, 1863]]
[[File:Bond of National Loan issued by Polish National Government 1863.png|thumb|Polish National Government bond, 1863]]
[[File:Gold-295936.jpg|thumb|Commodities such as [[Gold reserve|gold]] and other precious metals have historically been good stores of value]]
[[File:Gold-295936.jpg|thumb|Commodities such as [[Gold reserve|gold]] and other precious metals have historically been good stores of value]]
Examples for stores of value other than money are:
{{columns-list|colwidth=30em|}}
*[[Bond (finance)|Bond]]s – value is guaranteed by a legal contract
*[[Collectible]]s, e.g. original art by a famous artist or [[antique]]s such as ancient artifacts or ancient coinage
*[[Gemstone]]s
*[[Gift economy]] relationships – value is stored as social reputation
*[[Labor notes (currency)]]
*[[Livestock]] ownership and control (see [[African currency]])
*[[Investment wine|Fine wine]]
*[[Precious metal]]s – ownership in [[Gold as an investment|gold]], [[Silver as an investment|silver]], platinum, and palladium
*[[Real estate]] – ownership in actual deeds in protectable controllable land
*[[Stored-value card]]s – value is physically stored on the cards in the form of binary coded data


The term [[cash]] is often used to indicate both [[currency]], which is usually represented by [[paper money]] or [[coins]] in [[developed country|industrialized countries]],<ref name=currency/> and sums [[Deposit (finance)|deposited]] and payable almost immediately on order.
While these items may be inconvenient to trade daily or store, and may vary in [[value (economics)|value]] quite significantly, they rarely lose all value. It need not be a [[capital asset]] at all, merely have economic value that is not known to disappear even in the worst situation. The disadvantage for land, houses and property as a store for value is that it may take time to find a buyer for those assets.<ref name="mpap" /> In principle, this could be true of any industrial commodity, but gold and precious metals are generally favored, because of their demand and rarity in nature, which reduces the risk of [[devaluation]] associated with increased production and supply.

Apart from [[cash]], [[legal tender]] issued on the ''[[Glossary_of_policy_debate_terms#Fiat|fiat]]'' of a [[sovereign government]],<ref>{{Britannica URL|money/cash-money|Cash}}</ref><ref>{{Britannica URL|money/money|Money}}</ref> examples of [[asset|assets]] used as potential stores of value are:

* [[Financial asset|Financial assets]], e.g. [[Stock|stocks]], [[Bond (finance)|bonds]] and other [[fixed income]] [[investments]], [[Investment fund|investment funds]], [[private equity]]
* [[Real estate investing|Real estate]], e.g. [[home-ownership]], [[rental property]], or through [[security (finance)|financial securities]] or [[Fractional ownership#Real_property|fractional ownership]]<ref>{{Britannica URL|money/real-estate-investing|Wondering how to invest in real estate? Four ways to get started}}</ref>
* [[Commodity|Commodities]] (especially through [[financial assets]]), such as [[natural gas]] or [[soybean]]<ref>{{Britannica URL|money/investing-in-gold|Gold-plated investing strategy? Shiny metal and your portfolio}}</ref>
* [[Gold as an investment#Investment_vehicles|Physical gold]] or other [[Precious metal|precious metals]], such as [[gold coin|gold coins]], [[platinum as an investment|platinum]] or [[silver as an investment|silver]] [[Bullion|bullions]]<ref>{{Britannica URL|money/what-are-commodities|What are commodities?}}</ref>
* [[Collectible]]s or [[Work of art|artworks]], e.g. [[gemstone]]s, [[antiques]], [[coin collecting|coins]], [[paintings]], [[investment wine|wines]]<ref>{{Britannica URL|money/how-to-invest-in-collectibles|How to invest in art and collectibles: From pastime to portfolio}}</ref><ref>{{Britannica URL|money/investment-types|Investment types}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/valuation/store-of-value/|title=Store of value|publisher=Corporate Finance Institute|access-date=August 1, 2024|quote=A store of value is an asset, currency, or commodity that maintains its value over a long period. An item would be considered a store of value if its value is either stable or increases over time but doesn’t depreciate.}}</ref>

In addition, [[currency]] can take many alternative forms, such as [[cryptocurrency]], [[livestock]] (e.g. some [[List of currencies in Africa#Pre-colonial era|pre-colonial African currencies]]),<ref name=currency>{{Britannica URL|money/currency|Currency}}</ref> [[labor voucher]]s, [[gift economy]] relationships or [[stored-value card]]s (value is recorded directly on [[computer chips]] of the cards).<ref>{{Britannica URL|money/Credit-and-money|Credit and money}}</ref>

While the above-mentioned assets may be inconvenient to trade daily or store, and may vary in [[value (economics)|value]] quite significantly, they are expected to rarely lose all value. It need not be a [[capital asset]] at all, merely have economic value that is not believed to disappear even in the worst situation.

The disadvantage for land, houses and property as a store for value is that it may take time to find a buyer for those assets.<ref name="mpap" />

As stores of value, gold and precious metals are generally favored to industrial commodities, because of their demand and rarity in nature, which reduces the risk of [[devaluation]] associated with increased production and supply.


[[Cryptocurrency|Cryptocurrency's]] role as a store of value is currently a matter of debate.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/17/mark-cuban-bitcoin-is-a-store-of-value-that-is-more-religion.html|title=Mark Cuban: Bitcoin is 'more religion than solution' and won't help in 'doomsday scenarios'|publisher=[[CNBC]]|date=17 December 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.ft.com/content/625fbd5a-d90c-434f-998d-5e0eeb4c0f71 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/https://www.ft.com/content/625fbd5a-d90c-434f-998d-5e0eeb4c0f71 |archive-date=2022-12-10 |url-access=subscription|title=Bitcoin has ambitions for gold's role|newspaper=Financial Times|date=10 January 2021|last1=Davies|first1=Gavyn}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/15/business/bitcoin-investing.html|title=What is Bitcoin Really Worth? Don't Even Ask|newspaper=The New York Times|date=15 December 2017|last1=Shiller|first1=Robert J.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/16/skeptics-say-bitcoin-has-no-value-heres-why-theyre-wrong.html|title=As bitcoin's price plunges, skeptics say the cryptocurrency has no value. Here's one argument for why they're wrong|publisher=[[CNBC]]|date=16 January 2018}}</ref> The [[Internal Revenue Service]] has issued guidance on "virtual currencies" that refers to them as "a medium of exchange, a unit of account, and/or a store of value."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.irs.gov/irb/2014-16_IRB#NOT-2014-21|title=Internal Revenue Bulletin: 2014-16 &#124; Internal Revenue Service}}</ref> The cryptocurrency [[Bitcoin]] is often compared by advocates to [[gold]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/02/04/tom-lee-on-bitcoins-price-and-why-its-better-than-gold.html|title=Tom Lee gives the long-term bullish case for bitcoin and why it's better than gold|publisher=[[CNBC]]|date=4 February 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/05/jpmorgan-bitcoin-price-could-rise-to-146k-as-it-competes-with-gold.html|title=JPMorgan says bitcoin could rise to $146,000 long term as it competes with gold|publisher=[[CNBC]]|date=5 January 2021}}</ref> In their role as a store of value, cryptocurrencies often elicit concern, due to their extreme [[volatility (finance)|volatility]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/15/business/bitcoin-investing.html|title=What is Bitcoin Really Worth? Don't Even Ask|newspaper=The New York Times|date=15 December 2017|last1=Shiller|first1=Robert J.}}</ref> or due to concerns about the emergence of regulation and contradictory handling by governments.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theregreview.org/2020/08/31/feinstein-werbach-does-regulation-chill-cryptocurrency-trading/|title=Does Regulation Chill Cryptocurrency Trading? |work=The Regulatory Review|date=31 August 2020}}</ref> Note that the Bitcoin blockchain ledger is unalterable and that Bitcoin cannot be taken from someone, except by force, known as the 'five-dollar wrench attack'.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kamau |first=Rufas |title=How To Send And Receive Bitcoin Privately |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/rufaskamau/2022/10/24/how-to-send--and-receive-bitcoin-privately/ |access-date=2022-11-05 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref>
[[Cryptocurrency|Cryptocurrency's]] role as a store of value is currently a matter of debate.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/17/mark-cuban-bitcoin-is-a-store-of-value-that-is-more-religion.html|title=Mark Cuban: Bitcoin is 'more religion than solution' and won't help in 'doomsday scenarios'|publisher=[[CNBC]]|date=17 December 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.ft.com/content/625fbd5a-d90c-434f-998d-5e0eeb4c0f71 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/https://www.ft.com/content/625fbd5a-d90c-434f-998d-5e0eeb4c0f71 |archive-date=2022-12-10 |url-access=subscription|title=Bitcoin has ambitions for gold's role|newspaper=Financial Times|date=10 January 2021|last1=Davies|first1=Gavyn}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/15/business/bitcoin-investing.html|title=What is Bitcoin Really Worth? Don't Even Ask|newspaper=The New York Times|date=15 December 2017|last1=Shiller|first1=Robert J.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/16/skeptics-say-bitcoin-has-no-value-heres-why-theyre-wrong.html|title=As bitcoin's price plunges, skeptics say the cryptocurrency has no value. Here's one argument for why they're wrong|publisher=[[CNBC]]|date=16 January 2018}}</ref> The [[Internal Revenue Service]] has issued guidance on "virtual currencies" that refers to them as "a medium of exchange, a unit of account, and/or a store of value."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.irs.gov/irb/2014-16_IRB#NOT-2014-21|title=Internal Revenue Bulletin: 2014-16 &#124; Internal Revenue Service}}</ref> The cryptocurrency [[Bitcoin]] is often compared by advocates to [[gold]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/02/04/tom-lee-on-bitcoins-price-and-why-its-better-than-gold.html|title=Tom Lee gives the long-term bullish case for bitcoin and why it's better than gold|publisher=[[CNBC]]|date=4 February 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/05/jpmorgan-bitcoin-price-could-rise-to-146k-as-it-competes-with-gold.html|title=JPMorgan says bitcoin could rise to $146,000 long term as it competes with gold|publisher=[[CNBC]]|date=5 January 2021}}</ref> In their role as a store of value, cryptocurrencies often elicit concern, due to their extreme [[volatility (finance)|volatility]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/15/business/bitcoin-investing.html|title=What is Bitcoin Really Worth? Don't Even Ask|newspaper=The New York Times|date=15 December 2017|last1=Shiller|first1=Robert J.}}</ref> or due to concerns about the emergence of regulation and contradictory handling by governments.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theregreview.org/2020/08/31/feinstein-werbach-does-regulation-chill-cryptocurrency-trading/|title=Does Regulation Chill Cryptocurrency Trading? |work=The Regulatory Review|date=31 August 2020}}</ref> Note that the Bitcoin blockchain ledger is unalterable and that Bitcoin cannot be taken from someone, except by force, known as the 'five-dollar wrench attack'.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kamau |first=Rufas |title=How To Send And Receive Bitcoin Privately |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/rufaskamau/2022/10/24/how-to-send--and-receive-bitcoin-privately/ |access-date=2022-11-05 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref>

Latest revision as of 21:27, 1 August 2024

A store of value is any commodity or asset that would normally retain purchasing power into the future and is the function of the asset that can be saved, retrieved and exchanged at a later time, and be predictably useful when retrieved.[citation needed]

The most common store of value in modern times has been money, currency, or a commodity like a precious metal or financial capital. The point of any store of value is risk management due to a stable demand for the underlying asset.[1]

Money as a store of value

[edit]
Various bills and coins

Monetary economics is the branch of economics which analyses the functions of money. Storage of value is one of the three generally accepted functions of money.[2] The other functions are the medium of exchange, which is used as an intermediary to avoid the inconveniences of the coincidence of wants, and the unit of account, which allows the value of various goods, services, assets and liabilities to be rendered in multiples of the same unit. Money is well-suited to storing value because of its purchasing power.[3] It is also useful because of its durability.[4]

Because of its function as a store of value, large quantities of money are hoarded.[5] Money's usefulness as a store of value declines if there are significant changes in the general level of prices.[6] So if inflation rises, purchasing power declines and a cost is placed on those holding money.[7]

Workers who are paid in a currency which is experiencing high-inflation will prefer to spend their income quickly instead of saving it.[4] When a currency loses its store of value, or more accurately when a currency is perceived to lose its future purchasing power, it fails to function as money. This causes people to use currencies from other countries as a substitute.[4]

According to the Cambridge cash-balance theory, which is represented by the Cambridge equation, money's ability to store value is more important than its function as a medium of exchange.[8] Cambridge claims that the demand for money is derived from its ability to store value. This is contrary to Fisher economists' belief that demand arises because money is needed for exchange.[9]

Other stores of value

[edit]
Polish National Government bond, 1863
Commodities such as gold and other precious metals have historically been good stores of value

The term cash is often used to indicate both currency, which is usually represented by paper money or coins in industrialized countries,[10] and sums deposited and payable almost immediately on order.

Apart from cash, legal tender issued on the fiat of a sovereign government,[11][12] examples of assets used as potential stores of value are:

In addition, currency can take many alternative forms, such as cryptocurrency, livestock (e.g. some pre-colonial African currencies),[10] labor vouchers, gift economy relationships or stored-value cards (value is recorded directly on computer chips of the cards).[19]

While the above-mentioned assets may be inconvenient to trade daily or store, and may vary in value quite significantly, they are expected to rarely lose all value. It need not be a capital asset at all, merely have economic value that is not believed to disappear even in the worst situation.

The disadvantage for land, houses and property as a store for value is that it may take time to find a buyer for those assets.[7]

As stores of value, gold and precious metals are generally favored to industrial commodities, because of their demand and rarity in nature, which reduces the risk of devaluation associated with increased production and supply.

Cryptocurrency's role as a store of value is currently a matter of debate.[20][21][22][23] The Internal Revenue Service has issued guidance on "virtual currencies" that refers to them as "a medium of exchange, a unit of account, and/or a store of value."[24] The cryptocurrency Bitcoin is often compared by advocates to gold.[25][26] In their role as a store of value, cryptocurrencies often elicit concern, due to their extreme volatility,[27] or due to concerns about the emergence of regulation and contradictory handling by governments.[28] Note that the Bitcoin blockchain ledger is unalterable and that Bitcoin cannot be taken from someone, except by force, known as the 'five-dollar wrench attack'.[29]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Mankiw, N. Gregory (2012). Essentials of Economics. Cengage Learning. p. 437. ISBN 978-1133418948. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  2. ^ Mankiw, N. Gregory (2012). Essentials of Economics. Cengage Learning. p. 437. ISBN 978-1133418948. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  3. ^ Gwartney, James; Richard Stroup; Russell Sobel; David Macpherson (2008). Economics: Private and Public Choice. Cengage Learning. p. 264. ISBN 978-0324580181. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  4. ^ a b c Boyes, William; Michael Melvin (2011). Fundamentals of Economics. Cengage Learning. p. 295. ISBN 978-1133172994. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  5. ^ Einzig, Paul (2014). Primitive Money: In its Ethnological, Historical and Economic Aspects, Edition 2. Elsevier. p. 425. ISBN 9781483157153. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  6. ^ Currie, David A. (1981). Macro Economic Analysis. Nirali Prakashan. p. 2.14. ISBN 9380064195. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  7. ^ a b Gwartney, James; Richard Stroup; Russell Sobel; David Macpherson (2008). Macroeconomics: Public and Private Choice. Cengage Learning. p. 264. ISBN 978-0324580198. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  8. ^ Economic Concepts and Methods. FK Publications. 2008. p. 297. ISBN 978-8188597185. Retrieved 4 January 2017.[permanent dead link]
  9. ^ Reddy, R. Jayaprakash (2004). Advanced Monitory Theory & Policies. APH Publishing. p. 50. ISBN 8176486124. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
  10. ^ a b Currency at the Encyclopædia Britannica
  11. ^ Cash at the Encyclopædia Britannica
  12. ^ Money at the Encyclopædia Britannica
  13. ^ Wondering how to invest in real estate? Four ways to get started at the Encyclopædia Britannica
  14. ^ Gold-plated investing strategy? Shiny metal and your portfolio at the Encyclopædia Britannica
  15. ^ What are commodities? at the Encyclopædia Britannica
  16. ^ How to invest in art and collectibles: From pastime to portfolio at the Encyclopædia Britannica
  17. ^ Investment types at the Encyclopædia Britannica
  18. ^ "Store of value". Corporate Finance Institute. Retrieved August 1, 2024. A store of value is an asset, currency, or commodity that maintains its value over a long period. An item would be considered a store of value if its value is either stable or increases over time but doesn't depreciate.
  19. ^ Credit and money at the Encyclopædia Britannica
  20. ^ "Mark Cuban: Bitcoin is 'more religion than solution' and won't help in 'doomsday scenarios'". CNBC. 17 December 2020.
  21. ^ Davies, Gavyn (10 January 2021). "Bitcoin has ambitions for gold's role". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 2022-12-10.
  22. ^ Shiller, Robert J. (15 December 2017). "What is Bitcoin Really Worth? Don't Even Ask". The New York Times.
  23. ^ "As bitcoin's price plunges, skeptics say the cryptocurrency has no value. Here's one argument for why they're wrong". CNBC. 16 January 2018.
  24. ^ "Internal Revenue Bulletin: 2014-16 | Internal Revenue Service".
  25. ^ "Tom Lee gives the long-term bullish case for bitcoin and why it's better than gold". CNBC. 4 February 2021.
  26. ^ "JPMorgan says bitcoin could rise to $146,000 long term as it competes with gold". CNBC. 5 January 2021.
  27. ^ Shiller, Robert J. (15 December 2017). "What is Bitcoin Really Worth? Don't Even Ask". The New York Times.
  28. ^ "Does Regulation Chill Cryptocurrency Trading?". The Regulatory Review. 31 August 2020.
  29. ^ Kamau, Rufas. "How To Send And Receive Bitcoin Privately". Forbes. Retrieved 2022-11-05.
[edit]
  • Wiens, Elmer G. (2005). "Linguistic and Commodity Exchanges". First Nations Studies. Examines the structural differences between barter and monetary commodity exchanges and oral and written linguistic exchanges