# Helicopter Money

*Macro & Economy — Finicade finance glossary*

Helicopter money is permanent money creation handed directly to households or governments, rather than lent into the system and expected back. It differs from QE in exactly that permanence: QE swaps assets and can be reversed, while a helicopter drop cannot. The design intent is to bypass banks entirely when they won't lend, and the danger is that credibility about not repeating it is impossible to establish.

**Also known as:** helicopter drop, monetary financing

**Related terms:** [Quantitative Easing](https://finicade.com/glossary/quantitative-easing), [Seigniorage](https://finicade.com/glossary/seigniorage), [Inflation](https://finicade.com/glossary/inflation), [Modern Monetary Theory (MMT)](https://finicade.com/glossary/modern-monetary-theory), [Fiscal Policy](https://finicade.com/glossary/fiscal-policy)

Source: https://finicade.com/glossary/helicopter-money