CPI annual inflation stands at 3.1 per cent, down from 3.2 per cent in June, reveals the latest Consumer Price Index showing that the market will self adjust to inflationary pressures without the intervention of monetary or fiscal policies designed to rock the boat!
The CPI fell by 0.2 per cent between June and July this year compared with no change over the same period a year ago. These 1-month changes are both within the normal range for a June to July period; since 1996, the monthly movement between these two months has varied between a fall of 0.8 per cent and an increase of 0.1 per cent.
Some myopic Internet financial analysts who have been arguing for a base rate increase for over a year are still crying foul……
“Inflation is a stealthy enemy for savers and when rates are low, it quietly erodes the spending power of a hard earned nest egg. Savers may have had a short respite from a marginal fall in inflation, but savings rates have hit a plateau and may be there for a while.
“The average one year fixed bond rate has fallen from 3.07% in January to only 2.54% today and the average five year fixed bond rate has fallen from 4.56% to 4.08% for the same period.
“The average instant access savings rate is still at rock bottom at a rate of only 0.74%. The only trigger for any improvement in savings rates may be a surprise increase in the Base rate by the Bank of England, but this is most likely not to happen soon.”
Stated a recent industry commentator, who Insurance Blog thinks is living in cloud cuckoo land and who obviously has been sitting on his dwindling nest egg of savings, and foolishly thinks he will survive a double dip recession caused by an increase in Interest Rates!
However the Bank of England sensibly have other ideas, and quite rightly given the downward curve of inflationary pressures have decided to leave things as they are!
The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee voted two weeks ago to maintain the official Bank Rate paid on commercial bank reserves at 0.5% and their decision now looks justified with inflation self balancing. The recent inflation has been artificial with rises in the RPI in areas such as fuel and power and food, although where there are alternative suppliers the markets have had to adjust to the temptation of putting prices up to pay for their past mistakes, and the UK Insurance Market is a typical example of this.
The Committee also voted to maintain the stock of asset purchases financed by the issuance of central bank reserves at £200 billion. The Committee’s latest inflation and output projections will appear in the Inflation Report to published on Wednesday 11 August.
The minutes of the Bank’s meeting will be published at 9.30am tomorrow on Wednesday 18 August.
Source: www.insuranceblog.co.uk
