I accept that as you said there is a "(huge) volume of debt in the world post financial crisis" and that this means that interest rates may have to stay low. The debt could be inflated away and that would allow interest rates to rise, even real rates. However there seems to be little appetite for this among Central Banks anywhere.Not in a world where interest rates have to stay low.
That is only true if you assume that the weighted average interest rate will be 3% over the 30 years.The interest saving is the key figure and that's consistent at circa €20k.
It's implicit in your assumptions.I've never once referred to the risk-free rate so how is the equity risk premium relevant?
Actually, the pension contribution "wins" even in circumstances where the annualised return on the equity portfolio is somewhat less than the weighted average mortgage rate over the period because of the tax relief.The salient point is that even if we increase the 3% to (say) 4% and decrease the 6.5%, the pension contribition still wins.
That these lenders expect rates to increase significantly over the next 30 years!30 year fixed rate mortgages are available at 3.5% in Europe (ABN AMRO, ING, etc)...what does that suggest to you re mortgage rates?
And conventional wisdom is that Irish rates will fall to European norms!That these lenders expect rates to increase significantly over the next 30 years!
3.5% is roughly double the variable home loan rates offered by those lenders on the continent.
Doesn't that ignore the fact that the proceeds of the €100 are trapped in a pension structure, whereas the interest saving isn't?Actually, the pension contribution "wins" even in circumstances where the annualised return on the equity portfolio is somewhat less than the weighted average mortgage rate over the period because of the tax relief.
For example, 100 compounded @2% over 30 years comfortably beats 60 compounded @3% over the same period.
Average rates on all outstanding Irish mortgages are actually pretty much bang in line with the equivalent Eurozone figure. The difference is that the Irish bargain rates (low margin trackers) are no longer available.And conventional wisdom is that Irish rates will fall to European norms!
Well, yes, pension contributions are made out of gross income whereas a mortgage payment obviously comes out of net income. Is that your point? I suspect I'm missing a subtlety in your post.Doesn't that ignore the fact that the proceeds of the €100 are trapped in a pension structure, whereas the interest saving isn't?
Gross vs net basically.
No worries...the compounded return from the €100 is in the retirement structure, so there's income tax etc to get it out, whereas the accumulated interest saving is net of tax.Well, yes, pension contributions are made out of gross income whereas a mortgage payment obviously comes out of net income. Is that your point? I suspect I'm missing a subtlety in your post.
Funny enough, I believe that in our lifetimes (assuming we're neither ill nor OAPs), it will be possible for an Irish person to borrow directly from European banks at the same rates as our fellow EU citizens.Average rates on all outstanding Irish mortgages are actually pretty much bang in line with the equivalent Eurozone figure. The difference is that the Irish bargain rates (low margin trackers) are no longer available.
Whatever about conventional wisdom, I don't think there is any prospect that rates on new Irish mortgages will fall to Eurozone average rates in my lifetime. Our default rates are simply too high.
surely low interest rates will drive people into riskier assets ?I accept that as you said there is a "(huge) volume of debt in the world post financial crisis" and that this means that interest rates may have to stay low. The debt could be inflated away and that would allow interest rates to rise, even real rates. However there seems to be little appetite for this among Central Banks anywhere.
However this does not justify your assumption that equity returns can break the connection with a low risk free rate.
That boat sailed nearly 10 years ago.surely low interest rates will drive people into riskier assets ?
really ? , bar the u.s market , the rest of them barely moved since this time in 2007That boat sailed nearly 10 years ago.
You're joking right?really ? , bar the u.s market , the rest of them barely moved since this time in 2007
if you invested $10000 today , would you be content for it to be worth $12954 on september 1st 2027 ?You're joking right?
$10,000 invested in Vanguard's Global (Ex-US) Index Fund (VGTSX) on 1 January 2007 would have been worth $12,954 on 31 July 2017 (with all dividends reinvested). That's pretty remarkable given the 58.5% drawdown in 2008/2009.
Anyway, I think we are starting to drift away from the topic under discussion - whether it makes sense to prioritise pension contributions over more aggressively paying down a mortgage.
the same sum invested in the best paying savings account in sept 2007 would have delivered as big a return as some of them were paying 4% around 2011After being through the Financial Crisis?!
Yes