Personal Finance and Government Policies have constantly been tested each time and time again. Public issues can arise in many ways, which necessitates a unique policy solution. Government policies explain why things should be done precisely and why they should be done in that direction.
Governments establish guidelines to guide corporations. Changes in fiscal policy can result in taxes, trade, subsidies, regulations, interest rates, licensing, etc. Businesses must be adaptable to respond to changing rules and procedures.
Government policies apply at all levels, from the national to the local, such as states and municipalities. Each of these local bodies has its own set of regulations. There are just a few international treaties that can impact how businesses operate.
Depending on the state of the economy, central banks can pursue a tight, neutral, or loose monetary policy. When economic development is slow, central banks, for example, cut interest rates. People are more likely to borrow due to the increased availability of low-cost loans.
It is an accommodative monetary policy to restrict the pace of economic expansion, central banks can adopt a tight monetary policy stance, such as hiking short-term interest rates. This usually happens when inflation is out of control, and central banks need to restrict the amount of money in circulation to keep prices stable.
Managing personal finance can turn chaotic and hectic in today’s fast paced age. MoneyPatrol is one such place where you can end your pursuit for a stable personal financial management. MoneyPatrol not just helps you in managing those tricky finances but also helps you directly in acquiring a better financial judgement above all.
In the early 20th century, very few people knew and understood how political decisions had a massive impact on the financial market. Over the decades, it has become a well-known fact. Here, we will look at some factors which will help us understand how politics influence finances.
1. How does Monetary Policy Impact Personal Finance?
Monetary policy is the government’s most effective weapon when it comes to the finance world. It can control the tax policy and lower or raise interest rates whenever it wants. This allows the government to shift capital between investments, significantly impacting finance.
Personal finance is influenced by monetary policy both directly and indirectly. The direct impact is determined by interest rate direction, whereas the indirect influence is determined by economic participants’ expectations.
When central banks raise interest rates, the cost of credit rises as lenders raises their loan interest rates.
High-interest rates, for example, make mortgages more expensive in real estate. Loans, both new and old, become more expensive. When it comes to expectations, potential investors who rely on loans are likely to slow down or cease investing when loan costs rise. Asset classes such as bonds, equities, real estate, commodities, and currencies are all affected by monetary policy.
There is a beneficial influence on the economy when a government spends more on development. More employment, for example, is generated, and residents have more money to spend on products and services. People with more money are better equipped to assist small enterprises, which are the economy’s key drivers.
As the cost of products and services grows, life becomes more expensive. When the government reduces development investment, the opposite occurs. Unemployment will inevitably arise.
It doesn’t matter if you can fully understand the monetary policy or not. It, directly and indirectly, impacts personal finance as it changes the cost of credit(i.e., money) circulating in the market or economy. And as you too have some part of the money in various formats in your bank accounts, it affects the valuation of the cash you hold, which directly impacts your financial position.
MoneyPatrol works as a financial guardian when paying off loans, mortgages, investments, etc. It keeps an open eye on your finances, and previously mentioned factors also notify you if any movements (inlay or outlay) are performed relative to them in respective accounts.
2. How does Fiscal Policy Impacts Personal Finance?
Fiscal policies are often brought as counteracts for inflation. Although the companies are encouraged to buy and borrow more, it usually destroys a considerable amount of financial capital after the interest rates drop, which has a drastic effect on the market.
The government’s tax policy has an immediate influence on your own finances. Citizens have more money to spend on products and services when the government decreases income taxes.
It, in turn, stimulates the industries that produce those products and services, increasing the economy. When income taxes are too high, citizens have less money in their pockets, reducing their purchasing power and slowing the economy.
In a word, when there are favourable tax rules and the government spends money on activities that expand the economy and put more money in the wallets of regular residents. Your finances are sure to benefit.
Most of the impacts of fiscal policies can be experienced in the expenses as you buy things needed or desired. With MoneyPatrol, you can keep track of these expenses in the calendar view as per your need – daily, weekly, monthly, and annually. Gives you some idea about what should be your next financial move.
3. How does Inflation Impacts Personal Finance?
Inflation is a frequent phrase for rising costs for goods and services. In practice, inflation means you’ll have to pay more money to get the same goods or services, eroding your buying power.
Every government wants to inflate its currency whenever possible. It gives a short but viable boost to the economy as the companies start charging more for their services and share prices are lifted.
Although it may initially look good, it can lead to severe consequences in the long run. High-interest rates and lower values are some of the significant after-effects of this phenomenon.
Inflation’s influence on personal finance impacts individual budgets differently and at different periods. Inflation may swiftly devastate already-tight budgets. Rising housing, food, fuel, and energy expenses may be devastating to budgets. Particularly for Americans still reeling from the financial consequences of the epidemic and those who rely primarily on a fixed income or Social Security.
When prices are rising, it’s an excellent opportunity to think about new methods to obtain what you need while staying within your budget. There may be cheaper options, such as using store brands for the necessities or keeping an eye out for places where you can get the same thing at a lower price – such as fuel.
Couponing is another technique to save money at the bank. Examine the fundamentals of personal finance and your budget. What can be trimmed? What can you do at home rather than pay for it?
While no one likes to pay more for products and services, inflation is something that everyone must plan for, and with a bit of forethought, you can manage it. Creating a detailed plan and reviewing it with a financial advisor will guarantee that your long-term approach accounts for growing inflation.
The thing with inflation is that it takes place in real time. If we looked at last year’s prices and compared them with this year’s, the changes and rise in inflation could be easily seen. MoneyPatrol offers you the vision to look at these increasing prices in your expenditures as they occur; you have access to the past one year of financial records, be it a 20 cent purchase or 20 k $ purchase, be it yesterday or two years ago. You can look at it just with a tap on your device’s screen.
With MoneyPatrol, you get reminders of the financial activity going on in your accounts. Especially the expenses, it helps you acquire a better insight into your financial management.
4. How do Taxation Impacts Personal Finances?
The primary goal of taxes is to produce the necessary revenues to cover expenditures. In addition to producing income, taxes are viewed as control and regulation instruments to affect consumption, production, and distribution patterns. Taxes thus have a variety of consequences on an economy. However, these effects are not always positive.
Taxes have the same negative impact. The type of taxes determines whether they diminish or exacerbate income disparity. Taxation affects the distribution of income and wealth positively and negatively.
A steeply progressive taxation system tends to lessen income inequality since the burden of such taxes falls disproportionately on the wealthy. However, a regressive tax structure exacerbates economic disparity.
Furthermore, high taxes on luxury and non-essential commodities tend to positively influence income distribution.
However, taxes on necessities may have a regressive effect on income distribution. We frequently see taxes playing a contradictory role in output and diffusion. A progressive taxation system is beneficial to income distribution, but it is a disincentive to productivity.
Suppose taxes positively impact people’s capacity and motivation to work, save, and invest. In that case, it will positively impact a country’s employment situation.
Furthermore, if tax revenue is used to fund development initiatives, it will boost the economy’s employment. If taxes hurt the volume of savings and investment, the recession and unemployment situation will worsen. Again, the influence of taxes on the price level can be both positive and negative. Taxes are sometimes applied to control inflation.
Furthermore, because the imposition of commodity taxes leads to higher production costs, tariffs exacerbate the problem of inflation. Thus, taxes have both positive and negative consequences on numerous factors. The prudent use of progressive taxation can mitigate unfavourable tax consequences.
No one can avoid death and taxes, be it Brad Pitt in Meeting Joe Black or James Frankling; both have said that because of its truth. Direct and indirect taxes should have a crucial impact on your finances, be it direct taxation on the income incurred or indirect taxation on the things you purchase for any respective reason. It is not enough to look out for the rising inflation; the tax should be on the lookout, too, be it on income or the expenses incurred.
Through MoneyPatrol, you can keep a direct tap on your income, cash available, Netflow, and different factors which count in taxation.
- Income Section enables you to understand where your money is going, but knowing where and when it is coming from is even more crucial—assisting you in prioritising your expenses as per the internal or external situations.
- Net Flow summary breaks down your monthly cash inflows from your revenue sources and your monthly cash outflows for factors like expenses. We provide you with a user-friendly infographic view of the inlay and outlay relative to your income-expenditure ratio.
Other Forms of Government Policies and their Impacts on Personal Finance:
The government often saves industries and financial institutions going through tough times or are about to go bankrupt. This is done through bailouts. A bailout is a financial aid provided to an economy to save it from a future collapse. It is often seen that government helps even non-economic organizations.
These bailouts are structured in the form of a loan guarantee. Bailouts, however, can be unpleasant for shareholders and leaders of the rescued organization.
A subsidy is an incentive that a government provides to an organization to keep the service cost of specific products lower than usual. It is organized so that neither the customer nor the service-providing company can face any extra financial burden.
On the other hand, a tariff is a tax that is levied upon foreign goods to make them costlier. It is done so that domestic organizations can run a profitable business for themselves.
Higher taxes on the corporate sector prevent many global companies from operating in that country. It is disadvantageous for both the government and the organizations.
Complex regulations can hinder some businesses and even the entire industry.
With the government holding their back, few industries drive more investment than the others. This, in turn, levies an extra burden on global companies to keep up with capital access. The situation can be even more drastic when the government acts as the primary client for specific organizations.
6. Conclusion
When government policy changes the inputs and incentives for individual economic actions, it has a microeconomic impact. Tax policy, fiscal policy, regulations, tariffs, subsidies, legal tender rules, licencing, and public-private partnerships are examples of these developments (to name a few). These policies influence the costs and rewards that individual actors encounter in almost every aspect of modern life.
When the United States government, for example, propped up wages during the Great Depression. It mistakenly rendered it lossmaking for private enterprises to hire more workers.
Governments either adjust the amount of an available item (supply) or the number of finances allocated toward those commodities (demand). Governments can also make certain types of trade illegal or unlawful in specific circumstances.
These factors influence the options that microeconomic actors confront and alter their decision-making processes.
Government policies can have unintended consequences. The government may grant a subsidy to farmers to increase the profitability of their enterprises and boost agricultural output. In contrast, the government may levy a charge on cigarettes and alcohol to discourage undesirable behavior. Other consequences are inadvertent.