‘The return of inflation’ has been a hot topic with fund managers for 10 years or more. Many seem to think it’s inevitable, but it has only reared its head in an ugly way in tanking, mismanaged, Turkey-style economies. It’s also seen as a positive sign of growth, a good thing in moderation, like having children or the odd glass of wine. The downside, of course, is that interest rates are usually put to control it by making sure we and businesses can’t afford to buy the odd glass of wine, so prices have to (theoretically) come down. As interest rates have been so low for so long, that would indeed be a big shock to the system.
“UK slips into recession as economy contracts 0.1% in December”
This week’s big economic and bad election news is that we are, or certainly have been, officially in a recession. You may not have thought you were, or you may have thought you have been for some time, as we and its effects are all different.