[Qasaur]

They are, the argument that the poster above you put forward is such a tired argument and I really do not understand why people are trying to hide the fact that the Fed is actually creating money out of thin air and buying assets from banks for it. The Fed doesn't technically "print" the Federal Reserve Notes, but for all intents and purposes it is legitimately money that is being created, only digitally. You are entirely correct in your assessment that they are manipulating the market by being an agent with unlimited amounts of cash and can therefore provide options for banks that they otherwise wouldn't have in a free market.

Also bank reserves can be used as collateral for further loans, just because you don't lend out the actual reserves doesn't mean more money isn't being created, it's just done in a roundabout fashion.

[RobertoG]

>>"Also bank reserves can be used as collateral for further loans [..]"

What do you mean by that? I don't think that it how it works.

[Qasaur]

Collateral is the wrong term, apologies for that - what I mean is that expanded bank reserves can be used to back an expansion of credit from the bank in question.

[jbverschoor]

There are no reserve requirements anymore

[RobertoG]

In order to expand credit, banks need borrowers that demand credit. Never mind the number of reserves available if there is nobody asking for credit. That's the reason there is not inflation.

In the current economy, a reactivation of the economy have to come from government spending (fiscal policy). Central Banks (monetary policy) are powerless when the interest rate have gone all the way down.