Debt brake won't be changed for now, source close to German conservative leader says

BY Reuters | ECONOMIC | 11/13/24 10:47 AM EST

BERLIN, Nov 13 (Reuters) - The leader of the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) Friedrich Merz has no plans to reform the debt brake, a source close to the CDU leader told Reuters.

The debt brake limits the public deficit to 0.35% of gross domestic product.

(Reporting by Andreas Rinke, writing by Maria Martinez, Editing by Madeline Chambers)

In general the bond market is volatile, and fixed income securities carry interest rate risk. (As interest rates rise, bond prices usually fall, and vice versa. This effect is usually more pronounced for longer-term securities.) Fixed income securities also carry inflation risk and credit and default risks for both issuers and counterparties. Unlike individual bonds, most bond funds do not have a maturity date, so avoiding losses caused by price volatility by holding them until maturity is not possible.

Lower-quality debt securities generally offer higher yields, but also involve greater risk of default or price changes due to potential changes in the credit quality of the issuer. Any fixed income security sold or redeemed prior to maturity may be subject to loss.

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