Peter's Blog

Now Inflation Is the Millennials’ Fault! Or Is It?

Putin is causing inflation. Greedy corporations are causing inflation. COVID-19 caused inflation. We hear all kinds of reasons for the recent spike in prices. And now we have a new one. It’s the millennials’ fault. This is all wrong and it illustrates the problem with redefining inflation to be something it isn’t.

Does the Jump in Retail Sales Mean the Economy Is OK?

Retail sales rose 1% in June after a 0.1% decline in May. Mainstream media breathlessly reported that the jump in retail spending “eases” recession fears. Does it though?

Another Hot CPI Read Backs the Fed Deeper into a Corner

Fed Chair Jerome Powell and other members of the central bank have continued to talk tough about fighting inflation. But I’m pretty certain that in private, they were desperately hoping to see some cooling in the inflation data so they could start backing out of the ring. With a recession pretty clearly on the horizon […]

How Long Will the Fed Hawks Keep Flying?

After the June FOMC meeting and the Fed’s 75- basis point interest rate hike, I argued that the central bank is totally winging it. Reading between the lines in the minutes from that June meeting seems to bear this out. The Fed appears to be in reaction mode. The question becomes what will it react […]

Rick Rule: Fed Will “Chicken Out” on Inflation Fight

Well-known investment advisor Rick Rule said the Fed will chicken out on its inflation fight. Rule runs Rule Investment Media and formerly served as the president and CEO of Sprott US Holdings Inc. In a recent interview, Rule said that the Fed could get inflation under control with significantly tighter monetary policy for a sustained […]

Rising Interest Rates and Gold: Perception Doesn’t Match Reality

Even with rising interest rates and the dollar at multi-year highs, gold has held its ground. Nevertheless, we have yet to see a big spike in gold prices despite persistent inflation. Why not? The perception is that rising interest rates are always bad for gold. But does perception match up with reality? If history is […]

Three Ways Fed Rate Hikes Will Impact Your Wallet

The Federal Reserve recently delivered the largest interest rate hike since 1994 in an effort to combat inflation that turned out to be not so transitory. Economists and policy wonks continue to debate the effectiveness of these rate hikes in the face of historically high inflation, but what do they mean for you? Should you […]

The Inflation Solutions Are Even Worse Than the Problem

As Americans labor under the burden of inflation, the Biden administration keeps telling us the economy is just fine. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre recently said we are “transitioning” to “steady and stable growth.” As a result, she claims the American people are in a place where they can “take on inflation.” Americans aren’t […]

Biden’s Gas Money Giveaway Would Only Make Things Worse

These people never learn. Or they just don’t care. The Biden administration is reportedly still considering sending out gas rebate cards to help Americans cope with rising gasoline prices. But this kind of government handout is one of the primary reasons we’re suffering through this inflation firestorm to begin with.

Will This Be the Last Move in the Fed’s Inflation Fight?

The Federal Reserve took a more aggressive swing at red-hot inflation at its June FOMC meeting, raising interest rates by 3/4%. It was the biggest hike since 1994. The question is will this be the last swing at inflation?