Readers Question: If the markets decide the UK is not such a safe haven and bond yields rise will pension funds heavily weighted in Gilts tend to fall? Yes. If investors feel that the UK is not a safe haven (they feel increased risk of UK government default). Then investors will sell UK bonds, this …
Readers question: What exactly are the solutions to the EU crisis? It is a difficult question to answer. The dynamics of the single currency mean that many of the conventional solutions to economic problems cannot be used. The difficult task is to reduce levels of government borrowing whilst also managing to target economic recovery and …
Readers Question: Can you please elaborate on “fiscal devaluation” as a suggested solution for Euro area competitiveness problems? Fiscal devaluation is an attempt to restore competitiveness through changes to the tax system. In an exchange rate devaluation, a country allows its currency to fall in value. This makes the countries exports cheaper and more competitive; …
Readers Question: Is it possible for central banks to fail in devaluing their currency since they can print unlimited amounts of money e.g like in the Swiss bank intervention. Do their losses matter, since they can write off their losses at essentially no cost? In theory, there is no limit to the amount of money …
Standard & Poor downgraded the US fiscal position from AAA to AA. This reflects the credit rating agencies believe that the US fiscal position has deteriorated and they are more pessimistic over long term fiscal consolidation in the US. It means that the rating agency feels the threat of US defaulting on its federal debt …
The Net international investment Position (IIP) measures the balance of gross assets – gross liabilities. An asset means the UK has a claim on the rest of the world. A liability means the rest of the world has a claim on the UK. There are 4 sections of net international investment. direct investment (DI) portfolio …
Readers Question: I have been interested in the US economy in the last few months, and with current news of their $14 trillion debt problem heating up, I’m wondering could the demand for dollars go down, if they were possible to have a similar or close problems of debt issues like Greece, and if the …
Readers Question: On Jan 2009 I asked a question on the greek current account deficit, the fixed EUR rate, the lack of competitiveness and the debt load and you expanded brilliantly on the dangers of the twin deficits and the deteriorating Greek credit quality. Now I just need to make a comment that all the …