printWhile crediting the “Fed’s interest-rate policies, together with other measures,” for having “helped avert a much deeper economic slump,” the War Street Journal is prepared to admit (here) that artificially keeping interest rates so low doesn’t “just hurt retirees. [It] also penalizes people of any age hoping to build up funds for the future, and discourage rainy-day savings that could make U.S. consumers more resilient to job losses and other financial jolts.”
Dah. Austrian economists have warned all along that the Fed’s policies will see the dollar drop like a stone, assets continue to devalue, and saving and retirement become near impossible. Prices will soar, and the currency will eventually collapse (hyperinflation).
“Americans who have done everything right, have worked hard, saved their money and stayed out of debt are the ones being punished by low interest rates.”
Time preference rates are the degree to which different people discount the future in favor of immediate gratification. In a credit-fueled, consumption-based economic culture, those who want it all now come out on top. The saver, investor or producer is not the type of economic actor that such a fiscal culture cultivates and rewards.
This is all very interesting, but because gold and silver were de-monitized for the average person’s every day transactions they are a Screaming Bargain as the paper dollar devolves toward wall paper, so the price of silver and gold will go up faster then the general rate of inflation. All the retirees (whose idiotic voting record gave us this mess anyway) need to do is shed their New Deal and Great Society brain washing and dump their soon to be worthless corporate securities and buy gold and silver. To quote the Mogambo Guru, “Wee! This investment stuff is easy!”
“Americans who have done everything right, have worked hard, saved their money and stayed out of debt are the ones being punished by low interest rates.” Hit the nail on the head squarely.
Steve – don’t be too smug about gold. In 1980, 1 ounce was $ 800 which was equal to the Dow Jones Industrials. In 2000, 1 ounce was $ 260 while the Dow was 11467. Also, if you keep 5 lbs in your house, what is to stop some repairman from sauntering off with $ 120,000 of gold?
Meanwhile, if the Fed turns $ 15 trillion of money into $ 18 trillion with no real economic growth, it is equivalent to a 20% tax on all financial savings which, with the recession, will be delayed inflation. The Federal Reserve’s “tax” is in violation of the Constitution, which leaves such power only to Congress.
Debtors outnumber creditors so they get to OUTVOTE and STEAL from those who save. Banks are apparently paying deadbeat defaulters bonuses (with tax – bailout money) if they leave their house without trashing it while I have to pay people to spiff up my house before selling it. Serves me right for owning my house debt free!
Well I recently bought 71 cans of black beans at 3 for $ 1 so if the government wrecks all my savings, I can fart on Washington.