There are two things to note. One is that the loss need never be suffered; quantitative tightening is not necessary. Therefore this loss is being voluntarily incurred now.
That the loss need not be taken now is true. Selling the bonds crystallises the loss. But the loss exists all the same. The capital loss is equal to the interest rate mismatch – paying 5.25% on central bank reserves and collecting 1 and 2% coupons on the QE bonds – so the loss exists even if it’s not crystallised.
The loss *is*.
“One is that the loss need never be suffered”
Is he one of those turds who wants to tax unrealised capital gains? Because they really are capital gains, see?
Yet he argues that unrealised capital losses don’t exist. He’s a cretin.
He has to argue that – because the big sticking point to his contention that unrealized gains should be taxed – and which is brought up constantly – is ‘what do we do about unrealized losses’?
He doesn’t want to give money back or offer credits – so he has to ignore unrealized losses while pounding the table with his shoe about taxing unrealized gains, hoping people will focus on the latter.
How many millions of keyboard-pounding monkeys/Spuds would it take to write the works of Shakespeare?
I think the monkeys would get there first.
Ed P, I remember that old saw about a million monkeys then the internet came along and proved it false…
Ooops Addolff.
You’re making me think of some of the stuff I write!!