Where does the IMF get its money from?
Where does the IMF get its money from?
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Discussion

james_tigerwoods

Original Poster:

16,347 posts

226 months

Monday 27th October 2008
quotequote all
As the title - The IMF seems to be handing out money left, right and centre - so where do they get their money from?

And can I have some please?

Busa_Rush

6,930 posts

280 months

Monday 27th October 2008
quotequote all
You have to ask ? frown It gets all of it's money, ultimately, from us, tax payers. The dwindling nuber of people who seem to believe we need to work hard to support our families and pay our own way.

Gylen

10,208 posts

246 months

Monday 27th October 2008
quotequote all
The Impossible Mission Force?

I always assumed it was Government funded but on the basis that the Secretary would disavow all knowledge of their actions if caught of killed?


blindswelledrat

25,257 posts

261 months

Monday 27th October 2008
quotequote all
Busa_Rush said:
You have to ask ? frown It gets all of it's money, ultimately, from us, tax payers. The dwindling nuber of people who seem to believe we need to work hard to support our families and pay our own way.
rolleyes

Busa_Rush

6,930 posts

280 months

Monday 27th October 2008
quotequote all
blindswelledrat said:
Busa_Rush said:
You have to ask ? frown It gets all of it's money, ultimately, from us, tax payers. The dwindling nuber of people who seem to believe we need to work hard to support our families and pay our own way.
rolleyes
Your point being ? Or are you pointless smile

FourWheelDrift

92,237 posts

313 months

Monday 27th October 2008
quotequote all
IMF Loan structure - http://www.imf.org/external/np/exr/facts/howlend.h...

They are just loan sharks on a very high level. Probably built up a reserve by getting a high percentage rate paid back to them. It says on their website they were selling off 400 tonnes of their gold in April to help with a budget deficit, as well as making up to 380 people redundant by 2011.

(as of August 28, 2008)
Loanable funds $201.0 billion
Loans outstanding $18.3 billion to 65 countries
of which: concessional loans $6.3 billion to 57 countries

Considering the Ukraine are getting 13.5 billion themselves that's quite a big increase to the outstanding loans figure, for a single loan.

james_tigerwoods

Original Poster:

16,347 posts

226 months

Monday 27th October 2008
quotequote all
So what happens if the IMF run out of money - or if countries start defaulting on loans?

FourWheelDrift

92,237 posts

313 months

Monday 27th October 2008
quotequote all
james_tigerwoods said:
So what happens if the IMF run out of money - or if countries start defaulting on loans?
A disaster of biblical proportions, real wrath of God type stuff. Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies! Rivers and seas boiling! Forty years of darkness! Earthquakes, volcanoes. The dead rising from the grave! Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria!

Marf

22,907 posts

270 months

Monday 27th October 2008
quotequote all
FourWheelDrift said:
james_tigerwoods said:
So what happens if the IMF run out of money - or if countries start defaulting on loans?
A disaster of biblical proportions, real wrath of God type stuff. Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies! Rivers and seas boiling! Forty years of darkness! Earthquakes, volcanoes. The dead rising from the grave! Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria!
No no no, that only happens if Obama gets in, didnt you read my thread?

james_tigerwoods

Original Poster:

16,347 posts

226 months

Monday 27th October 2008
quotequote all
FourWheelDrift said:
james_tigerwoods said:
So what happens if the IMF run out of money - or if countries start defaulting on loans?
A disaster of biblical proportions, real wrath of God type stuff. Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies! Rivers and seas boiling! Forty years of darkness! Earthquakes, volcanoes. The dead rising from the grave! Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria!
I observe that same effect when my sister decides to visit...


dilbert

7,741 posts

260 months

Monday 27th October 2008
quotequote all
The IMF and World Bank were created in the aftermath of WWII under the Bretton Woods agreement.

The IMF is more about instantaneous bridging loans than the source of funds for problems on the scale that we have seen recently. Countries buy into a share of the total capital, and are allocated a loan facility on the basis of their contribution. The idea being that economic problems are normally localised. Clearly it doesn't work if everyone wants the money at the same time.

The world bank sets the value of the reserve currency "the dollar", against gold. Originally the pound was fixed against gold. After WWII the pound was fixed against the dollar, which was fixed against gold. In the seventies the currencies were alowed to float against each other.

The dollar is seen as a safe haven because it's most closely related to gold, and all other currencies are relative to the dollar. If they print dollars, the devaluation is less felt, than say the pound, because the dollar won't necassarily revalue against gold, but also because there are less pounds in circulation.

Gordo's speech today revealed just the edge of what it looks like the US and UK, are going to try to get the money they need to back these, frankly massive, cash inputs they have already committed to. It sounds like they are going to try to get the far east to take a bigger stake in the IMF and World Bank. Failing that they're going to have to print money, like Mugabe.

Marf

22,907 posts

270 months

Monday 27th October 2008
quotequote all
dilbert said:
The dollar is seen as a safe haven because it's most closely related to gold
confused

The dollar hasnt been gold backed for ages, if anything the main driver for dollar demand is oil.

dilbert

7,741 posts

260 months

Monday 27th October 2008
quotequote all
Marf said:
dilbert said:
The dollar is seen as a safe haven because it's most closely related to gold
confused

The dollar hasnt been gold backed for ages, if anything the main driver for dollar demand is oil.
Well I'm by no means a professional or an expert at this. In the face of an "information vacuum" I present what I think. Nevertheless, if there is another currency more closely related to gold, feel free to let me know.

Edited by dilbert on Monday 27th October 14:18

Simpo Two

92,670 posts

294 months

Monday 27th October 2008
quotequote all
james_tigerwoods said:
As the title - The IMF seems to be handing out money left, right and centre - so where do they get their money from?
They borrow it from, er... er...



...the Magic Money Tree, that's it.

_Lee_

7,520 posts

272 months

Monday 27th October 2008
quotequote all
FourWheelDrift said:
james_tigerwoods said:
So what happens if the IMF run out of money - or if countries start defaulting on loans?
A disaster of biblical proportions, real wrath of God type stuff. Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies! Rivers and seas boiling! Forty years of darkness! Earthquakes, volcanoes. The dead rising from the grave! Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria!
Haha top post!

Fittster

20,120 posts

242 months

Monday 2nd February 2009
quotequote all
"On Friday, it was announced that Japan had made a loan of $100 billion to the IMF. Better to have that $100 billion in the checking account, eh? OH! And the IMF said it wasn’t in danger of running out of money… They said the needed the loan because they expect to be dealing with BIGGER problems in the future."

http://www.dailyreckoning.com/boe-follows-the-zirp...

So the IMF are getting themselves set-up to clear up Gordon's mess