Peter's Blog

Some economists argue that the key to economic stability lies not in reforming the monetary system but simply in making the Fed more predictable and transparent in its policies. But as Austrian economists have long argued, it is not a lack of transparency that triggers boom-and-bust cycles. It is the Fed’s fundamental tampering with financial […]

It is no secret that the US Federal Government has great difficulty getting out of and staying out of debt. Whether the State even possesses the power or willpower to get out of debt is not even asked, as Keynesian principles have lionized debt and removed the historical stigma. Things that would not be seen […]

While value investors examine companies’ financial data and future outlook, most short-term investment strategies now incorporate some sentiment analysis insights. Rather than analyzing the long-term ability to create value of a company, quantitative traders recognize that investor sentiment is the primary driving factor of short term price fluctuation. Far from the perfect competition assumption of […]

While some still cling to the idea that economic and governmental development of Third World countries will come from external forces, it is becoming a much more widely accepted truth that the most robust long-term growth only comes when it is spurred by the countries themselves. Even when resources come from other countries, a great […]

In the wake of last week’s FOMC meeting, it’s worth revisiting the economic function of interest rates, which guide economic activity in accordance with societal time preference. In order to suppress the natural rate of interest, central banks must resort to inflation.

Bitcoiners are salivating at the idea of the Trump administration pumping their holdings by declaring a “Strategic Bitcoin Reserve” where the government pledges to hold onto its current stash or, in another version, start buying more bitcoin and using it to pay down the debt. 

As prices rise and economic uncertainty becomes a daily reality, many Americans are left grappling with the question: how did we get here? With inflation eating away at purchasing power, the need for a sound monetary policy has never been more pressing. In these turbulent times, the insights of Nobel laureate Milton Friedman shine brightly. […]

Central banks typically make decisions based upon the NK (New Keynesian) model. Its goal is to provide a framework to understand how interest rate decisions end up affecting the various measures of an economy’s performance. It differs primarily from the RBC and Neoclassical models in that it includes the real short term effects of monetary […]

U.S. economic data is hitting headlines yet again—this time, due to serious concerns about its continued reliability. “Federal statistical agencies face increasing challenges to their ability to produce relevant, timely, credible, accurate, and objective statistics,” researchers of the American Statistical Association revealed. “Immediate action is needed to put the agencies … on a firmer footing […]

In the fight against inflation, is it the Fed or the Treasury that calls the shots? The answer is, it’s both. The Fed raises interest rates to make loans less attractive and bring inflation down, but The Treasury has its own set of magic tricks to artificially “stimulate” or “tighten” the economy as well. One of […]