Art, Writing, and Learning: The Clerisy Quarter > Discussion and Debate - The Philosopher's Plaza

The Zero Real Interest Rates Era in Retrospect

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dubsartur:
The period when most central banks offered loans at zero real interest rate (interest that just covers inflation) which ran from 2009 to 2021 is pretty clearly over.  In that period, anyone with a lot of money (like tens of millions and up) could borrow as much money as they wanted for free (they didn't have to pay interest for the privilege of using someone else's money, just more or less cover inflation).

How much do you think people who are more intelligent and curious than average are aware of what it did to housing prices or the Internet?  Or the likelihood that some mainstream financial institutions will be in trouble because they allocated money in ways that made sense when money was free but don't make sense now and when they try to sell everyone is trying to do the same thing?

Jubal:
I don't know, I think is the answer to both of those questions! It's the sort of bit of economics I kind of wish I had a grasp of but definitely actually don't, and I'm not really sure where I'd start for that sort of information.

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