Readers question: What is the difference between tax and inflation? Tax is a way for the government to raise revenue. It includes charges placed by the government on goods/income. For example, VAT is a tax which means consumers have to pay an additional 20% of the price in the form of tax which goes to …
The UK government has given the Bank of England an inflation target of CPI 2 % +/-1. The Bank of England is responsible for using monetary policy (e.g. interest rates) to achieve this goal of low inflation. But, as well as targeting inflation, the Bank of England also has a wider remit of considering objectives …
The aim is to measure how consumers’ purchasing power is affected by rising prices. There are three main steps to measuring inflation Give a weighting to the importance of different goods to the typical basket of goods. Measure the change in price Convert into the index – multiplying the weight by the price change. Steps …
Broad money is the definition of the Money Supply which includes a wide scope for the definition of money – including both notes and coins, but also more illiquid forms of money – such as bank deposits, treasury bills, gilts. These are considered ‘near money’ because it can easily be changed to cash. Narrow money …
Definition Quantitative Easing. This involves the Central Bank increasing the money supply and using these electronically created funds to buy government bonds or other securities. Quantitative easing is a form of expansionary monetary policy. It is usually used in a liquidity trap – when base interest rates cannot be cut any further. Aim of Quantitative …
Readers Question: Is rise in prices a reflection of economic growth? A sustained rise in prices is known as inflation. A large rise in prices / higher inflation rate is often caused by economic growth. However, there are also occasions, when we can get inflation despite weak or negative economic growth. Inflation caused by economic …
Definition: The money supply measures the total amount of money in the economy at a particular time. It includes actual notes and coins and also any deposits which can be quickly converted into cash. There are different measures of the money supply. Narrow Money e.g. M0 = This is the level of notes and coins …
Nearly all economists advise keeping inflation low. Low inflation contributes towards economic stability – which encourages saving, investment, economic growth, and helps maintain international competitiveness. Governments usually target an inflation rate of around 2%. This moderate but low rate of inflation is considered the best compromise between avoiding the costs of inflation but also avoiding …