9 Money markets Governments, corporations and banks need to keep control of their finances, making sure that if they do spend or lend more than their income they have a way of tapping into sources of funds by borrowing for short periods. On the other hand, there are times when these organisations have surplus funds, for merely a day, a week or the next three months. They need to be able to lend these temporary surpluses to gain some return ­ to make their money work for them. Leaving the money in a bank current account is one option, but this pro- vides relatively low interest. The money markets are a much better alternative in many circumstances. They provide higher rates of return for those with surplus cash, with a wide variety of instruments to suit the preferences of the lender. On the borrowing side they are cheaper and involve less hassle than organising a bank loan.