Peter's Blog

Another Month, Another Record for Consumer Debt

Americans continue to drive the economy along spending money they don’t have. Consumer debt increased yet again in July, setting another record, according to the latest data released by the Federal Reserve. Total consumer debt surged $23.4 billion in July, driven by a huge jump in credit card balances. The big rise in consumer indebtedness […]

I Owe, I Owe… SchiffGold Friday Gold Wrap Sept. 13, 2019

The price of gold whipsawed this week, driven up and down by various headlines. In this episode of the Friday Gold Wrap, host Mike Maharrey covers some of the big news that moved the markets. But he said that we need to keep our eyes on the big picture. All of this is happening in […]

American Consumers Propping Up Economy With Money They Don’t Have

Consumer debt is driving American economic growth. Total outstanding consumer debt surged over $4.1 trillion in the second quarter of 2019, according to the latest data released by the Federal Reserve. American indebtedness grew by 4.9 over the year, and the quarterly gain from Q1 to Q2 came in at $60 billion — the biggest […]

The Fed Wants You to Feed the Debt Monster: Friday Gold Wrap 03.22.19

The Fed wrapped up another FOMC meeting this week and came out even more dovish than expected. Rate hikes are off the table in 2019 and the central bank now only expects one hike in 2020. In his episode of the Friday Gold Wrap, host Mike Maharrey talks about the meeting and the dirty little […]

Most Americans Won’t Be Paying Off Their Credit Cards Anytime Soon

Americans owe over $1 trillion in credit card debt and recent polling data indicates they aren’t paying off those balances anytime soon. According to a CNBC article, nearly half of all Americans carry a balance on their credit cards. Of those, only 30% say they will be able to pay off that balance within the […]

Consumer Debt Breaks Yet Another Record in January

Total consumer debt broke another record in January, according to the latest report by the Federal Reserve. Borrowing increased by $17.05 billion in the first month of 2019. The increase pushed overall consumer borrowing to a new $4.03 trillion record. That compares with $3.84 trillion in January 2018. That represents a 5.1% annual increase.

US Household Debt Breaks Another Record

The national debt has pushed above the $22 trillion mark, but it’s not just Uncle Sam borrowing himself into oblivion. US household debt climbed to a record $13.54 trillion in the fourth quarter of 2018, according to a report released by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Total household debt (including mortgages) now stands $869 billion […]

Americans Pile on More Debt; Outstanding Consumer Credit Approaching $4 Trillion

Americans continue to bury themselves in debt. US consumer credit rose by the largest amount in 11 months in October, as Americans piled on another $25.4 billion in debt, according to the latest consumer credit report by the Federal Reserve. Total consumer indebtedness is rapidly approaching $4 trillion, with Americans currently $3.96 trillion in the […]

Drop in Credit Card Spending Could Signal Problems in Economy Built on Consumer Debt

Americans took on another $10.9 billion in debt in September, according to data released by the Federal Reserve. That pushed total consumer debt to a seasonally adjusted $3.95 trillion. American indebtedness is growing at a 3.3% rate. But there are signs that American credit card borrowing is slowing down and that’s not good news in […]

American Consumers Now Over $3.9 Trillion in Debt

Americans continue to pile up debt, adding to numbers that were already at record levels. US consumer debt increased by $20.1 billion in August, pushing total consumer credit to a record $3.94 trillion, according to the latest numbers from the Federal Reserve. That comes to a 6.2% annual growth rate.