Not of interest

I have to vent my fury about the potential interest rate cut again.

According to some news reports I heard this morning, if it happens it would take the rates down to the lowest for 900 years - although I'm not sure if this is right.

I'm very happy for everyone with mortgages who will find themselves with wads of extra cash as a result, and obviously the more reckless among us will dash out and spend said extra cash at a rate of knots, which Mr Brown thinks will kick start the economy again. What I think of the man is not repeatable in print. This is NOT the way to rescue the economy. It is this kind of behaviour that got us into this mess in the first place.

Businesses are also not benefitting because Banks are still not lending - although hopefully this may change.

The more sensible among us in the consumer world will use the extra cash to pay off more of the lump sum of their mortgage, or for paying off other loans, or even (sharp intake of breath) save some of it.

But then again why should anyone be encouraged to save at all? You get absolutely nothing in interest for saving - so where is the incentive? In fact, if you are a saver, you are penalised and punished for it.

What really irritates me is all the older people who have saved all their lives to build a nest egg for their golden years, and who were relying on the income from their interest to supplement their meagre pensions. It is they who will be struggling to cope now as they find their income slashed by more than half.

I say this as someone who has older relatives in that situation. They are sitting at home afraid to spend anything or switch on their heating because they are not sure they are going to be able to afford it.

That, in my opinion, is disgraceful.