The End of the Long Bond Era

Bond Market Dynamics - The bond market is experiencing uncertainty due to government borrowing, trade wars, and tax cuts [2] - Long bonds, particularly those maturing in 30 years or more, are at the center of concerns [4] - Volatility in the bond market has increased, with yields on long bonds spiking above 5%, nearing the highest since 2007 [6] - Investor demand for long bonds has disappeared, resembling the volatility of meme stocks or crypto [13] Fiscal Policy and Debt - The US is projected to incur another $22 trillion deficit over the next 10 years [3] - Concerns about fiscal spending are driving long-term interest rates up, requiring higher yields to compensate for risk [14] - Government fiscal deficit problems are a ticking time bomb, leading to higher, longer-term yields [22][23] Global Implications - A global movement of rates higher has been observed [18] - Volatility in long-term bonds poses a problem for governments, as investors demand higher yields [20] - Higher yields will affect housing affordability, auto loans, student loans, and credit card rates [21] - The selloff in longer term bonds shows investors that major governments have a huge fiscal deficit problem [22] Long Bond Specifics - Long bonds were popular when investors sought decent yields due to near-zero or negative interest rates in Europe and Japan [8] - Austria Century Bonds, maturing in 2120, have seen their price fall about 75% from their peak in 2021 [12] - Rising long-end yields have increased by some 50 basis points, signaling potential financial stress [7]