Peter's Blog

Big Spending Bill Is a Big Problem for the Fed’s Inflation Fight

Just before Christmas, Congress passed a massive omnibus spending bill. This is yet another blow to the Federal Reserve’s feckless fight against inflation.

The Fed Is Making Things Up as It Goes Along

The Federal Reserve would like you to think that it is scientifically guiding the economy with carefully calculated monetary policy. The truth is the Fed is making things up as it goes along.

In Surprise Move Bank of Japan Allows Bond Yields to Rise

While most central banks around the world have tightened monetary policy in an attempt to bring price inflation under control, Japan has done the exact opposite. But in a surprise move, the Bank of Japan widened its target range for 10-year Japanese bond yields, effectively raising the interest rate. The move strengthened the yen, put […]

Silver and Gold! Or Peppermint?

‘Tis the season for Christmas specials. I’m not going to lie – even as a grown man, I love watching Christmas specials. Snoopy decorating his dog house. The Grinch folding up the Christmas tree like an umbrella and stuffing it up the chimney. And Frosty the snowman melting in the greenhouse.

Everything Is Fine…Until It Isn’t

For months, Peter Schiff, me, and a few others have been saying the economy is teetering on the brink of a collapse. But nothing has happened. Are we just wrong?

The Fed Hikes Rates to Highest Level Since 2007; That’s a Big Problem

As expected, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates by 50 basis points at the December Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting. That pushed the federal funds rate to 4.5%. The last time rates were this high was in 2007. That’s bad news for an economy addicted to easy money. While the pace of rate hikes […]

CPI Cools But Inflation Far From Whipped

The Federal Reserve got just the news it needed to plausibly go forward with a soft pivot in its monetary policy and begin to slow its pace of rate hikes. But while price inflation appears to be retreating, it’s far from beat. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) for November came in lower than expected, according […]

Government Jobs Numbers Don’t Add Up

Have you ever had a gut feeling that the labor reports put out by the Bureau of Labor Statistics are hinky? If so, trust your gut.

Fed Soft Pivot in Play; Markets Ignore J. Powell’s Hawkish Talk

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell all but confirmed a soft pivot by the central bank in its inflation fight on Wednesday, while trying to maintain a hawkish demeanor. The markets appear to be buying the pivot, but they are ignoring Powell’s “tough guy” spin.

Why the Definition of Inflation Matters

When people talk about “inflation” today, they generally mean rising prices as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI). But historically, “inflation” was more precisely defined as an increase in the amount of money and credit causing advances in the price level. Inflation used to be understood as an increase in the money supply. Rising […]