Why not make a law against using unrealized capital gains as loan collateral?
Because that would outlaw home equity loans, for one thing. Anything you own that’s increased in value since you started owning it is “unrealized capital gains” by definition, until/unless you sell it, not just stocks.
The fact is, taking a loan out using stuff you own as collateral, regardless of what it is, is a perfectly normal thing to do that in itself deprives no one of anything. Lenders aren’t in the business of throwing money out the window—they make these loans because they get repaid, and then some. Someone who takes out a home equity loan and uses the money to renovate their house so that it’ll sell for an increased price beyond the loan amount + the interest rate, is making the exact same ‘move’ as someone who takes a loan out using their stock in a company as collateral, and uses that money to do things that make that stock increase in value beyond the loan amount + the interest rate.
Not the previous poster, but you’re of correct of course. The issue is that when multi-billionaires can get loans at nearly 0% because if their ridiculous “unrealized” wealth and then claim “nope, no income here” despite their “unrealized” wealth increasing significantly, there is clearly a big problem and needs a solutions.
I am sure there could be some nuance used in any restrictions against said loans or tax against said weath. Someone before used a “$50 million” value as a good starting point, and at first glance that seems reasonable. Hell, you could easily make that number ten times higher and still cover most of the worst offenders. As long as there is an upper ceiling that stops these wanna be wealth hoarding dragons it’s a good start.
Because that would outlaw home equity loans, for one thing. Anything you own that’s increased in value since you started owning it is “unrealized capital gains” by definition, until/unless you sell it, not just stocks.
The fact is, taking a loan out using stuff you own as collateral, regardless of what it is, is a perfectly normal thing to do that in itself deprives no one of anything. Lenders aren’t in the business of throwing money out the window—they make these loans because they get repaid, and then some. Someone who takes out a home equity loan and uses the money to renovate their house so that it’ll sell for an increased price beyond the loan amount + the interest rate, is making the exact same ‘move’ as someone who takes a loan out using their stock in a company as collateral, and uses that money to do things that make that stock increase in value beyond the loan amount + the interest rate.
Not the previous poster, but you’re of correct of course. The issue is that when multi-billionaires can get loans at nearly 0% because if their ridiculous “unrealized” wealth and then claim “nope, no income here” despite their “unrealized” wealth increasing significantly, there is clearly a big problem and needs a solutions.
I am sure there could be some nuance used in any restrictions against said loans or tax against said weath. Someone before used a “$50 million” value as a good starting point, and at first glance that seems reasonable. Hell, you could easily make that number ten times higher and still cover most of the worst offenders. As long as there is an upper ceiling that stops these wanna be wealth hoarding dragons it’s a good start.