Peter's Blog

Consumer Debt Grew at Fastest Pace in 5 Years in 2021

American consumers ran up more debt in December, wrapping up a year in which consumer debt increase at the fastest pace in five years. This could prove problematic for the Federal Reserve as it contemplates raising interest rates.

This Jobs Report Revealed Strength in Inflation, Not the Labor Market

The January jobs report came in much stronger than expected. According to the labor department, the US economy added 467,000 jobs last month. This was significantly better than the 150,000 job projection. But there was some bad inflation news buried in the Labor Department data.

US National Debt Pushes Above $30 Trillion

On January 31, the national debt quietly eclipsed $30 trillion. The US government has run up debt at breakneck speed after raising the debt ceiling. The national debt broke through $29 trillion on Dec. 16. It took just 46 days for Uncle Sam to add another $1 trillion to his massive pile of debt. It […]

Gold Mine Production Up in 2021 But Below Pre-Pandemic Levels; Overall Gold Supply Falls

Global gold mine production increased in 2021 as economies opened up after the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic. But mine output did not recover to pre-pandemic levels, and overall gold supply fell for the second straight year. According to data released by the World Gold Council, annual mine production increased 2% year on year, […]

Oklahoma Considering Creation of State Gold Bullion Depository

A bill filed in the Oklahoma Senate would establish a state bullion depository similar to the one operating in Texas. This would not only create a safe place to store precious metals; it also has the potential to facilitate the everyday use of gold and silver in financial transactions in Oklahoma and set the stage […]

2021 Chinese Gold Demand Surged Above Pre-Pandemic Levels

Chinese gold consumption rebounded in 2021, rising by 36.53% year on year as the market continues to recover after taking a hard hit during the coronavirus pandemic. More significantly, gold demand was up 11.78% compared with consumption in 2019, before the pandemic. China ranks as the world’s number one gold consumer.

Several States Consider Repealing Sales Tax on Gold and Silver Bullion

Several states are considering bills to repeal the sales tax on precious metal bullion during the 2022 legislative session. Passage into law would relieve some of the tax burdens on investors, and would also take a step toward treating gold and silver as money instead of as commodities.

Fed Still Pouring Gas on the Inflation Fire; What Happens When It Tries to Stop?

The Federal Reserve wrapped up its first Federal Open Market Committee meeting of the year yesterday without any real surprises. Despite everybody screaming about an inflation problem, the Fed will keep its loose, inflationary monetary policy in play for at least two more months.

World’s Largest Gold ETF Sees Record Inflows

The world’s largest gold ETF saw record inflows on Friday, a bullish sign for the yellow metal. SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) ranks as the world’s largest gold fund. It saw a net inflow of $1.63 billion on Friday. It was the largest net inflow in dollar terms since the fund was listed in 2004.

War on Cash: The Digital Dollar

Last week, the Federal Reserve released a “discussion paper” examing the pros and cons of a potential US central bank digital dollar. According to the Federal Reserve press release, the central bank hopes to get public feedback on the idea. “We look forward to engaging with the public, elected representatives, and a broad range of […]