Peter's Blog

The Mainstream Punditry Never Finds Bad News in Retail Sales Numbers

The mainstream has suddenly discovered price movements impact retail sales. For months, retail sales generally came in higher than expected. And for months the mainstream financial punditry ignored inflation and told us this signaled a strong economy. But in July, retail sales unexpectedly fell flat. Now the mainstream financial punditry claims this signals a strong […]

Record Consumer Debt Levels Continue to Climb

Consumers continue to add to their record level of debt as higher prices squeeze wallets. Americans added another $40.1 billion to the debt load in June, according to the latest data from the Federal Reserve. That represents a 10.5% year-on-year increase.

American Consumers Added to Record Debt Level in May

American consumers added to their record levels of debt in May as they continue to struggle to make ends meet in this inflationary environment. Americans increased their debt load by $22.35 billion in May, according to the latest data from the Federal Reserve. That represents a 5.9% annual increase.

Consumer Debt Breaks Record as Americans Up Borrowing to Cope With Inflation

Consumer debt climbed to a new all-time record in April as Americans continue to cope with rapidly rising prices. Total outstanding consumer debt rose by $38 billion in April, reaching a new record of $4.57 trillion, according to the latest data from the Federal Reserve. Total consumer debt was up 10.1% in April. It was […]

Americans Are Using Plastic to Make Ends Meet as Prices Continue to Rise

Americans are feeling the pinch of inflation. Wages are up but consumers are worse off. Average hourly earnings have risen by 5.5% over the last year. But factoring in rising costs, real earnings are down 2.6%. So, how are Americans making ends meet? They’re charging it.

As Prices Rise Americans Turning to Their Credit Cards

Prices keep rising faster than wages. The stimulus checks are long gone. Savings are being depleted. How is the average American supposed to make ends meet? The only option is to charge it. And that’s exactly what Americans are doing.

Consumer Debt Charts Biggest Gain in 20 Years

The Federal Reserve is talking about raising interest rates. Well, that’s going to be a big problem for American consumers who are running up debt at a torrid pace. This is yet another reason why the Fed can’t do what it’s claiming it will do. Consumer debt jumped 11% year-on-year in November, according to the […]

I See Red! SchiffGold Friday Gold Wrap Dec. 10, 2021

Pretty much everybody now expects the Federal Reserve to go to war against inflation, but the central bank has a problem not many people seem to be talking about – an economy buried under debt. In this episode of the Friday Gold Wrap podcast, host Mike Maharrey talks about consumer debt levels and their ramifications. […]

US Consumer Debt Spiked in February

Apparently, those stimulus checks weren’t enough. American consumers pulled out their credit cards and ran up big balances in February. According to the latest numbers from the Federal Reserve, consumer debt unexpectedly spiked in February, growing at an annual rate of 7.9%. Economists had expected a small uptick in consumer debt after a flat January, […]

Household Debt Was $1.6 Trillion Higher Than ’08 Peak Before COVID-19

Total household debt was over $1.6 trillion higher than the previous peak in 2008 even before the full force of the coronavirus pandemic government shutdowns hit the economy. Household debt increased by $155 billion (1.1%) in Q1 to a total of $14.3 trillion, according to the latest data released by the New York Fed. The […]