It is a well-known fact that high-interest rates make loans more expensive. When interest rates are high, fewer people and businesses can afford to borrow. That lowers the amount of credit available to fund purchases, slowing consumer demand. At the same time, it encourages more people to save because they receive more on their savings rate. High-interest rates also reduce the capital available to expand businesses, strangling supply. This reduction in liquidity slows the economy and results in decrease in GDP. It is understood that the low-interest rates stimulate all types of real investments and thus economic growth. However, savings rates fall, when savers find they get less interest on their deposits, and thus they might decide to spend more. They might also put their money into slightly riskier but more profitable investments, which drives up stock prices. Based on this, it can be claimed that (especially high) interest rates are detrimental to economic growth as well as income distribution Critically assess the above-mentioned statement and argument. Discuss briefly the effects of interest rate on macroeconomic activities/variables and financial markets. Deliberate specifically how and through which channels the interest rate affects (negatively or positively) economic activities/variables and financial markets. Discuss briefly, whether zero interest rate policy is advantageous or disadvantageous to economy.

ENGR.ECONOMIC ANALYSIS

14th Edition

ISBN:9780190931919

Author:NEWNAN

Publisher:NEWNAN

Chapter1: Making Economics Decisions

Section: Chapter Questions

Problem 1QTC

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It is a well-known fact that high-interest rates make loans more expensive. When interest rates are high, fewer people and businesses can afford to borrow. That lowers the amount of credit available to fund purchases, slowing consumer demand. At the same time, it encourages more people to save because they receive more on their savings rate. High-interest rates also reduce the capital available to expand businesses, strangling supply. This reduction in liquidity slows the economy and results in decrease in GDP. It is understood that the low-interest rates stimulate all types of real investments and thus economic growth. However, savings rates fall, when savers find they get less interest on their deposits, and thus they might decide to spend more. They might also put their money into slightly riskier but more profitable investments, which drives up stock prices. Based on this, it can be claimed that (especially high) interest rates are detrimental to economic growth as well as income distribution

Critically assess the above-mentioned statement and argument.
Discuss briefly the effects of interest rate on macroeconomic activities/variables and financial markets.
Deliberate specifically how and through which channels the interest rate affects (negatively or positively) economic activities/variables and financial markets.
Discuss briefly, whether zero interest rate policy is advantageous or disadvantageous to economy.

Definition Definition Increase in the amount of goods and services produced by a country in a given period of time compared to an earlier period. Economic growth is generally coupled with a rise in national income or the purchasing power of individuals. It is often measured in terms of the increase in a country's gross domestic product (GDP), or the overall monetary value of all the complete or final services and goods that a country can produce within its domestic boundaries in a specific period.

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