'Race to Zero' Under Way as Central Banks Cut Rates

Interest rates around the world are falling, with no end in sight as central banks hack away at obstacles to lending and try to jump-start their economies, Bloomberg reports. With the US rate at 1%, the Bank of England yesterday cut its key figure to 3%, the lowest since 1955, and the European Central Bank cut its rate by half a point, to 3.25%.

“It’s the race to zero,” one London economist said. “There’s no obstacle to more rate cuts.” As the crisis deepens, free money is becoming a more realistic possibility across the globe. A combination of reluctant spenders and cautious banks has created unparalleled stagnation; central banks hope deeper cuts convince banks to pass lower rates on to consumers. (More financial crisis stories.)