Japanese goes negative

[Simpo Two]

http://money.cnn.com/2016/01/28/news/economy/bank-...

I wouldn't be surprised if we follow in 2-3 years.

We shall see!

[mcflurry]

The euro already is, as well as (IIRC) Sweden, Denmark and Switzerland

http://www.bloombergview.com/quicktake/negative-in...

[Ozzie Osmond]

I'm sure -0.1% is what Barclays have been paying on savings accounts for a few years now. Oh no, that's plus 0.1%

Mind you, if you've got £1,000 on deposit that's only the difference between receiving £1 a year or paying £1 a year, so not too much to cry over! Inflation is probably doing more damage in any event.

Personally I remain fearful of what's going to happen when energy and commodity prices rise again. Inflation may return with a vengeance.

[bmwmike]

After all the QE it feels to me like the predictions of mega inflation never happened it sort of just fizzled out. So they keep the taps open. I think it's more like a tsunami... before the big wave hits, the water disappears. Are we standing on the beach ?

[Ozzie Osmond]

^^ Very perceptive IMO.

[bmwmike]

Immigration replaced interest rates over a decade or two ago as a lever for keeping wages down imo

Not meant to sound xenophobic as I'm not. Migration increases competition for jobs.

Edit to add. Agree with previous post about the rule book being ripped up. Uncharted territory. Biggest threat facing humans at the moment is not economic or environment but antibiotic resistance. We hear way more of the former two and far less of the latter. That alone makes me think the threat is much greater than we would be led to believe.

Edited by bmwmike on Saturday 30th January 18:14

[Simpo Two]

bmwmike said:

antibiotic resistance. We hear way more of the former two and far less of the latter. That alone makes me think the threat is much greater than we would be led to believe.

Nature, like the markets, has a habit of correcting itself. Jam too many people together for too long and something happens.

On the subject of unsustainability, what will happen to the many national debts around the world that constantly spiral upwards? Is the rug to brush them under infinitely large, or shall we all agree to default and start again from zero...?

[Simpo Two]

Bartering I guess.

And next time round perhaps 'credit' won't be allowed. When your cash runs out you go hungry. It kept people sensible for millennia.

[Esseesse]

Ozzie Osmond said:

I'm sure -0.1% is what Barclays have been paying on savings accounts for a few years now. Oh no, that's plus 0.1%

Mind you, if you've got £1,000 on deposit that's only the difference between receiving £1 a year or paying £1 a year, so not too much to cry over! Inflation is probably doing more damage in any event.

Personally I remain fearful of what's going to happen when energy and commodity prices rise again. Inflation may return with a vengeance.

I probably agree with this. Commodity prices have been dropping for some time now, surely enough to ensure there is low or no inflation. When commodity producers/miners have gone bust (steel in the UK, but that's just the start IMO), and there is a shortage of supply then inflation will hit us.