Japan has adopted negative interest rates as the latest effort to revitalize its dying economy.

But the country has been falling down the demographic cliff after its baby boom ignited a surge of spending in the 1980s.

Look at Japan’s Spending Wave. This shows a 47-year lag from birth to peak spending:

Japan's Spending Wave

Japan’s pre-World World II baby boom peaked in spending in 1989 at the height of the country’s economic prowess. The last of its baby boom peaked in spending in late 1996. It’s been in a coma economy ever since. And unfortunately, it only gets worse overtime.

While it’s hitting Japan hardest right now, this is a demographic reality all developed nations must face. And right now it’s a problem with no solution.

The content of our articles is based on what we’ve learned as financial journalists. We do not offer personalized investment advice: you should not base investment decisions solely on what you read here. It’s your money and your responsibility. Our track record is based on hypothetical results and may not reflect the same results as actual trades. Likewise, past performance is no guarantee of future returns. Certain investments such as futures, options, and currency trading carry large potential rewards but also large potential risk. Don’t trade in these markets with money you can’t afford to lose. Delray Publishing LLC expressly forbids its writers from having a financial interest in their own securities or commodities recommendations to readers.

Recommended Content


Recommended Content

Editors’ Picks

AUD/USD weakens further as US Treasury yields boost US Dollar

AUD/USD weakens further as US Treasury yields boost US Dollar

The Australian Dollar extended its losses against the US Dollar for the second straight day, as higher US Treasury bond yields underpinned the Greenback. On Wednesday, the AUD/USD lost 0.26% as market participants turned risk-averse. As the Asian session begins, the pair trades around 0.6577.

AUD/USD News

EUR/USD stuck near midrange ahead of thin Thursday session

EUR/USD stuck near midrange ahead of thin Thursday session

EUR/USD is reverting to the near-term mean, stuck near 1.0750 and stuck firmly in the week’s opening trading range. Markets will be on the lookout for speeches from ECB policymakers, but officials are broadly expected to avoid rocking the boat amidst holiday-constrained market flows.

EUR/USD News

Gold price drops amid higher US yields awaiting next week's US inflation

Gold price drops amid higher US yields awaiting next week's US inflation

Gold remained at familiar levels on Wednesday, trading near $2,312 amid rising US Treasury yields and a strong US dollar. Traders await unemployment claims on Thursday, followed by Friday's University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment survey.

Gold News

Bitcoin price drops, but holders with 100 to 1000 BTC continue to buy up

Bitcoin price drops, but holders with 100 to 1000 BTC continue to buy up

Bitcoin price action continues to show a lack of participation from new traders, steadily grinding south in the one-day timeframe, while the one-week period shows a horizontal chop. Meanwhile, data shows that some holder segments continue to buy up. 

Read more

Navigating the future of precious metals

Navigating the future of precious metals

In a recent episode of the Vancouver Resource Investment Conference podcast, hosted by Jesse Day, guests Stefan Gleason and JP Cortez shared their expert analysis on the dynamics of the gold and silver markets and discussed legislative efforts to promote these metals as sound money in the United States.

Read more

Majors

Cryptocurrencies

Signatures