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Behavioural finance is important because understanding financial psychology will help us become more aware of our own cognitive biases and the mistakes we may make as investors. An appreciation of the financial behaviours of other market participants can help us identify opportunities and manage risk.

Globally, macroeconomic challenges continued during the month of July. These global challenges include Chinese exports dropping to historically low levels, the announcement that the US Federal Reserve (US Fed) was hiking rates by 25 basis points (bps), and the GfK Consumer Confidence Index recorded a drop in consumer confidence in the UK. Locally, interest rates were paused at 8.25%.

Behavioural finance is important because understanding financial psychology will help us become more aware of our own cognitive biases and the mistakes we may make as investors. An appreciation of the financial behaviours of other market participants can help us identify opportunities and manage risk.

Interest hikes have an impact on the currency, but they also impact consumer behaviour. In this article, we look at interest rates from Europe, the UK, the US, and South Africa and conclude with how they impact consumer spending power. The information is depicted through charts to provide a clear picture of the history of rate hikes. We close off by providing a detailed description of how the…

South African consumers received a bit of a relief as the interest rates remained unchanged at the last Monetary Policy Committee meeting, although it was clearly communicated that the decision did not signal the end of the hiking cycle.

The break-neck pace of this year, propelled by high inflation and rising interest rates, along with the enduring conflict in Ukraine, to the spill-over effects of this war impacting far-flung economies like our own, we can be forgiven for failing to believe that 2023 is already half-done!

Among the biggest interest rate and inflation increases in history, lie numerous global challenges. June had no shortage of global and local issues affecting the economy, various countries and their citizens.

Globally, rising interest rates continue to be the order of the day, as nine developed economies raised rates by a combined 3 740 basis points (bps) in this cycle. Conversely, the US Fed decided to leave US interest rates unchanged during its last sitting, as US inflation declined in May.

We look at some of the drivers behind the recent weakening of the rand and touch on separating emotion from investment decisions, especially in times of sharp currency movements

For the 10th time in 14 months, the Fed raised rates by 25 bps to 5%–5.25% to fight inflation. Growth is highest since 2007. BBC News reports, “Higher rates have sharply raised borrowing costs, spurring a slowdown in sectors like housing, and playing a role in the recent failures of three US banks.”