Imagine you have a savings account at a bank that pays you interest, and you also invest some money in the stock market. Right now, many people think interest rates will go down soon, which usually makes people happy because it means borrowing money becomes cheaper.

But it is not that simple. A financial expert named Bill Blain is warning everyone that this might not happen. He believes that prices of everyday things (inflation) will keep rising because of several reasons, including the fact that the government owes a lot of money and there are problems with getting products from other countries.

Because of this, Blain thinks banks will need to keep interest rates high, which could cause the stock market to drop by as much as 12% in the next year. Also, he suggests that we’re entering a “new normal” where interest rates will stay between 4.5% and 6% for a while, which is much higher than what people got used to in recent years. And the most concerning part is that these high rates could make it really hard for companies to borrow money to grow their businesses, and some companies that are already struggling might face even bigger problems.