A lot can happen in 50 years

To whom would you want to lend money for 50 years? Your children? Your best friend? The British and ...

To whom would you want to lend money for 50 years? Your children? Your best friend? The British and French governments think they are worth such a loan. Both countries have tapped into the market's appetite for very long-dated assets to issue new 50-year bonds. The deal? You give them some money, they pay you interest and then pay you back in 2055. A lot can happen in 50 years. Wars are fought, political systems collapse, currencies come and go - and through all of that, the borrower has your money and you have their piece of paper. There is no doubt about the demand for the bonds right n...