Peter's Blog

Could Big European Banks Drag the World Economy Down?

Humans are by nature somewhat myopic. We tend to focus primarily on what is right in front of us and filter out things further removed. As a result, we can sometimes overlook important factors. As Americans, we generally devote most of our attention on American policy. We follow political maneuverings in Washington D.C., study the […]

Focus on Fundamentals: Rain Could Make Gold Demand Grow

Analysts say demand for gold in India will likely rise in the second half of the year thanks to a good monsoon season. Increasing demand for gold in the world’s second-largest market could help boost overall global demand for the yellow metal. According to NDTV, monsoon rains hit Kerela at the end of May. This was […]

Who Is Buying US Treasuries?

The Japanese and Chinese aren’t buying US Treasuries. In fact, both countries reduced their holdings in April. According to the US Treasury Department, the Japanese disposed of $12.3 billion in US debt. Meanwhile, Chinese Treasury holdings fell by $5.8 billion. This could be a troubling development for the US government as it scrambles to fund its […]

Peter Schiff: A Huge Wave of Inflation Is Going to Engulf the Planet

At this point, the European Central Bank isn’t nearly as keen on raising interest rates as the Federal Reserve. The ECB announced Thursday it would likely hold its interest rate steady at zero through the summer of 2019. “We decided to keep the key ECB interest rates unchanged and we expect them to remain at […]

Fed Chair Jerome Powell Is Playing with Fire

Jerome Powell is like a kid playing with matches and he’s dangerously close to starting a fire he isn’t going to be able to control. The Federal Reserve nudged interest rates up again last week. It was the seventh hike since the Fed launched the current tightening cycle in December 2015. The Fed Funds Rate […]

“Sizzling” Retail Sales Numbers Inflated by Eroding Dollar

If you saw the headlines about the latest retail sales figures, you probably noticed adjectives like “hot,” “booming” and “sizzling.” Total retail sales including food services were up 5.9% year-on-year in May. That’s an impressive number until you factor in inflation. In fact, a decline in the dollar’s purchasing power accounted for nearly half the […]

Peter Schiff: The Fed Is Pushing Us Toward a No-Growth, High-Inflation Economy

As expected, the Federal Reserve nudged rates up another .25 basis points on Wednesday. Perhaps more significantly, the Fed took a more hawkish tone than expected, signaling it would likely increase rates two more times this year for a total of four hikes. The central bank had been projecting three 2018 rate increases. A buildup […]

Focus on Fundamentals: Revival in the Chinese Jewelry Market

The Chinese gold jewelry market reversed three years of declines in 2017, marking its first gain since a 2013 boom. According to a report released by the World Gold Council, the modest increase in gold jewelry demand last year could mark a return to sustained growth thanks to continued efforts to reinvigorate the industry through innovation, […]

Your Incredibly Shrinking Dollar

Over the last 12 months, the purchasing power of your dollar has dropped at the fastest rate since 2011. According to the latest data released by the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) jumped by 2.8% year-over-year in May. That follows on the heels of a 2.5% leap year-over-year in April. In […]

Mongolia Wants More Gold

Mongolia wants more gold. Last week, the Bank of Mongolia launched a campaign dubbed the “National Gold to the Fund of Treasuries.” The goal of the five-month campaign is to encourage miners and individuals to sell gold to the central bank, along with commercial banks, in order to increase their gold reserves.