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The Pros And Cons Of Interest Rates

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According to Mallins(2004) interest rate is the amount charged, expressed as a percentage of principal, by a lender to a borrower for the use of assets. Interest rates are typically noted on an annual basis, known as the annual percentage rate (APR).The assets borrowed could include, cash, consumer goods, large assets, such as a vehicle or building. Interest is essentially a rental, or leasing charge to the borrower, for the asset's use. In the case of a large asset, like a vehicle or building, the interest rate is sometimes known as the lease rate. When the borrower is a low-risk party, they will usually be charged a low interest rate; if the borrower is considered high risk, the interest rate that they are charged will be higher. Interest is charged by lenders as compensation for the loss of the asset's use. In the case of lending money, the …show more content…

During periods of high interest rates, businesses earn more from these investments. When rates are low, businesses may be more likely to use their cash for new equipment and plant improvements. While this can be good for equipment sellers and construction firms, banks lose out. Banks make their money from providing loans. When they don't get business investments to boost their assets, they can't make as much money because they have less to loan out. The interest rates banks charge are their income after expenses. When banks don't see an opportunity to make a reasonably-high interest rate on their money, they become less likely to take risks on loans. Businesses therefore can't borrow money for start-up and expansion expenses. Business can slow down to a crawl because there's no way to fund innovation. In addition, short-term loans to cover cash-flow problems can be hard to come by. This could cause businesses to be unable to deliver goods and services to their customers because they don't have the cash to continue operating(Owoh,

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