Christine Lagarde
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Low interest rates: How long will savers be penalized?
Low, near-zero and negative interest rates around the world are depriving savers of potential earnings. Just a couple of years ago, it seemed as if a normalization of interest rates was on the horizon. Now, however, economic and political realities portend a “low-for-long” scenario. In fact, central bankers – in Europe especially – may even be tempted to go for interest rates that are “deeply negative.”
IMF puts itself in a fix as it bends rules to bail out Ukraine
On December 18, 2015, the government of Ukraine announced it had no intention of honoring a $3 billion Eurobond loan owed to Russia that would mature on December 20. Given the cross-default clause written into that bond, under British law, this was a momentous decision. It gave the Kremlin the ...
Yuan’s slow rise could mean trouble for Western economies
At the end of November, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced that from October 2016 the Chinese yuan will be part of the basket of currencies that defines the Special Drawing Right (SDR), the accounting unit the organisation uses to carry out financial operations. The immediate practical effects will be ...
After Fed delay, investors consider Chinese elephant in the room
Financial markets did not react well to the Federal Reserve’s decision in September to keep interest rates stable. Presumably, investors were worried that China’s slowdown is more serious than anticipated, and that the Fed has well-founded concerns about the outlook for the American and European economies. <i>While...
Ukraine inches towards endgame
With billions of dollars of foreign aid coming its way, Ukraine's government can now stay afloat – for the time being. However, it now relies on the cash-strapped West to turn around its tattered economy, rebuild what has been destroyed, and restructure what remains. Critics question how long this can ...
