The Bank of Russia unexpectedly maintained its key interest rate at a record-high 21% , defying analysts’ expectations of another significant hike as inflation remains stubbornly elevated. The decision marks a shift toward a more measured approach in balancing economic growth and price stability. Key Details Inflation Concerns: Annual inflation climbed to 8.9% in November, well above the central bank’s 4% target , with inflation expectations reaching 13.9% in December. Policy Rationale: The central bank cited the significant tightening of monetary conditions after October’s 200-basis point hike as sufficient to resume disinflationary processes. Governor Elvira Nabiullina emphasized avoiding both economic overheating and severe slowdowns. Economic Overheating: Elevated government spending on the war in Ukraine and social programs, coupled with labor shortages and rising wages, have fueled strong domestic demand, exacerbating price pressures...
If you are on your own, you’re probably not saving enough for retirement. That’s the conclusion of a new study published this week by the National Bureau of Economic Research on retirement readiness from two researchers at the RAND Corporation, a non-profit research firm. In Economic Preparation for Retirement, Michael Hurd and Susann Rohwedder found that 51% of the single people in the group of 66-to-69 year olds they looked at had a strong possibility of running into serious financial troubles in retirement. By comparison, only 23% of the couples in the study were at risk of outliving their savings. The group with the most retirement risk? Women who had not completed a high school education. Of that group, 73% are likely to run out of cash before they die. Surprisingly, though, the study found that Americans are, on average, better prepared for retirement than many believe. The study looked at the finances of early baby boomers, who have recently retired or are near retirement. ...