Peter's Blog

Mother of All Bubbles: Global Debt May Be Understated By $13 Trillion

The US national debt was in the news last week as Pres. Trump signed a spending bill that raised the debt ceiling limit for the next three months and added approximately $318 billion to the national debt. Officially, the US debt surged to to $20.16 trillion. Of course, the actual figure for government unfunded liabilities runs even […]

India Gold Imports Nearly Triple in August Despite Tax Increase and Government Regulations

Despite rising prices, a tax increase, and government attempts to tighten regulation of the jewelry industry, gold continues to flow into India. Gold imports into the country nearly tripled year-on-year in August. An estimated 60 tons of the yellow metal flowed into the Asian nation last month, up from 22.3 tons in August 2017. This […]

Texas Gold Bullion Depository Getting Closer to Reality; Will Allow Texans to Do Business in Gold

Last week, the Texas House unanimously passed a bill that would facilitate the establishment and operation of the Texas Bullion Depository; helping to undermine the Federal Reserve’s monopoly on money. The creation of a state gold depository in Texas represents a power shift away from the federal government to the state, and it provides a blueprint that […]

Indians Turn “Black Money” Into Gold

Many Indians have thwarted a government policy to bring the underground economy out of the shadows by converting their “black money” into gold. Last fall, the Indian government announced a surprise demonetization policy meant to drive so-called black money out of the shadows, declaring current 1,000 and 500 rupee notes would no longer be valid. […]

Is this Really the Scariest Chart in the World?

True Economics called it “the scariest chart in the world.” That may be a little bit of hyperbole, but a chart showing declining average rates of growth during each economic expansionary period since the 1950s is certainly cause for concern.

Puerto Rico Bankruptcy a Flashing Warning Sign for the US

Puerto Rico officially plunged into bankruptcy this week. Years of accumulating debt and misguided government policies finally reached their inevitable end. The bankruptcy means more pain for the people of Puerto Rico, as well as bondholders who have virtually no hope of ever getting their money back. But beyond that, it serves as a giant, […]

Fed Holds Steady But Keeps Talking Rate Hikes; Will They Happen?

The Federal Reserve held pat on interest rates at its May meeting. The Federal Open Market Committee unanimously voted to keep the benchmark rate target at 0.75 percent to 1 percent. The Fed continued to express optimism about the state of the US economy despite the recent slowdown in growth and hinted future hikes remain […]

Global Demand for Physical Gold Up in First Quarter

Global demand for physical gold increased by 9% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2017, according to the latest demand report from the World Gold Council. The sale of gold bars and gold coins hit 289.8 tons worldwide in Q1, driven by Asia’s appetite for gold. The WGC said the strength of the retail investment […]

Silver News: Institutional Investment Pushes Price Higher; US Jewelry Sales Robust

The Silver Institute has released the April issue of Silver News. This edition highlights rising silver prices pushed by strong institutional investment. The price of silver had increased by about 11% as of April 25. According to the Silver Institute, improving sentiment among institutional investors has helped drive up the price. Changing expectations towards the […]

Indians Buy More than 23 Tons of Gold on a Single Day

As predicted, festival-goers rushed to buy gold in celebration of Akshay Tritiya in India this year. According to the Economic Times, gold sales increased more than 30% during the important Hindu holiday celebrated on April 28. All-told, Indians bought more than 23 tons of gold that day. Akshay Tritiya ranks as one of the four […]