Ch 5: Interest Rates Flashcards
What is the cost of money?
The rate you pay the lender to borrow the money
What is an interest rate?
The rate of cost per year to use someone else’s money
Inflation
The decrease of the purchasing power of currency over time
What causes inflation to rise?
The demand for goods & services grows faster than supply of goods & services; an increase in the amount of money in circulation in an economy
What does the interest rate compensate the lender for?
The lost of the opportunity to use that money, the loss of the value over time due to inflation, and the chance that they won’t get the money back
Nominal or Quote Rate
r = r* + IP + RP + DRP + LP + MRP
r*
Real (risk free) rate which is the opportunity cost
IP
Inflation premium which compensates for inflation
RP
Risk premium which compensates for possible default; increases with lower credit score
What are the two basic types of interest?
Simple interest and compound interest
What are the major factors that affect the cost of money?
Opportunity cost, risk, expected inflation, federal reserve policy, business activity/state of the economy, federal deficits, and foreign trade balance
What components of an interest rate are the risk premium?
DRP, LP, MRP
How is IP computed?
The average expected inflation rate over the life of the loan
DRP
Default risk premium which compensates the lender for possible default
What is concerned a riskless asset?
30-Day Treasury Bill
What is the DRP of a 30-Day Treasury Bill?
0%
LP
Liquidity premium which accounts for the ability of a borrower to repay a load with the firm’s asset
When is LP higher?
When assets are not very liquid (i.e. real estate, buildings, equipment)
Liquid asset
Non cash asset that can be converted quickly into cash and without significant loss in value
Does the U.S. pay LP? Why or why not?
No because they have the ability to print cash which is the most liquid asset
MRP
Maturity Risk Premium which depends on how long you are borrowing