3 ms·

I know this may sound petty and the wording is regularly found even in the best editorial offices, but the engineer in me resists every time: the correct wordin

I know this may sound petty and the wording is regularly found even in the best editorial offices, but the engineer in me resists every time: the correct wording should be "by 0.75%-points" instead of "by 0.75%". Am I the only one who is bothered by this?

malfist 4y ago
Yes. Everyone else can use context.
- isitmadeofglass 4y ago
  Just because you can use context doesn’t less annoying.
adammarples 4y ago
No, it should either be 0.75% or 75 basis points
- deleted 4y ago
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- randomdata 4y ago
  You are half right. Per the article body, contradicting the headline, the rates increased by 0.75pp, which is equivalent to 75bp. The previous rates ranged from 0.75% to 1% making the 0.75pp hike a 75-100% increase, not the 0.75% increase you and the incorrect headline claim.
  - adammarples 4y ago
    Nobody ever talks about rate increases in terms of their ratio to the previous rate (ie. talking about a 75-100% rate increase), this would be insanely confusing and irrelevant. To avoid confusion, people always discuss the absolute additive change in the base rate itself. ie., 75bp or 0.75%, which are equivalent.
    - randomdata 4y ago
      > Nobody ever talks about rate increases in terms of their ratio to the previous rate. Uncommon in finances, but quite common in other domains. The mathematics involved do not change across those domains. > this would be insanely confusing. What is confusing about it? Knowing that the rate increased by, in this case, 100% or 0.75pp provides the same information if you know the previous rate. You must know the previous rate in order to determine the new rate either way. You are quite right that the percentage point (pp), rather than the percent (%), is often the exact information people want to know. It is why the information is provided as a percentage point (pp) and not a percent (%). It may be also be provided as basis points (bp), but that is the same as a percentage points (pp) except multiplied by 100 to make working with fractions of a percentage point (pp) easier. > 75bp or 0.75%, which are equivalent. They can be equivalent. An increase from 100% to 100.75% is a 75bp, 0.75pp, and 0.75% increase. However, that is not generally true. A 1% to 1.75% increase is a 75bp, 0.75pp, and 75% increase. What is certain is that the difference between two numbers does not produce a percentage. That is not how percentages work.
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malfist 4y ago

Yes. Everyone else can use context.

isitmadeofglass 4y ago
Just because you can use context doesn’t less annoying.

adammarples 4y ago

No, it should either be 0.75% or 75 basis points

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
randomdata 4y ago
You are half right. Per the article body, contradicting the headline, the rates increased by 0.75pp, which is equivalent to 75bp. The previous rates ranged from 0.75% to 1% making the 0.75pp hike a 75-100% increase, not the 0.75% increase you and the incorrect headline claim.
- adammarples 4y ago
  Nobody ever talks about rate increases in terms of their ratio to the previous rate (ie. talking about a 75-100% rate increase), this would be insanely confusing and irrelevant. To avoid confusion, people always discuss the absolute additive change in the base rate itself. ie., 75bp or 0.75%, which are equivalent.
  - randomdata 4y ago
    > Nobody ever talks about rate increases in terms of their ratio to the previous rate. Uncommon in finances, but quite common in other domains. The mathematics involved do not change across those domains. > this would be insanely confusing. What is confusing about it? Knowing that the rate increased by, in this case, 100% or 0.75pp provides the same information if you know the previous rate. You must know the previous rate in order to determine the new rate either way. You are quite right that the percentage point (pp), rather than the percent (%), is often the exact information people want to know. It is why the information is provided as a percentage point (pp) and not a percent (%). It may be also be provided as basis points (bp), but that is the same as a percentage points (pp) except multiplied by 100 to make working with fractions of a percentage point (pp) easier. > 75bp or 0.75%, which are equivalent. They can be equivalent. An increase from 100% to 100.75% is a 75bp, 0.75pp, and 0.75% increase. However, that is not generally true. A 1% to 1.75% increase is a 75bp, 0.75pp, and 75% increase. What is certain is that the difference between two numbers does not produce a percentage. That is not how percentages work.

deleted 4y ago

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