Peter's Blog

Real Hourly Earnings Decline for the 21st Straight Month

Inflation continues to eat up your paycheck. For the 21st month in a row, average hourly earnings failed to keep up with rising prices.

US Monthly Budget Deficit Up 299% Year on Year in December

The US government ran an $85 billion budget deficit in December, according to the Monthly Treasury Department Statement. That was much lower than November’s massive $248.5 billion shortfall, but don’t be deceived by the drop. December is typically a low deficit month. The relatively big shortfall indicates the federal government is on a trajectory to […]

Bill Introduced in Alaska House Would Exempt Gold and Silver from Sales Tax

A bill introduced in the Alaska House would exempt gold and silver bullion from local sales tax and make them both legal tender in the state. Ending the sales tax would relieve some of the tax burden on investors, and take a step toward treating precious metal bullion as money instead of a commodity.

Business School Professor: Gold and Silver Will Be Important Portfolio Diversifiers

Business school professor Greg Harmon says investors should consider gold and silver as portfolio diversifiers in 2023. Gold and silver were among the best-performing assets in 2022. As Wall Street suffered through its worst year since 2008, gold eked out a small gain on the year.

A Ticking Time Bomb: Rising Consumer Debt and Rising Interest Rates

Rising consumer debts colliding with rising interest rates is a ticking time bomb. Over the last several months, consumer debt has climbed at a steep, steady pace as Americans struggle with rising prices. November was no different, with consumers piling on another $27.9 billion in debt.

Gold Charts Small Gain in 2022 Despite Significant Headwinds

Despite market headwinds, gold managed to post a small gain in 2022 thanks to a strong rally in December. Gold gained 3% in the final month of the year, driving the price of the yellow metal to $1,814 an ounce to close out 2022. This represented a 0.4% gain on the year.

Central Banks Add More Gold in November as China Joins Buying Spree

Central banks globally added another net 50 tons of gold to their reserves in November, driven in part by the first official purchase by China since 2019.

Missouri Bill Would Take Steps Toward Treating Gold and Silver as Money

A bill introduced in the Missouri Senate for the 2023 legislative session would take important steps toward treating gold and silver as money instead of as commodities and would set the stage for currency competition in the Show-Me State.

Counterparty Risk and How to Minimize It

One of the benefits of owning physical gold and silver is there is no counterparty risk.

Silver Demand Projected to Set Records in 2022 and Other Silver News

Silver demand in 2022 is expected to chart an all-time high. This is one of several silver-related stories in the latest edition of Silver News published by the Silver Institute.