Exchange rates

The exchange rate is the rate at which one currency trades against another on the foreign exchange market If the present exchange rate is £1=$1.42, this means that to go to America you would get $142 for £100. Similarly, if an American came to the UK, he would have to pay $142 to get £100. …

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Interest Rates and Balance of Payments

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Readers Question: Interest Rates are increased by the governments to bring down inflation rates, this makes exports price competitive as well, as a result, exports increase. However, an increase in interest rates can lead to an appreciation of the currency as demand for the currency increases. So this again increases the price of exports as …

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The Trend Rate of Economic Growth

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The trend rate of economic growth is the average sustainable rate of economic growth over a period of time. It is determined by growth in productivity.

Trade off between unemployment and inflation

A look at the extent to which policy makers face a trade off between unemployment and inflation. The Phillips curve suggests there is a trade off between inflation and unemployment, at least in the short term. Other economists are more sceptical.

House prices and interest rates

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Interest rates have a strong influence on house prices, principally because changes in the interest rate affect the cost of mortgage payments. How do interest rates affect house prices? If interest rates rise it will have a significant effect on increasing the cost of mortgages. Higher mortgage payments will deter prospective home-buyers – it becomes …

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Importance of Inflation for Industry

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Inflation – is defined as a persistent increase in the general price level. The inflation rate is a key statistic and has important consequences for industry. In particular, high rates of inflation often discourage investment and lead to lower long-term growth for the following reasons: How inflation affects industry Uncertainty. High and volatile inflation creates uncertainty …

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Impact of Inflation on Savers and Borrowers

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  Inflation means a sustained increase in the cost of living. It means the value of money will decrease. If you owe someone £1,000, inflation will make this relatively easier to pay off. Assume that if prices go up by 10% a year wages also increase by 10% a year. This means each year you …

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Is zero inflation a good thing?

There are various economic costs associated with inflation – uncertainty, decline in investment, redistribution from savers to borrowers – but although there are costs with inflation, is zero inflation actually desirable? Governments usually set an inflation target of around 2%. (UK CPI target is 2% +/-1) There are reasons for targetting inflation of 2% – …

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