The determinants of the rate of interest and the significance of Essay

The determinants of the rate of interest and the significance of interest rates to policy makers and other economic actors - Essay Example It is described as interest in percentage of the amount of funds borrowed. This is a simple explanation of the rate of interest. Let's review some definitions of the rate of interest to comprehend the concept (Unit 3). Bannock et al has defined the rate of interest as the price a borrower has to pay to enjoy the use of cash which he or she does not own, and the return a lender enjoys for deferring consumption or parting with liquidity (1998:346). According to Mike Moffatt, "The interest rate is the yearly price charged by a lender to a borrower in order for the borrower to obtain a loan. This is usually expressed as a percentage of the total amount loaned". (http://economics.about.com/cs/economicsglossary/g/interest_rate.htm). Thus, interest rate is the annually charged in percentage on the principal. Interest is derived by dividing the amount of interest by the amount of principal. Inflation and the government policies play a crucial part in bringing fluctuations in the interest rates (www.investorwords.com/2539/interest_rate.html). It is pivotal to know that although each bank decides its interest rates by its own on the loans sanctioned but actually local rates are almost same in different banks. When there is inflation, interest rates go up because of increased need of credit, tight money market, or for the reason that banks' need to maintain a higher reserves. Any of the reasons affect the business activity and the stock market as well. Businesses in need of funds have to pay more for the same amount of borrowing and the investors would prefer to invest in bank deposits or newly launched bonds than purchasing shares (http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/interest-rate.html). Determinants of interest rate levels Parameters of interest rates (Upton, 2009) are defined by supply and demand when the supply of money is equal to the desire of economic entities to borrow. Further, it is important to know the factors that affect supply and demand. Since interest is a pay back for delaying consumption, a higher rate of interest will accrue in more supply of funds. We can say that in different circumstances an interest rate may not result in same supply of funds. In different countries people don't have the same concern for consumption, as one can perceive that there are different savings rates. When economic conditions are not stable, people are more induced to save, as seen in their behaviour during "depression generation". Demand (Upton, 2009) on the contrary, depends on the availability of investments. At the low interest rates investments provide more margins. With the positive growth environment and technological advancement, demand for investment will boost. Other things that impact future growth are rate of increase in population, labour force, and education and skill standards. On the whole economic environment and production environment determine the level of demand for funds. The interest rate is (Upton, 2009) determined by the economic and other factors causing increase in the capacity of consu