Re: Why is a dollar today worth more than a dollar tomorrow?

2003-12-07 Thread AdmrlLocke
In a message dated 12/7/03 4:03:55 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: >So the question is, why at the zero rate was there not greater demand to >borrow? The answer may well be that the expected future inflation and >real >interest rates were highly uncertain, and the transaction costs of getting >and

Re: Why is a dollar today worth more than a dollar tomorrow?

2003-12-07 Thread Fred Foldvary
--- John Morrow <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > By the way, there have been times and places where the measured real > interest rate was essentially zero; I think this happened in Japan in > the 1990s. So the question is, why at the zero rate was there not greater demand to borrow? The answer may we

Re: Why is a dollar today worth more than a dollar tomorrow?

2003-12-07 Thread AdmrlLocke
In a message dated 12/7/03 1:02:09 AM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: >I recall a Japanese econ grad student telling me that in fact real interest >rates were negative for some span and people were STILL saving in the late >nineties in Japan. He also blamed several bubbles at the time (notably, >real

Re: Why is a dollar today worth more than a dollar tomorrow?

2003-12-06 Thread John Morrow
I recall a Japanese econ grad student telling me that in fact real interest rates were negative for some span and people were STILL saving in the late nineties in Japan. He also blamed several bubbles at the time (notably, real estate in Japan) on this. Interesting if true... (Anyone know the de

Re: Why is a dollar today worth more than a dollar tomorrow?

2003-12-06 Thread Robert A. Book
Date: Fri, 05 Dec 2003 16:33:07 -0800 From: Fred Foldvary <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> John Hull: > >For some reason, I can't get it straight in my head why the risk-free > >rate of interest would be higher than zero. Sampo Syreeni: > The easiest example I know of is, would you be happy saving all of you

Re: Why is a dollar today worth more than a dollar tomorrow?

2003-12-06 Thread Fred Foldvary
--- Marko Paunovic <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > OK. Then, as long as the expected profit from building a factory is > higher than zero, I would not lend the money at zero interest rate. If at a zero rate of interest, the quantity of savings exceeds the quantity of borrowings, savers would earn zer

Re: Why is a dollar today worth more than a dollar tomorrow?

2003-12-05 Thread Marko Paunovic
like a real world... That is why I assumed we live in a risk-free world. I guess the short answer to the question "Why is a dollar today worth more than a dollar tomorrow?" is "Because there are some people who know how to take $1 today, transform it in $2 tomorrow and pay up to $1 fo

Re: Why is a dollar today worth more than a dollar tomorrow?

2003-12-05 Thread Fred Foldvary
--- Marko Paunovic <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > In a risk-free > world I can't fail. Risk-free interest is quite different from a risk-free world. We need to assume the usual risky world, but a loan that is sure to be repaid and with the interest sure to be paid, which US treasury bonds curren

Re: Why is a dollar today worth more than a dollar tomorrow?

2003-12-05 Thread Marko Paunovic
ember 05, 2003 16:29 PM Subject: Why is a dollar today worth more than a dollar tomorrow? > For some reason, I can't get it straight in my head > why the risk-free rate of interest would be higher > than zero. > > Does it really come from the fact that some people

Re: Why is a dollar today worth more than a dollar tomorrow?

2003-12-05 Thread Fred Foldvary
> On 2003-12-05, john hull uttered: > >For some reason, I can't get it straight in my head why the risk-free > >rate of interest would be higher than zero. > > The easiest example I know of is, would you be happy saving all of your > income for the next year, without receiving a formidable compensa

Re: Why is a dollar today worth more than a dollar tomorrow?

2003-12-05 Thread Sampo Syreeni
On 2003-12-05, john hull uttered: >For some reason, I can't get it straight in my head why the risk-free >rate of interest would be higher than zero. The easiest example I know of is, would you be happy saving all of your income for the next year, without receiving a formidable compensation? That

Re: Why is a dollar today worth more than a dollar tomorrow?

2003-12-05 Thread Tyl
In order for the government to borrow money, they would need to provide an incentive for the savers to lend. Example, if you want to borrow from me what incentive would I have to lending you my money? --- john hull <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > For some reason, I can't get it straight in my head

Why is a dollar today worth more than a dollar tomorrow?

2003-12-05 Thread john hull
For some reason, I can't get it straight in my head why the risk-free rate of interest would be higher than zero. Does it really come from the fact that some people wish to consume today but can't, so they purchase current consumption from suppliers, i.e. lenders, and the interest rate is just the