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Talking about wealth: what happens if the government took on the mortgage debt?

(28 Posts)
Whitewavemark2 Sat 30-May-26 17:32:10

Initially government assets would rise exponentially, but the these assets would be gradually over time transferred to the mortgagee.

So say the interest rate was set at the current the government pays for its deficit.

This in effect would increase the overall wealth in society without increasing the very wealthy assets.

I’m laying my sick bed here so no doubt my logic is scrambled.

But just a thought

Whitewavemark2 Sat 30-May-26 17:36:01

Just to say that this would show as a credit on the government books not a debit.

Macaydia Sat 30-May-26 17:43:18

Sorry you are sick flowers

Interesting thought but then real estate would be removed from a familys wealth bucket wouldnt it? Similar to communist nations?

Whitewavemark2 Sat 30-May-26 17:56:45

No the relationship between mortgagee and provider would be different. One the debt is cleared the house will be wholly owned by the mortgagee.

I’m approaching this from trying to prevent the very wealthy hoovering up the wealth. This way it would stay in the taxpayers hands.

MaizieD Sat 30-May-26 20:34:48

How do you think this would prevent the wealthy from hoovering up the wealth?

At the moment the profit made on a mortgage goes to the bank which lent the money for it. The only exceptions being building societies which do lend out savers' funds and profits finance more loans (I think that's how they work) whereas banks just create new money when they make the loan. Bank profits, of course, go to cover costs and to shareholders, who are indeed most likely to be the wealthy.

Sorry, I'm thinking out loud, that would be a way they accumulate more wealth... I see your logic.

I think it would be a very radical move grin

David49 Sat 30-May-26 20:38:58

So the government would be funding the house purchase and you would pay capital and interest yearly.

The government would have to borrow/create money to do it increasing the national debt , I don't think that's a realistic prospect.

Sorry you're poorly.

MaizieD Sat 30-May-26 20:43:18

That appears to have been the original function of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mack in the USA?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fannie_Mae

MaizieD Sat 30-May-26 20:45:17

^The government would have to borrow/create money to do it increasing the national debt , I don't think that's a realistic prospect.

Banks create money when they make a loan, What is the difference?

keepingquiet Sat 30-May-26 21:16:34

MaizieD

That appears to have been the original function of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mack in the USA?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fannie_Mae

And that led to the financial crash we are still suffering from...why don't the government just invest in some new housing that people can rent (maybe eventually buy)- now there's a radical idea!

MaizieD Sat 30-May-26 21:41:26

It wasn't Fannie Mae that led to the crash, it was the deregulation of finance and reckless mortgage lending (FM isn't the only provider of mortgages in the US)

eazybee Sun 31-May-26 01:41:13

More state control.

Macaydia Sun 31-May-26 03:31:36

Im confused. So, if an elderly, wealthy couple wanted to move to a bungalow they could sell their big home to a new young family with three children and the government would pay the elders for the home? Increasing the taxes for everyone?

I am interested in your thoughts, but dont have all my brain power.

MaizieD Sun 31-May-26 06:21:03

eazybee

More state control.

In view of the fact that less state control, which has been the story of the last 45 years, seems to have brought the UK to its knees, I don’t see your problem with this.

Or are you content with nearly 20% of the UK population libing below the poverty line? With the NHS becoming increasingly privatised while people wait weeks for doctors appointments, hours in A & E, treated in hospital corridors, pull their own teeth out because they can’t get NHS dental treatment and can’t afford to pay for private treatment? With actual water supplies running out in parts of the country during a heatwave because privatised water companies preferred to devote their profits to paying their CEOs and shareholders rather than improving the infrastructure? With victims of crime having to wait years for the perpetrators of that crime to come to court because the state has systematically cut funding over 45 years on the premise that state funding was being wasted and could be spent more efficiently? The same applying to all our remaining public sector provision…

Yup, less state control has been a huge success. I completely understand people’s fear of more state control hmm

David49 Sun 31-May-26 07:49:16

MaizieD

^The government would have to borrow/create money to do it increasing the national debt , I don't think that's a realistic prospect.

Banks create money when they make a loan, What is the difference?

The government has to do it transparently everyone can see the national debt is rising, banks are lending to make money they take a margin for profit.

The government could lend for profit but nobody would believe they would do it efficiently, in terms of priorities bringing railways and utilities back into government control is more important. Except for first time buyers home owners get a pretty good deal now.

If they really wanted to help home buyers there are plenty of other ways

MaizieD Sun 31-May-26 08:19:00

So there isn’t really an actual difference between bank money creation and government money creation David? After all, if you’re using efficiency as a criterion it wasn’t government money creation that precipitated the Global Financial Crisis, it was banks’ reckless money creation… 🤔

keepingquiet Sun 31-May-26 08:20:24

MaizieD

It wasn't Fannie Mae that led to the crash, it was the deregulation of finance and reckless mortgage lending (FM isn't the only provider of mortgages in the US)

Fair enough, but maybe it was the begining of the exposure as to what had previously been hidden.

In the UK it was the collapse of Northern Rock.

Strange how it was the government (ie the state) that had to jump in and rescue the de-regulated banks isn't it?

Have they paid the governemt back yet?

David49 Sun 31-May-26 08:51:58

Or are you content with nearly 20% of the UK population libing below the poverty line?

Because we have a poverty line set at 20% of median wage it's never ever going to chandelier because as median wage rises so does that line. It's a stupid comparison, there has always got to be those in the lowest group, other countries have a serious disadvantaged abject poverty line set at below 5% in reality it's that group that needs more attention

Whitewavemark2 Sun 31-May-26 09:04:53

keepingquiet

MaizieD

That appears to have been the original function of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mack in the USA?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fannie_Mae

And that led to the financial crash we are still suffering from...why don't the government just invest in some new housing that people can rent (maybe eventually buy)- now there's a radical idea!

Why don’t they do both

Whitewavemark2 Sun 31-May-26 09:42:20

So I’m working from the idea that, the worlds resources are finite. The vastly wealthy can’t possibly spend all that they are earning and so they are putting their vast wealth towards buying the world resources, which means there is less and less for the rest of the worlds population and standards of living are dropping year on year.

David49 Sun 31-May-26 09:55:03

change

Sago Sun 31-May-26 09:56:10

AI overview.

If the UK government absorbed the entire private mortgage debt (worth over £1.3 trillion), it would trigger a severe economic crisis. The national debt would double overnight, destroying international confidence in the pound, causing the currency to crash, and likely forcing the Bank of England to trigger hyperinflation.Economic & Financial CollapseMassive Tax Hikes: Absorbing £1.3 trillion in private liabilities onto the public balance sheet would require draconian increases in taxation and deep cuts to public services to service the interest.Banking Insolvency: Mortgages are the primary assets of commercial banks and building societies. Wiping these out or taking them over without compensating the lenders would collapse the banking sector, causing widespread bankruptcies and wiping out savings and pensions.Housing & Market ImplicationsMortgage Market Freeze: Banks would be highly reluctant to lend for future home purchases due to the precedent of debt being wiped or nationalized, effectively ending the UK’s modern mortgage lending industry.Unfair Wealth Distribution: A bailout disproportionately benefits wealthy homeowners and landlords at the expense of renters and taxpayers who have already paid off their homes.While absorbing the entire market is unfeasible, governments occasionally intervene on a smaller scale during housing crises. To explore how the state can assist with housing costs safely, look into existing safety nets like Shelter UK or the government's Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) scheme for eligible homeowners.4 sitesThe truth about the UK's debt - Debt JusticeThe UK could also significantly increase tax revenue from richer people and companies, including through increased taxes on wealth...Debt JusticeWhat happens if BofE writes off its Govt Debt | AccountingWEB25 Sept 2020 — This has been mentioned here before and it would have exactly the same inflationary effect (or possibly worse) as if the governmen...AccountingWEBWhat would happen in the UK if the government wiped ...{"passageText":"Funding and Fiscal Responsibility: The government would have to use taxpayers\u0027 money to fund a mortgage

MaizieD Sun 31-May-26 10:17:26

David49

Or are you content with nearly 20% of the UK population libing below the poverty line?

Because we have a poverty line set at 20% of median wage it's never ever going to chandelier because as median wage rises so does that line. It's a stupid comparison, there has always got to be those in the lowest group, other countries have a serious disadvantaged abject poverty line set at below 5% in reality it's that group that needs more attention

The median full time wage is £39,000 pa. 20% of that is just under £8,000 pa.

Could you live on that David?

The statement that there will always be poor people really annoys me. Tolerating destitution because 'there will always be poor people' just isn't good enough. While I accept that that it is a truism I do think that even 'the poor' should be able to afford to feed, clothe and house themselves in or supposedly wealthy country.

(of course, they can't afford chandeliers. Where did that come from grin)

David49 Sun 31-May-26 10:18:06

Whitewavemark2

So I’m working from the idea that, the worlds resources are finite. The vastly wealthy can’t possibly spend all that they are earning and so they are putting their vast wealth towards buying the world resources, which means there is less and less for the rest of the worlds population and standards of living are dropping year on year.

Ultimately resources are finite, but the human race is clever we will keep finding ways to use resources better, the planet probably cannot support the population we have now so population will fall to a point where it can be sustained.

The one overriding issue globally is population control, birth rate in white western states is falling but in many developing countries it is simply not on the agenda a taboo subject.

Climate change is another issue, unless we stop consuming the resources as we are it's going to continue, the UK is dishonest we are only reducing our emissions by importing more goods so we have no claim to be greener than even China.

MaizieD Sun 31-May-26 10:18:19

our supposedly wealthy etc.

David49 Sun 31-May-26 10:34:06

The median full time wage is £39,000 pa. 20% of that is just under £8,000 pa.

Could you live on that David?

Thats not my point, wherever you set the poverty line if you relate it to median wage it's not going to change.
We could set the poverty line at 25% and increase taxation to pay more benefits because that's the only way we are likely to improve the income of those that aren't able to earn enough.