Peter's Blog

Central Bank Gold Buying Continued Hot in July

After returning to net gold buying in June, central banks continued to add to their gold reserves in July. Globally, central banks reported net purchases of 55 tons in July, according to the latest data compiled by the World Gold Council.

New Developments Using Silver in Technology

Silver is fundamentally a monetary metal and its price tends to track with gold over time. But it is also an important element in technology and industry. Industrial use makes up more than half of the demand for silver. We’re seeing new uses for silver in technology all the time. The most recent issue of […]

Job Numbers Have Been Revised Down for Every Month This Year

I’ve been saying that the government job numbers seem wonky. Looking at the monthly revisions bears this out. Every month this year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has revised the nonfarm payroll numbers from previous months lower.

Consumer Confidence Craters in August

President Biden might be optimistic about the economy. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell might be optimistic about the economy. But the average American? Not so much.

National Debt Grew by over $1.3 Trillion in Just Three Months

The federal government has added $1.3 trillion to the national debt in just three months. When the fake debt ceiling fight ended and Congress suspended the federal government’s borrowing limit for two years in June, the national debt stood at $31.46 trillion. As of Aug. 26, the debt had surged to $32.81 trillion. And with […]

More Americans Are Having a Hard Time Paying Their Big Credit Card Bills

Since price inflation took off in the wake of pandemic-era stimulus, Americans have blown through their savings and run up their credit cards to make ends meet. Now they’re starting to have a hard time paying those credit card bills. The number of Americans rolling credit card debt from month to month is now higher […]

More Banks Get Credit Downgrades as Financial Crisis Continues to Bubble Under the Surface

The financial crisis precipitated by rising interest rates continues to bubble under the surface. Earlier this month, Moody’s cut the credit rating of 10 small and midsize banks. It also placed six large banks on review for potential downgrades and revised 11 more banks from a stable outlook to a negative outlook. This week, S&P […]

Student Loan Payments Set to Restart After More Than Three Years On Pause

The more than three-year break from student loan payments is about to end. That’s more bad news for an economy that depends on consumer spending. Interest accrual on student loans will restart on September first with payments resuming Oct. 1.

Banks Borrowed More Than $3 Billion From Fed Bailout Program in July

In another sign the financial crisis continues to bubble under the surface, banks borrowed an additional $3.7 billion from the Federal Reserve’s bank bailout program in July. Currently, there are $106.9 billion in outstanding loans in the Bank Term Funding Program (BTFP).

Another Blow to the Petrodollar: India and the UAE Complete First Oil Sale in Rupees

In another blow to dollar dominance, India and the United Arab Emirates settled an oil trade without converting local currencies to dollars for the first time on Monday, as India’s top refiner made a payment for oil in rupees. Indian Oil Corp. bought a million barrels of oil from Abu Dhabi National Oil Company in […]