Live data from Hacker News

Realtime Bitcoin Stats

realtimebitcoin.info

151–152 of 152 posts

Re: Realtime Bitcoin Stats

#151
post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They aren't beating inflation right now, but historically they have. ~5 years ago interest rates on savings accounts were roughly 5% and inflation was 3-4%. Empirically, people actually saved less during that time (although there were many other confounding factors).

Point taken, but we're still arguing apples and oranges. Savings accounts historically maybe earned a percent or two above inflation. There's very little incentive to just let money sit in a savings account at those rates. Even extremely low risk investments are better.

Where does an investment get its value from? If saving gives me 3% but investing 5%, how does the deflationary nature of the currency change these two numbers? Surely investing gives a greater return as value is created regardless of whether the economy is inflationary or deflationary. You know, we have only had pure fiat money for the past 40 years. Before the we advanced from the dark ages to the 21st century with a deflationary system.

Re: Realtime Bitcoin Stats

#152
post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Encouraging people to spend money for the sake of it sounds like a good idea when people have created the concept of 'hoarding' - which is just saving with a scary name." But to be clear: there's a fundamental difference between "saving" and "investment". 1. Saving/Hoarding: Keeping money/cash under the mattress - nobody else has the ability to "spend" the money in the mean time. Also called "sinking funds" by Keyne…

>Saving/Hoarding: Keeping money/cash under the mattress - nobody else has the ability to "spend" the money in the mean time. Also called "sinking funds" by Keynes. This is money kept in a bank deposit. The important point is that you can, at any time, choose to "stop saving" the money and spend it. i.e. you keep the right to spend the money at any time. Nobody else can make use of it. It effectively is out of circula…

> There is a massive difference. Other people can make use of funds deposited in accounts. This is why banks take in deposits, to lend it out at a higher rate and pocket the spread."

Only because of fractional reserve banking. Absent fractional reserve banking, if I 'lend' something to another party but reserve the right to demand it back at any time, then there is simply no way that they can "use" what I have lent them. They can't use the money while still honouring my right to demand the money back at any time.

So "money" which can be demanded back at any time has he same status as money kept under the mattress - it can't be profitably "used" by anyone.

The important point about "investment" is that the money trully is "tied up" - if only for a day. The shorter the term, the more like "cash" it is.

> Highly likely you agree with Krugman. I think he speaks out of his hat. We'll leave it at that.

You're right I do agree with Krugman (for the most part). I've been reading his blog since 2007 and you know what, he's been right in his predictions pretty much the whole time!

If you think Krugman is speaking out of his hat, who do you recommend instead?

Post reply on HN