Who gains if inflation turns out to be higher than expected: the lender or borrower? What happens if inflation turns out to be lower than expected?

What will be an ideal response?


Borrowers and lenders normally incorporate an inflation premium equal to the expected rate of inflation into the nominal interest rate. Then, if inflation turns out to be higher than expected, the borrowers have to pay the lender only the agreed-on nominal interest rate, including the premium for expected inflation; they do not have to compensate the lender for the (higher) actual inflation. Thus, the borrower enjoys a windfall gain and the lender loses out. The opposite happens if inflation turns out to be lower than expected.

Economics

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