このページはフレーム対応ブラウザ用に作成されています。下のリンクは非フレーム使用ページですのでそちらをご覧ください。
この記事をプリントする
利子が付かないなんて全然興味ない!
このところの株価の下落を、マスコミは日本経済の破たんと書きたてているが、筆者はそうは思わない。日本経済はこれまでにもっと悲惨な状態を切り抜けてきたし、最近のデータには回復の兆しも見えているからだ。そんなことよりも、筆者が気になるのは、日本の銀行の利子の低さだ。たとえ、100万円預けても、年に、たったの2,500円ほどしか利息がつかない。皆、お金の運用の仕方をよく考えてみるべきだ、と筆者は言う。
No Interest!
By SCOTT T. HARDS
The recent plunge in Japanese stock prices has got the media once again predicting that Japan is headed for economic disaster, but I'm not so pessimistic.
The Japanese economy has already weathered far worse, and there are a number of positive signs in the current economic data too. But you wouldn't know it if you're one of Japan's many senior citizens who is trying to live off the interest on their savings.
A short-term time deposit at a Japanese bank today pays just 0.25 percent annually. That means if you invest¥1 million, you get no more than ¥2,500 in interest per year. Put another way, if you withdraw cash from your bank account after business hours or at a different bank just twice a month, then the fees on the withdrawals will equal the bank's annual interest payments to you!
At rates like these, I have no interest in investing my money in a bank savings account. But in Japan, what alternatives are there? Securities companies' so-called MMF products are not paying much better. And even government securities offer barely 2 percent ― but to get rates like that you have to be ready to commit your money for two to three years at least. So what's my advice for investing your savings now? Don't! That's right.
With interest rates this low, you are often better off spending your money than saving it. Remember, the "return" on your money doesn't have to be measured in terms of an interest rate. If you go out and buy that new personal computer, car, dress or whatever it is you've always wanted, the return you'll get in personal enjoyment will probably far outweigh the value of the measly interest the bank would have paid you if you'd left your money there. And you'll help stimulate the sluggish economy in the process. But why stop there...?
Now is also a very good time to go out and borrow money. That's right: shakkin. Japanese people hate that word, but what's bad news for investors is great news for borrowers. Of course I'm not suggesting that people in financial difficulty should get funds from some illicit "sarakin" credit agency or anything; but if you want to buy a car, finance a vacation or get a new home, it may be years before you again see interest rates as low as this! Some housing loans and small business loans are currently being made at rates as low as 3-4 percent.
So if you've got something you've always wanted to buy, an idea for a new business, or you just want to take a long vacation, now is the time for a trip down to your local bank to see what they can do for you. You'll probably find them more than happy to loan you whatever you need or want. See, I told you the economy wasn't so bad!
The recent plunge in Japanese stock prices has got the media once again predicting that Japan is headed for economic disaster, but I'm not so pessimistic.
The Japanese economy has already weathered far worse, and there are a number of positive signs in the current economic data too. But you wouldn't know it if you're one of Japan's many senior citizens who is trying to live off the interest on their savings.
A short-term time deposit at a Japanese bank today pays just 0.25 percent annually. That means if you invest¥1 million, you get no more than ¥2,500 in interest per year. Put another way, if you withdraw cash from your bank account after business hours or at a different bank just twice a month, then the fees on the withdrawals will equal the bank's annual interest payments to you!
At rates like these, I have no interest in investing my money in a bank savings account. But in Japan, what alternatives are there? Securities companies' so-called MMF products are not paying much better. And even government securities offer barely 2 percent ― but to get rates like that you have to be ready to commit your money for two to three years at least. So what's my advice for investing your savings now? Don't! That's right.
With interest rates this low, you are often better off spending your money than saving it. Remember, the "return" on your money doesn't have to be measured in terms of an interest rate. If you go out and buy that new personal computer, car, dress or whatever it is you've always wanted, the return you'll get in personal enjoyment will probably far outweigh the value of the measly interest the bank would have paid you if you'd left your money there. And you'll help stimulate the sluggish economy in the process. But why stop there...?
Now is also a very good time to go out and borrow money. That's right: shakkin. Japanese people hate that word, but what's bad news for investors is great news for borrowers. Of course I'm not suggesting that people in financial difficulty should get funds from some illicit "sarakin" credit agency or anything; but if you want to buy a car, finance a vacation or get a new home, it may be years before you again see interest rates as low as this! Some housing loans and small business loans are currently being made at rates as low as 3-4 percent.
So if you've got something you've always wanted to buy, an idea for a new business, or you just want to take a long vacation, now is the time for a trip down to your local bank to see what they can do for you. You'll probably find them more than happy to loan you whatever you need or want. See, I told you the economy wasn't so bad!
Shukan ST: Feb. 14, 1997
(C) All rights reserved
- interest
- 『利息』と『興味』をかけている
- plunge
- 落ち込み
- stock prices
- 株価
- has got the media
- マスコミをにぎわせている
- predicting that 〜
- 〜 と予言する
- is headed for 〜
- 〜 へと向かっている
- economic disaster
- 経済的破綻
- pessimistic
- 悲観的な
- (has)weathered far worse
- もっとひどい状況を切り抜けてきた
- positive signs
- 良い兆し
- current economic data
- 最近の経済データ
- senior citizens
- 高齢者
- live off the interest on their savings
- 貯金の利息で暮らす
- short-term time deposit
- 短期の定期預金
- invest
- 投資する
- get no more than ¥2,500 in interest
- わずか2,500円の利息しかもらえない
- Put another way
- 別の言い方をすれば
- withdraw cash from 〜
- 〜 から現金を引き出す
- bank account
- 銀行口座
- business hours
- 営業時間
- fees on the withdrawals
- 引き出し手数料
- equal
- 等しい
- annual interest payments
- 年間利息
- At rates like these
- そんな利率では
- have no interest in 〜
- 〜 には全く興味がない
- bank savings account
- 銀行口座
- alternatives
- 他に採りうる方法
- Securities companies
- 証券会社
- MMF(= Money Management Fund)products
- 主に1年未満の金融商品で運用する実績分配型の投資信託商品
- government securities
- 国債
- barely
- ほんの
- commit
- 預ける
- interest rates
- 利率
- (are)better off spending your money than saving it
- 貯金するよりも使ってしまう方がいい生活ができる
- "return"
- 報酬、利益
- be measured
- 計る
- in terms of 〜
- 〜 の観点から
- 〜 you'll get in personal enjoyment
- 個人的な楽しみとして手に入る 〜
- far outweigh 〜
- 〜 よりずっと価値がある
- measly
- わずかな
- stimulate
- 活気づける
- sluggish economy
- 停滞した経済
- in the process
- そうしながら
- investors
- 投資家
- borrowers
- 債務者
- people in financial difficulty
- 財政的に困っている人
- get funds from 〜
- 〜 から資金を調達する
- illicit
- 不法な
- credit agency
- 金融業者
- finance 〜
- 〜 のために資金を調達する
- housing loans
- 住宅ローン
- new business
- 新事業
local bank
- 近所の銀行
- loan
- 貸し付ける