Re: @1980s_coder
Yes and no. If you base your rates on you own theory of where they should be you may win if you can create a margin wide enough on which to live. However if all the others are borrowing at 0% and lending at >5% you are going to be hard pressed to make loans at anything like an acceptable rate if you are paying out 4%. In short why would anyone want to borrow expensive money when cheap money exists?
I fall into the 'I in effect own my own personal bank group'. I do not need to borrow from a commercial loan arranger and my age fewer and fewer people would want to lend to me. So, if I want something I borrow from me and pay no interest. I would love to have an interest rate that pays me more - I look back to the past years when I was getting above 10% - but also when I look back there were costs to that time that I am not sure I want to pay now.
Of course the left would like me to pay it all away as 'stoppages' i.e. increase tax on me and the economists would like me to go out and spend, but on what? Health and caring for other family members limit my options and don't half dent my interest in simply buying for the hell of buying. I should get some projects sorted on the house, but see above comment on the 'caring' issue'. The conflict between that and the projects would just be too great. I must also keep an eye on my own possible future care issues, though I have negative thoughts about, i.e ways of avoiding 'care centres'.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
