Peter's Blog

A Matter of Control: SchiffGold Friday Gold Wrap March 10, 2023

There has been a lot of talk about central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) lately. Supporters tell you they will provide a safe, secure, convenient alternative to cash. But in this episode of the Friday Gold Wrap, host Mike Maharrey digs deeper and explains that CBDCs are actually about more government control. He also talks about […]

Services Surplus Falls 7.3% MoM as January Trade Deficit Rises

The January Trade Deficit saw a slight increase compared to December, coming in at -$68.3B vs -$67.2B in the prior month. After peaking at -$106B in March of last year, the Trade Deficit has returned to a more stable range between -$60B and -$80B.

Odds the Fed Is About to Trigger the Next Bust Are Rising

During testimony on Capitol Hill, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said the central bank may have to raise interest rates higher than previously expected to bring down price inflation. Despite the speed of Fed hiking and the enormous amount of debt in the US economy, most people in the mainstream seem convinced the central bank […]

India’s Oil Deals With Russia Further Erodes Petrodollar Dominance

Every government policy has consequences – some intended and some unintended. There is at least one serious unintended consequence of the economic sanctions levied against Russia after its invasion of Ukraine – an erosion of the US dollar dominance.

Credit Card Borrowing Spiked in January Even as Big-Ticket Spending Slowed

In January, retail sales came in much hotter than expected. Now we know how consumers paid for the spending spree. They put it on credit cards. After slowing modestly in December, growth in revolving debt spiked again in January. But a slowdown in non-revolving credit moderated the overall increase in consumer debt. Overall, this signals […]

Jerome Powell Performs Open-Mouth Operations; Markets Tank

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell performed some “open mouth operations” on Capitol Hill Tuesday. Powell talked and the markets freaked out.

Annualized Interest on National Debt Up 75% Since Last Year

Looking at last month’s US Treasury activity, it’s clear that interest expenses are exploding upwards at an unsustainable pace. Annualized interest on the debt increased by $25 billion in a single month.

Solar Energy Production Could Require Most of the Global Silver Reserves by 2050

Silver demand was at record levels in 2022 and there is reason to believe it will continue to run hot over the next several decades. One reason is the rapidly increasing demand for silver in the green energy sector. In fact, an Australian study projects solar cells may use most of the world’s silver reserves […]

Nigerians Not Eager to Embrace Central Bank Digital Currency

Violent protests in Nigeria reveal that getting average people to embrace central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) might be more difficult than government officials would like. Nigerians recently took to the streets to protest a cash shortage caused by government policies adopted in order to push the country into the adoption of its central bank digital […]

Central Bank Gold Buying Takes Up Where It Left Off to Start 2023

Note: This article has been edited with additional data reported by the World Gold Council released after publication. After charting the highest level of net gold purchases on record in 2022, central banks started out 2023 right where they left off. Central banks globally added another net 77 tons to their gold reserves in January, […]