Please note, the official interest rate on new EE series savings bonds changes twice a year.
When it met on April 2nd, the Reserve Bank held its official interest rate unchanged, at 4.25%, but may well raise rates in May.
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If enough people can be declared eligible for so-called income-based repayment plans that reduce their monthly bills and even their principal, does it really matter what the official interest rate is?
That was the meaning of the announcement of the US Federal Reserve that it anticipates holding its official interest rate, the so-called federal funds rate, at exceptionally low levels "at least" through mid-2013.
Australia was in focus after the Reserve Bank of Australia lowered its official interest rate by a quarter percentage point to 2.75 percent amid some signs the economy is coming off the boil as the Australian dollar rises.
Although the devaluation of sterling we've seen in the last few years - caused by a near-zero official interest rate and the massive money creation of quantitative easing - has probably been healthy, especially for exporters, more extreme degradation of the currency would bring risks.
Apart from adding to the woes of those already in debt, many people will have noticed that the "official rate" of interest charged by the Revenue on unpaid tax is currently around 7.5% for the first thirty days with a surcharge of a further 5% thereafter.
Russia has many different types of interest rates, but the official refinancing rate is currently 8.25%.
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Another negative factor for the U.S. dollar remains the interest rate differential outlook or the official monetary policy rate.
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Superficially, there is some basis for the official view that the worst of the crisis is over: Interest-rate spreads, current-account deficits and budget deficits are down.
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Last month, Bank of Ireland was criticised for increasing the interest rate on its Base Rate Tracker mortgages, despite the official rate remaining at 0.5%.
"My understanding is that the Russian government is ready to make a contribution with an extension of the loan and a reduction of the interest rate, " said the EU's top economic official, Olli Rehn.
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