Why is it that you think there is a new structural regime for benchmark rates that's going to make it a lot more difficult to get them lower over the next ten, 20 years. So it's a great question, Lisa. So let's cast our minds back briefly to the early 2000, to Ben Bernanke and to the famous savings glut hypothesis.So back then, the Fed was hiking, but long term Treasury rates weren't going up. And Bernanke said is because there's a glut of global saving. All of this money coming from China and Saudi into th ...

Economic Outlook & Monetary Policy - The possibility of Federal Reserve rate cuts is decreasing due to a strong stock market and overall healthy economy [1][2] - The market's expectation for September has shifted from a 25 basis points rate cut to no change [2] - Short-term rate adjustments by the Federal Reserve aim to stimulate the economy, but fiscal challenges require attention [8][9] US Fiscal Challenges - The 30-year Treasury yield has reached 5%, the highest since 2007, indicating increased borrowing costs for the US government [3][4] - The US has $36 trillion in debt with an average interest rate of 33%, resulting in $12 trillion annual interest expense [5][6] - A rise in average interest rate to 5% on the debt could increase annual interest expense to nearly $2 trillion [6] - The US faces a fiscal crisis due to rising interest rates and continuous deficit spending [7] Deficit & Potential Solutions - The deficit's impact is now significant due to rising interest rates [11] - At current deficit levels, refinancing debt at current rates could lead to interest spending exceeding major expenditures like Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, or the military [12] - Potential solutions involve slowing government spending, increasing revenue (including considering consumption taxes), and deregulation to stimulate economic growth [14][16]