It's A Low, Low, Low, Low-Rate World

Money is cheap. And some experts say it could stay that way for years. That's creating opportunityand brand new risks
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Wait a minute—weren't long-term interest rates supposed to be a lot higher by now?

When the rate on the 10-year Treasury bond plunged from 6.5% in early 2000 to an average of 4% or so in 2003, the explanations were easy: tech bust, recession, weak capital spending, low inflation, steep rate cuts by central banks around the world. The low rates seemed perfectly normal—and sure to reverse on a dime when conditions changed.