Cash is king, a term that is often used to signify the importance of cash flow in analysing a business. Of course, having cash gives one power, power to make purchases and, in an investment portfolio, if you invest in dividend-paying stocks, the power to take an income to make those purchases. Central banks around the world have maintained interest rates close to zero per cent since the financial crisis. However, the power of cash is under threat. Interest rates are undeniably entering a cycle of tightening. The rates one can achieve on bank deposits are insignificant; detract inflation and your euro is melting faster than an ice-cream in the hot Maltese sun. Across Europe, people have a significant percentage of their wealth held in bank deposits. According to the European Fund and Asset Management Association (EFAMA), combined savings increased from €10.3 trillion to €13.4 trillion between 2017 to 2021. Subsequently, deposits as a share of total financial wealth rose from 37 per cent to 38 per cent. Rich Nordic nations such as Denmark and Sweden both held less than 20 per cent of their wealth in deposits as did the Netherlands. In contrast, Greece and Cyprus held the highest...
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