The decline in inflation and interest rates since the 1980s has ultimately proved dangerous
In OECD countries, inflation and interest rates as a result have declined since the early 1980s. This development is mostly welcomed, and yet it has proved very dangerous: It has turned savers away from risky assets that finance the economy, as the decline in long-term interest rates provided high total returns on risk-free bonds; It has driven companies, households and governments to run up excessive debt, creating a danger for the future; It has led to recurring asset price bubbles.