An acquaintance who works in finance said that the USD was devalued during COVID but hasn’t yet experienced much inflation except in household goods because money is still expensive. What does that even mean? How can money be expensive? And how does that differ from being valued/devalued?
I would think “money is expensive” means something along the lines of “there isn’t much liquid cash”, but I thought the money injected into the economy was liquid cash.
Would someone more into finance/trading than me explain how this is possible? Thanks!
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Usually “expensive money” means that it’s hard to borrow.
“Devalued” refers to purchasing power. “How much food will $1 buy me?”
They’re describing different things. In terms of the economic relationships that result in the current scenario, I’m not even going to try. Ignoring that we don’t really know and a lot of traditional economics rely on the assumption that actors are rational (which we now know is absurd), I’m far from an expert in macro-economic theory. Systems are complicated.
Ah, I see. So being “devalued” is like mixing base metals in your gold coins, while “cheap money” is like loaning out the treasury. Both contribute to inflation, but in different ways.
“Money is expensive” = interest rates are high.
I think, printing more money under the same conditions is the primary inflation/devalue, while the federal interest rate determines the baseline for loan interest rates. If the federal rate of return is high, it makes no sense for anyone to buy loans for a lower rate as the US gov has a longer upstanding record of paying back those debts/returns. If the fed is paying a high baseline rate, so is everyone else. Why would a bank or anyone buy your debt if they can put that money in government bonds and get a higher or the same rate of return. So money is expensive because the federal rate is high. At least that is my most simple understanding.
Not bad, just get rid of your first clause.
It’s all fake. Literally. Its made up. It only exists to the extent we all participate in the con.
Grow a garden. Trade with your neighbors.
Fuck the banks. Focus on your village.
