Peter's Blog

US Government Runs Another Massive Budget Deficit in January

After running the biggest December budget deficit in history, the US government followed up with another massive budget shortfall in January. According to the Monthly Treasury Statement, the January deficit came in at $162.83 billion. That’s nearly five times bigger than the January 2020 shortfall.

Indian Gold Market Continues to Show Signs of Revival

Last month, we reported on signs of revival in the Indian gold market. Gold imports hit a 19-month high in December. That revival has continued into 2021. Gold imports in January were up 72% year-on-year, and some shifts in government policy could give demand another shot in the arm.

Silver Demand Projected to Rise 11% in 2021

Silver got a brief boost when the Reddit Raiders turned their attention to the white metal. The online investors weren’t able to pull off a short-squeeze in the silver market, but we’ve said all along that there are fundamental reasons to be bullish on silver, the attention of Reddit Raiders notwithstanding. New demand projections for […]

The Inflation Tax Is Lowering Our Standard of Living

In a podcast, Peter Schiff said it smells like stagflation is on the horizon. Inflationary pressures are becoming more and more apparent. Labor costs, commodity prices and bond yields are all pushing upward – clear signs of inflationary pressure. And of course, defined correctly – as an increase in the money supply – there is […]

ETF Gold Holdings Back on the Upswing in January

After two consecutive months of outflows, gold-backed ETFs became net buyers of gold again last month. Gold-backed funds added 13.8 tons of gold to their holdings globally, driven by inflows in Europe-based funds, according to the latest data from the World Gold Council.

US Mint Reports “Exceptional” Demand for Gold and Silver Coins in January

Last year’s surge in demand for investment gold and silver continued into January if sales at the US Mint are any indication. American Gold Eagle bullion coin sales were up 455% in 2020 and the selling continued through the first month of 2021. The mint called the current market demand for precious metals coins “exceptional.”

Focus on Fundamentals: Gold Supply Dropped Sharply in 2020

Total gold supply fell 4% year-on-year in 2020 to 4,644 tons. It was the largest annual decline since 2013, according to data from the World Gold Council. The decline was primarily driven by disruptions in mine production due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Gold mine output fell 4% on the year. More significantly, it marked the […]

Three Reasons to Be Bullish on Silver With or Without Reddit Raiders

Silver is getting a lot of attention right now thanks to the so-called Reddit Raiders. But as Peter Schiff pointed out in a recent podcast, silver is a fantastic buy right now even absent the attention of message board investors. In fact, silver was poised to go up even before the Reddit crowd looked its […]

Investment Demand for Gold Set Records in 2020

Investment demand for gold set a new record in 2020, but it was not enough to offset a big drop in consumer demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Gold demand was up substantially in both ETFs, and for gold bars and coins Overall, gold demand fell to 3,759 tons in 2020, according to the Gold […]

Bills Introduced in Mississippi and Tennessee Would Repeal Sales Tax on Gold and Silver

Bills introduced in the Mississippi House and the Tennessee Senate would repeal state sales taxes on precious metals bullion. This would not only relieve some of the tax burdens on investors in those states; it would also take a small step toward treating gold and silver as money instead of commodities.