Peter's Blog

This “Strong” Economy Is a Facade Built Out of Debt

Retail sales surged in January, creating the impression that the economy is humming along nicely. After all, there can’t be a problem if consumers are out there consuming, right? But a lot of people are ignoring a key question: how are people paying for this shopping spree?

The Dark Side of January’s Big Retail Sales Print

Retail sales came in much stronger than expected in January after declining the previous two months. Mainstream financial media pundits immediately declared that this “jump in consumer spending” was a good sign for the economy. The Wall Street Journal called the robust sales report “evidence that US economic growth picked up at the start of […]

Is Gold the Last Freedom Train?

Most people believe the Federal Reserve stabilizes the economy and our money. In reality, the central bank incentivized debt and destroys wealth. Is there a way to sidestep the destructive forces of central banking and fiat money? T.W. Thiltgen believes there is a freedom train we can escape on — gold.

Rising Interest Rates on a Collision Course With a Wall of Debt

Jerome Powell still insists the Federal Reserve can beat inflation while bringing the economy to a “soft landing.” But there are underlying issues in the economy that make it extraordinarily doubtful that the economy can avoid a major downturn – despite Powell’s claims to the contrary. One of the biggest problems facing the Fed is […]

Wealthier Shoppers Flocking to Walmart as Inflation Bites

Walmart recently announced better-than-expected third-quarter sales growth. This may seem like great economic news until you realize the reason behind the retailer’s big jump in sales. As it turns out, wealthier shoppers are flocking to Walmart to make ends meet as rising prices squeeze pocketbooks.

Americans Pile on Another $25 Billion in Consumer Debt

American consumers continue to dig deeper into debt as they try to cope with rising prices using credit cards. Americans added another $25 billion to their record levels of debt in September, according to the latest data from the Federal Reserve.

Economist Nouriel Roubini: The Fed Is Going to Wimp Out in the Inflation Fight

Economist Nouriel Roubini says Federal Reserve is going to “wimp out” on the inflation fight and that will lead to a dollar crash. Roubini is the Professor Emeritus at the Stern School of Business, New York University. He recently appeared on Bloomberg Markets and Finance to talk about threats to the global economy. Roubini predicted […]

US Debt: Annualized Interest Surges More Than $22B in a Single Month

The Treasury added $341B of debt in August. This was the largest increase in the debt since January and is more than 10 times larger than the increase in July. Another major occurrence was the increase in short-term debt. The Treasury increased Bills by $210B, the largest increase since June 2020. This is a move […]

Treasury Scrambles to Lock in Rates as Borrowing Cost Soars

The Treasury increased the total debt by $125B in May after a brief drop in April. This brings the total debt increase so far in 2022 to $880B. More importantly, though, the cost to service the debt is exploding. Total annualized interest has increased by $40B or 13.5% since the start of the year!

What Are Strong Retail Sales Really Telling Us?

American consumers are in a sour mood, but they haven’t stopped spending money. The problem is they’re spending money they don’t have. And they’re getting less for it.