Interest rates and monetary decision making processes are complex things. Sometimes you’ve just got to close your eyes and hope it all pans out the way you want it to…
Interest Rates can be tricky
by Michael O'Hara •
Tag Archive for interest rates
RBA drops interest rates – why?
by Michael O'Hara •
The Reserve Bank of Australia today announced that it has dropped interest rates yet again. Borrowers on variable rates linked to the RBA cash rate will rejoice when their particular financial institution eventually agrees to pass on the interest rate cut. Pensioners and people living off interest income will find their next interest payment is…
Interest rate jitters
by Michael O'Hara •
What keeps this financial planner awake at night? Currently, it’s thoughts about “the anchoring fallacy” and the impact it can have on money and plans for the future.
Musing on Interest Rates
by Michael O'Hara •
Australia’s cash interest rates are currently at record low levels. If your cash account earns that interest rate of 2.5% then you are probably just keeping ahead of official inflation rates – currently noted as 2.4%. If you are paying tax then that means your purchasing power is slowly being eroded. In other words, the…
Musing on interest rates and currency
by Michael O'Hara •
Predicting interest rates is no different to any other form of financial market prediction – it’s only a guess and has a very high chance of being wrong. There are just so many inputs into the interest rate outcome. Some people may be asking themselves whether Australian interest rates will rise? Here are some very…
Guaranteed Superannuation Pensions?
by Michael O'Hara •
There are few areas of government expenditure in the world that are more contentious than those associated with the payment of pensions. This includes “age pensions” in countries that have such things, as well as “employer pensions” from time spent with an employer. There is a huge range of types of super funds available, with…
Stupid is as stupid does
by Michael O'Hara •
IF you were a wealthy individual, worried about the economic environment that you were in, would you lend millions of dollars to your government at a nil interest rate? Well, it seems that many people in the world think that is a fantastic idea. The German government has pulled one of the best financial swifties…
Beware Fixed Income
by Michael O'Hara •
While not usually given to hype-driven headlines and catchy bylines, it seems to me that investors are currently being led by some errant media ramping of fixed income products – which is wrapped up in the guise of genuine commentary, research and financial opportunity. This is not a gloom and doom post, and not a…
Governments, Energy, Prices and Inflation on a Friday
by Michael O'Hara •
When is inflation not inflation? A rather rhetorical question for a Friday, to be sure. However, this particular pondering has been brought on by one of WSP’s business partners – John – who has been looking at the Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA’s) recent attempts to keep inflation under control. John’s comments are that big…
Making Sense of Interest Rates, China and the Australian Sharemarket
by Michael O'Hara •
The Reserve Bank today released the minutes of its Monetary Policy Meeting held on the 5th April. You may recall that the end result of that meeting was that rates were left alone, much to the relief of borrowers around Australia. The commentary was interesting, even if only for the suggestion that interest rates were…
