Suppose That the Current Rates on 90-And 180-Day GICs Are

question 161

Short Answer

Suppose that the current rates on 90-and 180-day GICs are 3.25% and 3.50%, respectively. An investor is weighing the alternatives of purchasing a 180-day GIC versus purchasing a 90-day GIC and then reinvesting its maturity value in a second 90-day GIC. What would the interest rate on 90-day GICs have to be 90 days from now for the investor to end up in the same financial position with either alternative?

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Definitions:

Dissonance Paradigm

A theoretical framework used to understand the discomfort from cognitive dissonance and how individuals attempt to reduce it.

Free Choice

The ability or power to make decisions autonomously without external constraints or coercion.

Spreading Alternatives

A cognitive phenomenon where individuals devalue rejected alternatives to feel better about the choices they have made.

Self-Verification

The desire and tendency of individuals to seek confirmation of their self-concept, whether positive or negative, from their social environment.