7. Unanticipated changes in the rate of inflation
Initially, Becky earns a salary of $600 per year and Alex earns a salary of $400 per year. Becky lends Alex $200 for one year at an annual interest rate of 12% with the expectation that the rate of inflation will be 10% during the one-year life of the loan. At the end of the year, Alex makes good on the loan by paying Becky $224. Consider how the loan repayment affects Becky and Alex under the following scenarios.
Scenario 1: Suppose all prices and salaries rise by 10% (as expected) over the course of the year. In the following table, find Becky's and Alex's new salaries after the 10% increase, and then calculate the $224 payment as a percentage of their new salaries. (Hint: Remember that Becky's salary is her income from work and that it does not include the loan payment from Alex.)
Value of Becky's new salary after one year |
The $224 payment as a percentage of Becky's new salary |
Value of Alex's new salary after one year |
The $224 payment as a percentage of Alex's new salary |
|
Scenario 2: Consider an unanticipated decrease in the rate of inflation. The rise in prices and salaries turns out to be 5% over the course of the year rather than 10%. In the following table, find Becky's and Alex's new salaries after the 5% increase, and then calculate the $224 payment as a percentage of their new salaries.
Value of Becky's new salary after one year |
The $224 payment as a percentage of Becky's new salary |
Value of Alex's new salary after one year |
The $224 payment as a percentage of Alex's new salary |
|
An unanticipated decrease in the rate of inflation benefitsalex or becky and harms alex or becky??????
SCENARIO - 1
a) Value of Becky's new salary after one year = 600 x 1.1 = 660
b) $224 payment as % of Becky's new salary = $224/$660 = 0.34 = 34%
c) Value of Alex's 's new salary after 1 year = 400 x 1.1 = 440
d) $224 payment as % of Alex's new salary = $224/$440 = 0.51 = 51%
SCENARIO - 2
a) Value of Becky's new salary after 1 year = 600 x 1.05 = 630
b) $224 payment as % of Becky's new salary = $224/$630 = 0.36 = 36%
c) Value of Alex's new salary after 1 year = 400 x 1.05 = 420
d) $224 payment as % of Alex's new salary = $224/$420 = 0.53 = 53%
An unanticipated decrease in the rate of inflation benefits becky and harms alex
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