Are Rising Interest Rates Really That Bad?

Are Rising Interest Rates Really That Bad?

The downside of rising interest is on your credit but a higher interest rate means more profit to your savings. The interest rate relies on the funding rate imposed by banks on loans. The rising rates trigger a chain reaction affecting borrowers' desire to borrow money because of the cost. During this period, there is low purchasing power, thus reducing inflation; banks increase credit standards and redesign the rate of giving loans.

Rising interest also contributes to the business flow's hardship because of people's low purchasing power. It also led to a reduction in production as most companies cut down expenses. If you are wondering about the effect of rising interest in the economy, read on to find out.

What Happens When Interest Rates Rise

The effect of rising interest rates affects employment, production, and borrowing. Below is what a high-interest rate can cause on borrowing, saving, and spending.

1. How Rising Interest Rates Affect Spending

The rising interest rate effect on spending occurs in different ways. First, the action increases the cost of lending money, making it hard to borrow. The rising interest rate affects credit cards and personal and auto loans. During this period, people spend less money on products, and over time there will be a significant drop in demand for products. Most of the time, companies have no choice but to lower their prices and production, thereby reducing inflation but with limited resources. The market may also face sub-standard products to match the falling price of goods.

2. How Rising Interest Rates Affect Saving

If you have a savings account, rising interest may favor you. When the Feds increase the interest rate, it affects saving accounts, certificates of deposit (CD), and market accounts. These accounts experience a rise in interest rates accumulating more profit. So it is advisable to save more in bank accounts or CDs during this time.

The benefits of high-interest rate on CDs and savings accounts encourage people to save rather than spend. Meanwhile, the increasing rate on these accounts needs to be monitored to know how the rate works compared to the inflation rate. However, savings accounts have experienced a low-interest rate because of the inflation rate, even when the Feds increase the interest rate. In summary, rising interest rates should accumulate more funds now than before but still might be insignificant to the cost of living driven by inflation.

3. How Rising Interest Rates Affect Inflation

The reason for increasing the interest rate is to reduce the inflation rate in the economy. But the very economy faces at least 3% inflation annually. For example, the annual average inflation rate tripled between March 2021 and 2022, raising prices to about 8.5%. Therefore, the Feds were forced to use the rising interest method to boost rates. However, the action has been implemented several times to manage inflation, like in the early 1980s, when inflation was high at about 14%. Therefore, the Fed has no choice but to increase the interest rate by 19%.

However, rising interest rates have positive and negative effects on the economy. The action may halt inflation but may also drop the economy into recession. But, the method is still implemented in today's economy to balance most aspects of a country.

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