Base rate

What's the base rate?

The "base rate" typically refers to the interest rate that a central bank, like the Bank of England or the Federal Reserve in the United States, sets and uses as the primary tool for controlling monetary policy. This rate is crucial because it influences the cost of borrowing money throughout the economy. 

The rate set by a central bank can influence the cost of borrowing for others in an economy. This has the knock-on effect of either encouraging or slowing economic activity. 

Central banks use the base rate to try to control factors like inflation. Changes in the base rate can also influence the valuation of a country’s currency in relation to other currencies. 

More terms

index-linked gilts

Gilts where the dividends and principal repayments are related to movements in the Retail Prices Index (RPI). This is as opposed to a conventional gilt, where the dividends and principal repayments are fixed in nominal terms.
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OEIC

Unique to the UK, these funds pool together money to invest from multiple investors.
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Forward pricing

Mutual funds are traded on a forward pricing basis, meaning the price you see will be different to the price you may trade at.
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Value Investing

The art of buying shares which trade below their value, according to the analysis of the value investor.
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Bond

Learn what a bond is
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Margin call

Learn what a margin call stands for in financial terms.
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Equity

The amount of money a company would be left with by subtracting its liabilities from the value of its assets.
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Xetra

A trading venue operated by the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.
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LSE

London Stock Exchange, which was founded in 1571 and now has a market cap of almost $5 trillion.
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