Readers Question: Will interest rates rise? Some say yes, my investment analyst/advisor says no (“because the UK is largely living on credit and the government and bank of England do not want a repeat of 2008”) Interest rates will rise when the Bank of England feel the economy has returned to a normal trend of …
In the Bank of England’s latest forecast for the UK, they predict reasonably good economic growth in term of real GDP. At the same time, forecasts for average real incomes are more pessimistic. The Bank of England suggests UK economic growth will be maintained by consumer spending – spending which will partly be funded by …
Readers Question: Does Government debt matter? Do high fiscal deficits threaten economic stability? Summary Many worry that high levels of government debt could cause economic instability. In certain occasions, countries with high debt have seen investors lose confidence, leading to higher bond yields and putting pressure on the government to slash spending, for example, several …
The economic trade cycle shows how economic growth can fluctuate within different phases, for example: Boom (which is a period of high economic growth possibly causing inflation) Peak (top of trade cycle, where growth rates may start to fall) Economic downturn/Recession ( where the growth rate falls and may become negative – leading to a fall in …
Readers’ Question: Why does the cost of living keep rising? [See updated page Cost of living crisis 2022] This is due to inflation – the persistent increase in the average price level. In modern economies, inflation is a common feature. In fact, most Central Banks target a low rate of inflation of 2%. Central banks …
There was a time when joining the Euro was a big issue, frequently debated in the UK. With Brexit referendum, it has become almost irrelevant. However, if leaving the EU proves disastrous and public opinions changes – rejoining the EU, may well involve signing up to the Euro – as new members may not get …
In 2007, EU economies, on the surface, seemed to be doing relatively well – with positive economic growth and low inflation. Public debt was often high, but (apart from Greece) it appeared to be manageable assuming a positive trend in economic growth. However, the global credit crunch (see: Credit crunch explained) changed many things. Impact …
How will UK house prices be affected by Brexit – in both the short term and long-term? In the past few decades, the UK property market has been characterised by a long-term rise in real house prices. UK house prices have risen faster than inflation – especially in London and South. In fact, we could …