Peter's Blog

More of the Same: US Government Starts Fiscal 2023 With a Big Budget Deficit

After running a $1.3 trillion deficit in fiscal 2022, the US government took up right where it left off to start fiscal 2023 — running a big budget deficit. The October budget deficit came in at $87.8 billion despite another month of healthy government receipts, according to the latest Treasury statement.

Auto Loan Delinquencies at 10-Year High

With prices rising and real wages falling, many Americans are struggling to make ends meet. They are increasingly turning to credit cards and other debt to fill the gap. But that creates other problems. Debt has to be repaid and a growing number of Americans are struggling to keep up with payments. Auto loan delinquencies […]

Americans Pile on Another $25 Billion in Consumer Debt

American consumers continue to dig deeper into debt as they try to cope with rising prices using credit cards. Americans added another $25 billion to their record levels of debt in September, according to the latest data from the Federal Reserve.

Optimal Investment Portfolio Should Include 4 to 6 Percent Silver and Other Silver News

Multi-asset portfolios would benefit by adding a 4 to 6 percent silver allocation, according to new research by Oxford Economics. This is one of several silver-related stories in the latest edition of Silver News published by the Silver Institute.

Central Bank Gold Buying Hit Historically High Levels in the Third Quarter

Central banks added nearly 400 tons of gold in the third quarter, according to data compiled by the World Gold Council. This was 300% higher than Q3 2021 and came in as the largest quarterly increase in central bank gold reserves since the World Gold Council started keeping records in 2000.

Gold Demand Charts Healthy Increase in Q3

Gold demand rose 28% year-on-year in the third quarter, driven by robust consumer demand for physical gold and central bank buying, according to data released by the World Gold Council. Year-to-date, demand is up 18% compared to the same period in 2021, a return to prepandemic levels.

Why Should You Be Bullish on Silver?

There are reasons to be bullish on silver, not just because of its role as a monetary metal and inflation hedge, but also due to its importance as an industrial metal. Doug Casey recently talked about silver’s many uses and what it means for the future with International Man.

Recession Warning: October PMI Tanks

People keep saying the economy is fine. We’re not in a recession. There’s nothing to see here. Meanwhile, business activity contracted for the fourth straight month in October.

Number of Americans Living Paycheck to Paycheck Approaching All-Time High

Inflation is squeezing American budgets to the breaking point. According to a LendingClub survey, the number of Americans living paycheck to paycheck is nearing record levels.

Air Continues to Seep Out of the Housing Bubble

Air continues to seep out of the housing bubble blown up with the Fed’s artificially low interest rates in the wake of the pandemic. Sales of previously owned homes fell by 1.5% in September, according to a National Association of Realtors report.  It was the eighth straight month of declining home sales.