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

Dirty price

The total price payable on the purchase of a gilt. It’s calculated as the clean price plus accrued interest.
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Net Asset Value (NAV)

The value of a company's assets relative to the number of shares it has.
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Inflation

The increase in the prices of goods and services over time, and the process by which money loses its value.
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Yield

Income from an investment as a percentage of its current price.
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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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Accrued interest

The interest earned on a gilt since the last dividend date. When buying a gilt, the buyer pays the accrued interest at the time of a transaction to the seller in addition to the clean price of the gilt
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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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NASDAQ

A US stock exchange specialising in the shares of technology companies.
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Compound interest

Understand what compound interest means and how it's calculated
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