When a central bank devalues a currency, it is often said that the devaluation will help exporters, and thus the whole country, as a result. But this simplistic analysis ignores the many downsides of inflating the currency.
Many people think of their investments and their money in the bank as their savings, but savings and money are not the same thing. Nor will creating more money create more savings.
Government loans often feature lower interest rates than what can be found in the private sector. But this is only because these cheap loans are taxpayer subsidized. Meanwhile, the government bans many private loans that risky borrowers need most.
Economist Philipp Bagus talks with us from Europe about the Swiss franc, the euro, and what the future holds for the debt-laden governments of the Eurozone.
The European Central Bank plans to ramp up its own version of quantitative easing because it fears deflation. But deflation really means an increase in real wealth and an end to many malinvestments.
The European Central Bank is ramping up its easy-money policies in an effort to spur inflation, which it hopes will improve the economy.
The European Central Bank is ramping up its easy-money policies in an effort to spur inflation, which it hopes will improve the economy. The wealthy and powerful will benefit from this, but most everyone else is in big trouble.
