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Ray Dalio on Morning Edition, Apr16 2020

Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2020 9:31 pm
by dualstow
Paying Pandemic Bills Requires Changes In Wealth Gap, Dalio Says
(3 minutes of audio)
https://www.npr.org/2020/04/16/83571002 ... dalio-says

Re: Ray Dalio on Morning Edition, Apr16 2020

Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2020 10:05 pm
by Mark Leavy
Some interesting comments. Thanks for posting. I agree with Ray that the wealth gap is dangerous, but I didn't hear any convincing arguments as to what to do about it.

I recently read an argument that the wealth gap is (at least partly) a function of interest rates.

You Cannot Understand the Rise of Wealth Inequality Without Acknowledging the Role of Interest Rates

The author's argument (which I may not be doing justice) is that income producing assets respond to interest rate changes essentially the same way that bonds do. And for the same reason. With lower rates the assets increase in value, because they have a higher return on capital when compared to the risk free interest rate. And when the risk free rate rises, the income producing asset has less of an advantage and thus loses value. Wealthy people (who hold assets) see their wealth magnified as interest rates drop - increasing the wealth gap.