>all I want to do is buy a bigmac with some cash and not worry about put options or hedging risk in currency fluctuations Who says you have to perform the hedg

>all I want to do is buy a bigmac with some cash and not worry about put options or hedging risk in currency fluctuations Who says you have to perform the hedge? Just contract with a firm to provide that service. Having the state grant a monopoly to banks to perform that service makes about as much economic sense as saying the management of any good should be given a monopoly by the state. >I don't have to worry about that and neither does anybody else. If you don't factor in inflation to your economic calculations, you'll go out of business. It's not an option. People who run companies or manage substantial finances have to constantly be taxed by hedging inflation. Price inflation of housing is a perfect example.