Peter's Blog

The Fed Pulled Off a Masterful Manipulation of the Junk Bond Market

The Federal Reserve pulled off a magnificent manipulation of the junk bond market, facilitated a massive wealth transfer from savers to speculators, pocketed millions of dollars, and then washed its hands of the matter. In March 2020, as governments shut down the economy for coronavirus, the Fed slashed interest rates and launched a massive quantitative […]

Does the Fed Really Want a “Bond Market Tantrum”?

A Reuters article by Stefano Rebaudo argued that the Federal Reserve might welcome a “bond market tantrum” that pushes bond yields higher. But does the Fed really want higher interest rates? And what would that mean for the economy? Despite the post-pandemic economic improvement and wide expectations that the Fed will begin tapering quantitative easing […]

Oblivious Financial Media Downplays Inflation

Average Americans are worried about inflation, but the mainstream financial media doesn’t think they should be. Even though inflation is a hot topic, the conversation seems to primarily center around the notion that inflation is overblown. In this article, we explain why this mainstream media spin downplaying inflation is dead wrong.

Peter Schiff: Bernie Madoff Could Have Been Fed Chair or Treasury Secretary

When Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell appeared on 60 Minutes recently, he was asked what it takes to become the head of the central bank. In a clip from podcast episode 679, Peter Schiff said that when you think about the actual qualifications, Bernie Madoff would have made the perfect Fed chairman. Or perhaps the […]

At Some Point You Gotta Pay the Piper: SchiffGold Friday Gold Wrap March 26, 2021

Every time the economy gets into trouble, governments and central banks react the same way. They slash interest rates and loosen monetary policy.  This gooses the economy — temporarily. But when the next crisis comes, it takes an even bigger dose of extraordinary monetary policy to revive the economy. The Fed has pushed things into […]

Does Anybody Really Believe the Fed? SchiffGold Friday Gold Wrap March 19, 2021

The Federal Reserve held its March FOMC meeting this week. There were no changes in monetary policy, but there was plenty of talk. The question is does anybody really believe what the Fed is saying? SchiffGold Friday Gold Wrap podcast says the mainstream doesn’t seem to believe the Fed. And he doesn’t either. But for […]

Ol’ Joe Takes the Wheel: SchiffGold Friday Gold Wrap Jan. 22, 2021

Joe Biden took the country’s wheel on Wednesday. For some, it was a day of celebration. And for some, it was a day of mourning, depending on your political perspective. But what is really in store for us in the Biden years? In this episode of the Friday Gold Wrap podcast, host Mike Maharrey considers […]

Spend! Spend! Spend! SchiffGold Friday Gold Wrap Jan. 15, 2021

The US government ran the biggest December deficit in history last month and there is no end in sight to the borrowing and spending. President Biden unveiled a new $1.9 trillion stimulus plan this week. So what? Why does it matter? Can’t this “rescue the economy?” Host Mike Maharrey talks about all of the spending […]

The Fed Now Holds a Record Percentage of US Debt

The US government has borrowed $4.2 trillion in the last 12 months, pushing the total national debt to over $27 trillion. In order for Uncle Sam to borrow, somebody has to lend. So, who is buying all of these government bonds? Foreign and domestic investors, commercial banks and US government entities all buy US debt, […]

Over-Leveraged Zombie Companies Threaten Economic Recovery

There seems to be mounting optimism that the US economy will rebound relatively quickly as states begin opening up and there is progress toward a coronavirus vaccine. But the optimism ignores deep problems in the US economy that existed before the pandemic  – chief among them staggering levels of debt and the proliferation of zombie […]