SAVINGS DEPOSITS: Accounts maintained by banks, savings and loan associations, credit unions, and mutual savings banks that pay interest but can not be used directly as money. These accounts, also termed transactions deposits, let customers set aside a portion of their liquid assets that COULD be used to make purchases. But to make those purchases, savings account balances must be transferred to checkable deposits or currency. However, this transference is easy enough that savings accounts are often termed near money. Savings accounts, as such constitute a sizeable portion of the M2 monetary aggregate. See also | bank | savings and loan association | credit union | mutual savings bank | checkable deposits | money | M1 | M2 | M3 | money supply | saving | near money |
