Report
Patrick Artus

What is the least costly way to expropriate savers?

When the solvency of indebted economic agents - particularly governments - had to be restored in the past, inflation provided the necessary shift to below-growth interest rates. Given the relative inertia of nominal interest rates, inflation drove nominal (real) interest rates below nominal (real) growth. Today, indebted economic agents are still made solvent again thanks to below-growth interest rates, but instead of this being obtained with inflation, it is brought about by very low (negative) nominal and real interest rates. What is the best way to reduce debt ratios? Financial imbalances (bubbles) stem from the fact that interest rates are lower than the growth rate, which is true in both cases (inflation and interest rates); The downsides of inflation must therefore be compared alongside those of very low or negative interest rates (in particular, in the case of the latter, the fact that savings are channelled in to zero-yielding money and the weakening of banks).
Provider
Natixis
Natixis

Based across the world’s leading financial centers, Natixis CIB Research offers an integrated view of the markets. The team provides support to inform Natixis clients’ investment and hedging decisions across all asset classes.

 

Analysts
Patrick Artus

ResearchPool Subscriptions

Get the most out of your insights

Get in touch