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The real interest rate is the rate of interest an investor, saver or lender receives (or expects to receive) after allowing for inflation. It can be described more formally by the Fisher equation, which states that the real interest rate is approximately the nominal interest rate minus the inflation rate.
The Fisher equation plays a key role in the Fisher hypothesis, which asserts that the real interest rate is unaffected by monetary policy and hence unaffected by the expected inflation rate. With a fixed real interest rate, a given percent change in the expected inflation rate will, according to the equation, necessarily be met with an equal ...
For example, if the inflation rate is 5%, on a one-year loan of $1,000 with an 8% nominal interest rate the real interest rate would be 8% minus 5% or 3%. The real interest rate will usually be ...
In this analysis, the nominal rate is the stated rate, and the real interest rate is the interest after the expected losses due to inflation. Since the future inflation rate can only be estimated, the ex ante and ex post (before and after the fact) real interest rates may be different; the premium paid to actual inflation (higher or lower).
The equation states that the real interest rate (), is equal to the nominal interest rate minus the expected inflation rate (). The equation is an approximation; however, the difference with the correct value is small as long as the interest rate and the inflation rate is low.
For instance, if a loan offers a 4% nominal interest rate and inflation is 2%, the real interest rate is approximately 2%. The world of finance has a somewhat different definition.
If inflation is 10%, then the $110 in the account at the end of the year has the same purchasing power (that is, buys the same amount) as the $100 had a year ago. The real interest rate is zero in this case. The real interest rate is given by the Fisher equation: = + + where p is the inflation rate.
Consider a 10-year bond priced at $1,000 with a yield of 3%. Suppose the five-year key rate rises by 25 basis points while all other rates remain unchanged. If this causes the bond’s price to ...