Many retired people invest a significant portion of their money in bonds of corporations because of their
Question:
Many retired people invest a significant portion of their money in bonds of corporations because of their relatively low level of risk. During the 1980s, significant inflation caused some interest rates to rise to as high as 15 percent. Retired people who bought bonds that paid only 6 percent continued to earn at the lower rate. During the 1990s, inflation subsided and interest rates declined. Many corporations took advantage of the callability feature of these bonds and retired the bonds early. Many of these early retirements of high-interest-rate bonds were replaced with low-interest-rate bonds.
Required:
In your judgment, is it ethical for corporations to continue paying low interest rates when rates increase but to retire bonds when rates decrease? Why or why not?
Step by Step Answer:
Fundamentals of Financial Accounting
ISBN: 978-0078025914
5th edition
Authors: Fred Phillips, Robert Libby, Patricia Libby