Peter's Blog

Is China Becoming the Newest Front in the War on Cash?

Back in 2017, the IMF published a creepy paper offering governments suggestions on how to move toward a cashless society even in the face of strong public opposition. It hasn’t been in the news a whole lot lately, but the war on cash undoubtedly continues. In fact, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) may be planning […]

Serbia Joins Central Bank Gold-Buying Spree

Seeking financial and economic safety and stability, Serbia has joined the global central bank gold-buying spree. National Bank of Serbia Governor Jorgovanka Tabakovic recently announced that the bank purchased nine tons of gold in October, raising the country’s reserves to just over 30 tons.

Inflation’s Up; So What?

Here’s a strange headline for you: “Gold prices near daily highs despite better-than-expected inflation in October.” This headline is bizarre on a couple of levels. First, since when are rising consumer prices and good news? And second, why wouldn’t inflation be good for gold? You really have to buy into the mainstream narratives to write […]

Powell Lectures Congress About Government Spending the Fed Facilitates

Fiscal 2020 started just like fiscal 2019 ended – with a massive federal budget deficit. And that has Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell worried. In an ironic bit of political theater, Powell lectured Congress about the spending he helps facilitate. The budget shortfall last month was 34% higher than the October 2018 deficit, coming in […]

Student Loan Bubble Blows Up Another $32.9 Billion in Q3

American consumer debt pushed to a new record of $4.15 trillion in September. Part of that equation – the continued surge in the levels of student loan debt. Student loan balances jumped by $32.9 billion in the third quarter this year, pushing total outstanding student loan debt to a new record of $1.64 trillion. Student […]

Gold Mine Output Has Flatlined

Gold mine output has flatlined over the last several years and that trend appears to be continuing in 2019. In fact, some analysts believe we may be at or near “peak gold.” According to the World Gold Council’s Gold Demand Trends Q3 report, gold mine output fell slightly with total mine production coming in at […]

The Gold Market Is Strong With the Potential for Growth

Gold is the third-most consistently bought investment globally. This was just one of many findings in the World Gold Council’s recently released consumer research report that revealed a strong global gold market with the potential for future growth. Globally, there are clear perceptions of gold as a safe, durable, traditional store of value. As an investment, […]

ETF Gold Holdings Hit Another Record High

Gold continued to flow into ETFs after breaking a record in September. Gold-backed funds took in another 44.4 tons of metal in October, pushing global holdings to another record of 2,900 tons, according to the latest data by the World Gold Council. The previous record for ETF gold holdings was set back in 2012 when […]

Consumer Debt Sets Another Record But Borrowing Pace Slowing

Consumer debt set another record in September, but the pace of borrowing appears to be slowing. This could signal trouble for an economy built on American consumers spending money they don’t have. Total consumer debt grew by $9.5 billion in September, according to the most recent data released by the Federal Reserve. That represents an […]

The Federal Government Spending Is Even Worse Than Advertised

Uncle Sam is spending money far faster than he’s taking in. The US federal government ran the biggest budget deficit in seven years in fiscal 2019, according to the Treasury Department. And the spending is even worse than advertised. The $984 billion deficit amounts to 4.7 percent of GDP. That’s the highest percentage since 2012. […]