Peter's Blog

Silver Demand Hit 6-Year High in 2021; Growth Expected to Continue Despite Headwinds

The Silver Institute has released its World Silver Survey 2022 report, providing an overview of what happened in the silver market in 2021 and looking ahead to this year. Even with geopolitical and economic headwinds, the report anticipates further growth in the silver market in 2022.

Americans Spending More, Getting Less and Borrowing More to Pay for It

American consumers are spending more, getting less, and borrowing more to fund this involuntary spending spree. Retail sales in March were 7% higher than they were in the stimulus-fueled March of 2021, but thanks to inflation, they didn’t get as much bang for their buck.

If the Fed Is Fighting Inflation Why Is the Balance Sheet Still Expanding?

If the Fed is fighting inflation and has ended quantitative easing, why is its balance sheet still going up? In the week ending April 13, the balance sheet grew by $27.9 billion, hitting a new record of $8.965 trillion. This is up about $3 billion from its previous high in March.

More Inflation Pain: Producer Prices Chart Biggest Increase Ever

The mainstream seemed to take the March CPI data as good news. With core CPI coming in below expectations, the narrative is that we’ve probably hit peak inflation. But the producer price data that came out yesterday tells a different story.

More of the Same: Feds Run Another Big Budget Deficit in March

The federal government ran a $192.68 billion deficit in March, according to the latest Treasury statement. Somehow, this is supposed to be good news.

ETF Gold Holdings Surged in March

Global ETF gold holdings surged in March, charting the third straight month of inflows. Net inflows of gold into ETFs came in at 187.3 tons last month, as total holdings rose to 3,837 tons, just shy of the all-time record high. It was the biggest jump in ETF gold holdings since July 2020, according to […]

As Prices Rise Americans Turning to Their Credit Cards

Prices keep rising faster than wages. The stimulus checks are long gone. Savings are being depleted. How is the average American supposed to make ends meet? The only option is to charge it. And that’s exactly what Americans are doing.

A Dark Day in Economic History; Could It Happen Again?

Yesterday (April 5) was the anniversary of a dark day in US economic history. On April 5, 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued EO-6102. It was the beginning of the end for the gold standard.

Your Rising Wages May Make You Feel Better — Until You Try to Buy Stuff

Despite the biggest increase in average hourly wages for production and non-supervisory workers in 40 years, these people are actually worse off. Why? Rising prices are eating up their income gains.

Russia Is Quietly Making the Case for Owning Gold

Russia has quietly made the case for owning gold. The head of the Russian Parliament, Pavel Zavalny, made comments recently addressing the subject of economic and financial sanctions. It’s clear that gold is playing a large role in protecting Russian wealth. That role may get bigger and it could create a paradigm shift in how […]