(Newswire.net — May 5, 2021) —
Introduction
‘When America sneezes, the world catches a cold.’ So goes the familiar saying that describes the global consequences of events in America. On the first anniversary of the World Health Organization declaring COVID-19 a pandemic, President Biden launched a $1.9 trillion stimulus package that will likely accelerate economic growth on a global scale.
Among other things, the stimulus means more disposable income for Americans. Despite concerns about possible inflation, the stock market is seeing a lot of activity. There is no better way to beat inflation and protect investment growth from inflation risk than to put all newly earned money into an ISA.
What the stimulus means in America
Biden’s recovery plan is considered the most expansive Americans have seen since Depression-era President Franklin D. Roosevelt initiated a similar scheme in the 1930s.
So what’s actually in this stimulus package? Briefly, it consists of compensation to the tune of $1,400 for individuals who do not have high incomes. The package also provides for entrepreneurs and their businesses. Funds are available for those who’ve suffered the most during the pandemic. Additionally, unemployment has worked its way into the package. Unemployed persons can continue to receive financial assistance until September.
All told, the significance of the stimulus package will be most visible in the area of customer demand. Increased demand for goods and services will quicken the rate of imports into America. A trend like this ties in neatly to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development’s forecast of how the package will positively affect the world’s financial landscape. International investment and trade will respond confidently to American market movements.
What the stimulus could mean in the UK
Exporters the world over stand to gain immensely from an American citizenry that is suddenly flush with spending money. Businesses in Europe are anticipating reveling in the overflow of the stimulus package. Because of the trading relationship between America and the UK, British companies, in particular, could enjoy equal advantages from the stimulus package as American enterprises.
Financial service providers will profit the most from the stimulus. The stock market in 2020 was refreshingly robust because individuals were depositing their stimulus cheques directly into the market. Recent findings suggest that young working adults under 40 years old fully intend to put as much as half of their stimulus into investment ventures.
The hospitality and tourism industries suffered greatly during the pandemic and still contend with social distancing protocols. As the rate of vaccinations increases and more Americans gain confidence to travel for leisure, UK tourism could get the shot in the arm it needs to get it back to pre-pandemic levels of profitability.
Outside the New Normal created by the pandemic, the UK was distributing medicine to America to the tune of £6 billion. Drugs and cure-alls will likely continue to be a viable endeavor for British businesses.
With the end of the lockdown fast approaching, there is a high likelihood that bars and restaurants will open again soon. Consumables like luxury liquors will prove lucrative as a prospective market.
So, the stimulus opens up many avenues for serious British businesses looking to make good out of the pandemic. Yet, companies – and individuals – should exercise caution as the generous package seems to be coupled inevitably with inflation.
The potential danger of inflation
With at least $1,400 extra cash in hand, many Americans enjoy the benefits of the most significant government financial intervention this century. Such spending could have detrimental effects on the nation’s inflation rate.
The present inflation rate of 2.6% is at a non-threatening level. However, further down the line, there could be a spike in inflation due to more cash flow in the market. Central banks would then have to adjust interest rates, and that adjustment would very unlikely be favorable. Any gains made during the pandemic would be lost as the banks try to respond responsibly to these changes.
The US government is prudent if nothing else. It does expect a preliminary increase in inflation due to increased stock market activity and other consumer demands. But, as the country departs the pandemic era and enters its new phase of economic development, the government remains optimistic that inflation will recede to manageable levels.
The American Rescue Plan is not just good news for the UK. The global financial landscape could grow by an additional 1.1% because of the extra $1.9 trillion floating around the US economy. In his bid to distinguish himself from the frugality that defined the post-crash period in 2008, Biden has splashed out on an impressive scheme that will help everyone recuperate from the coronavirus crunch.