Readers question. Recent data suggests an increase in the current account deficit – is the depreciation of the UK pound ineffective or is it just a blip in exports that will resolve itself next quarter? The UK has experienced a persistent current account deficit since the mid 1980s (see: UK current account for more graphs) …
The UK economy has experienced the most prolonged decline in real GDP on record. GDP is still lower than before the start of the great recession in 2008. This unprecedented recession has been prolonged – despite a sharp depreciation in the Pound, and a raft of unconventional monetary policies. However, recent statistics suggest there are …
Readers Question: I have recently read an article stating that “a country has only four options for getting out of a financial crisis: devalue, inflate, default, or deflate”… Would you be so kind to explain what these options comprehend?? Firstly, when people refer to a financial crisis they could refer to different economic problems. Recession …
Readers Question: what are the policies that UK are using for the recovery of its economy? Since 2010, it is has seemed the government doesn’t really have a policy for economic recovery. The burden of recovery has fallen more on the Bank of England and monetary policy. – zero interest rates, quantitative easing, and allowing …
Despite a shrinkage in manufacturing and widening trade deficit, the IMF have hinted that the UK economy is beginning to emerge from one of the longest periods of economic stagnation / recession on records. They marginally increased their forecast for UK growth to 0.9% for 2013. Does the recent good news give hope to the …
There is mixed evidence about the success of the Funding for Lending scheme Firstly, there is evidence that credit is still tight and firms are struggling to gain finance. Since last August, £1.8bn of credit has been drained out of the system At the same time, up to 40 lenders have accessed the £16.5bn in …
In the past few years, Central Banks have been buying bonds to Increase money supply Reduce bond yields The aim of quantitative easing is to avoid deflationary pressure and increase economic growth. Ending quantitative easing will mean The Central Bank stop buying any more bonds. The process will then be reversed and, in time, the …
When interest rates were cut to 0.5% in March 2009, few would have expected them to remain at 0.5 until the present time. Yet, we have seen an unprecedented period of zero interest rates. There is much speculation about: When interest rates will rise? How much will interest rates to increase to? What will be …