It is easy to feel lulled into a sense of security about interest rates, as a generation of investors has experienced little but falling rates. Despite the recent rises (see red arrow), US and Australian yields remain near record lows. Australia has the world's highest ratio of household debt to GDP, according to the Bank for International Settlements. It's frightening to consider the consequences of a 'black swan' rise in rates to the long-term US bond average of say 6% over the next couple of years, as recently forecast by legendary fund manager, Stanley Druckenmiller.