Negative Interest Rates
. Over $11 trillion of global sovereign debt “pays” negative interest rates. This sounds stupid or insane. Central banks created this anomaly. Borrowers like low interest rates. When interest rates are suppressed for a long time, it is difficult for the market to discover real rates.
The U.S. government is paying over $500 billion per year for interest at multi-generational low rates. What will happen if rates rise to more normal levels? Expect continual government pressure to lower rates.
Many suggest interest rates can never rise. The results are huge mal-investments, excessive debt and leverage, and increased risk of financial collapse. Our economic world is struggling in a low interest rate environment, but politicians are demanding even lower interest rates.
Stock markets and bond markets like lower rates. Corporations love inexpensive debt. Low rates enable individuals to fall deeper into debt. Politicians demand more spending, increased debt, more giveaways, and lots of free stuff. Stupid and insane financial policies enhance the risk of a reset and/or collapse.
Expect more inflation, excessive debt, and an eventual reset. The financial world may collapse from fire (hyperinflation) or ice (deflation). Was this excessive debt nonsense necessary? Certainly not!
Even though insane and stupid, politicians and bankers led us down that road for their benefit.
Many important people profited from the huge increase in fake money borrowed into existence by the banking cartel.
Fire or ice?
Should we hyper-inflate away the value of the currency units or default them into the abyss? Sane individuals avoid the twin tragedies of fire and ice and depend upon gold and silver which have no counterparty risk and will stay valuable.
Got gold?
When the next “perfect storm” of war, inflation, monetary devaluation, bankruptcies, counterparty risk, and devaluing currencies arrives, would you prefer to own gold bullion (in your possession) or dodgy pieces of paper “funny money” masquerading as wealth?
What others say:
“With the world facing a deepening recession, monetary inflation will accelerate again.”
“This time, the debt is not confined to industry [as in the 1930s]; a debt contraction will hit consumers directly and threaten domino defaults in OTC derivatives as well.”
“We now face a potentially devastating combination of American trade protectionism and a credit cycle which is moving America and the world into a severe downturn.
“Monetary inflation in the world’s reserve currency can only accelerate, because of an escalating budget deficit and the need to support banks which would otherwise fail. … the dollar will lose credibility, first abroad and then domestically.”
“In short, the dynamics that lead to a final currency collapse are now falling into place.”
From Lord Keynes many decades ago:
“There is no subtler, no surer means of overturning the existing basis of society than to debauch the currency. The process engages all the hidden forces on the side of destruction and does it in a manner which not one man in a million is able to diagnose.”
“And despite having some of the largest oil reserves on the planet, Venezuelans are waiting in line at gas stations for days to fill up their cars.”
[Stupid and insane consequences result from bad policies. Venezuela is only one example. The western world should take notice…]
Bill Bonner’s list of ingredients for catastrophe.
First: Government control of the currency. (check)
Second: Fake money. [fiat debt-based currency units] (check)
Third: Leaders who are ignorant and/or ego maniacal. (check)
Fourth: Big banks, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank loan more than can be repaid. (check)
HIS SOLUTION:
“Economically and financially, the only sensible choice is to fire the bankers, drain the swamp of bureaucrats, throw the bums out of office, and go back to real money backed by gold. But politically, it is impossible.”
“Financial collapse is not speculation… it is mathematical certainty.”
“If central banks cannot stop the next recession, we will find out what happens when this much debt goes bad… The Fed’s biggest fear is that things will spin out of control, and they won’t have the tools to stop it.”
“Gold is going to $2500…”