Japan has traditionally had a high savings ratio, but, in past decade the savings ratio has fallen to be close to European / US levels. Graph showing Japan Savings Rates Japan’s economy chasing illusions Since 1998, though Japanese saving rates have declined. The graph is a bit hard to read, but, since 2004, Japanese saving …
Gross interest rate. This is the total interest payable before any deductions such as tax and charges. For example, the gross interest rate on a savings account maybe 4.4% Net Interest Rate. This is the total interest payable after any deductions. For example in the UK, the net interest rate will be the gross interest …
The UK economy faces a few paradoxes. Low Growth – High Inflation. Firstly, after a deep recession the economic recovery is weak. In theory, high unemployment and low growth should lead to low inflation. However, due to rising energy and food prices, we have inflation above target. This presents a conundrum for the Bank of …
For manufacturing investment, the real interest rate is important for determining the viability of investment. Lower interest rates make it cheaper to borrow. Therefore lower interest rates tend to encourage business investment. High real interest rates discourage investment. How interest rates affect the efficiency of investment At lower interest rates, the marginal efficiency of capital …
Readers Question: Interest rates are determined by the markets and not by the Bank of England-where’s the truth? An interesting question. Firstly, it is worth bearing in mind that there are different interest rates in an economy. Bank of England Base Rate. This is the most important interest rate because it is the rate at …
UK Households Set to be POORER by 2030Watch this video on YouTube After 15 years of stagnating living standards, a new report suggests that after housing costs, real disposable income are likely to continue falling for the next five years. The decline will be felt by all income groups, but those on benefits, poorer households, …
US Debt is Set to Massively INCREASE – Does it Matter?Watch this video on YouTube As a share of GDP, US debt is forecast to rise from the current level of 100% of GDP towards 180% by 2050. This is unprecedented – higher than the second world war. However, the recent budget resolution to …
It’s pretty easy to talk about the problems with the UK economy – 18 years of low growth, stagnant real wages, low productivity, low investment, housing costs through the roof. The numbers don’t lie. If past trends had continued from 2007, average households would be at least £8,000 a year better off. If we could …