Peter's Blog

Fed Keeps Its Finger on the Pause Button

Chalk one up for the status quo. As expected, the Federal Reserve held interest rates steady in a range between 5.25 and 5.5% for the second straight FOMV meeting, and chairman Jerome Powell was intentionally noncommital about future Fed moves.

Saying One Thing; Doing Whatever: SchiffGold Friday Gold Wrap Sept. 22, 2023

The Federal Reserve wrapped up its September meeting on Wednesday and left interest rates unchanged. But Powell and Company had plenty to say. In this episode of the Friday Gold Wrap, host Mike Maharrey breaks down the rhetoric and argues that what the Fed says and what it will do are two different things.

Fed Talk and Dot Plots: There’s a Big Difference Between Saying and Doing

The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady at the September FOMC meeting, but the committee indicated that it plans to hold rates higher for longer than originally projected. As you digest the Fed meeting, it’s important to remember that there is a big difference between “saying” and “doing.”

What’s Next? SchiffGold Friday Gold Wrap July 28, 2023

The Federal Reserve raised interest rates yet again during its July meeting. So, what’s next? In this episode of the Friday Gold Wrap podcast, host Mike Maharrey talks about the Fed meeting and the weird messaging, and then speculates about the central bank’s next move given the current economic backdrop. He also talks about a […]

The Fed Follows Its Script and Hikes Again; What’s Next?

I’ll say this about the Federal Reserve: it tends to follow the script. Everybody expected that the central bank would hike rates at the July FOMC meeting, and that’s exactly what it did. The Fed boosted the federal funds rate another 25 basis points to 5.25 to 5.5%.

Mainstream Perception vs. Economic Reality: SchiffGold Friday Gold Wrap Podcast June 16

There is the mainstream and market perception of what going on in the economy and financial system. And then there’s the underlying economic reality. In this episode of the Friday Gold Wrap podcast, host Mike Maharrey talks about the growing divergence between the two in the context of the June Federal Reserve meeting and the […]

Have We Seen the Last Fed Rate Hike of This Cycle?

As was widely expected, the Federal Reserve Open Market Committee (FOMC) put rate hikes on pause at the June meeting, although it indicated we should expect additional hikes before the end of the year. The question is how long will the pause last and will the next Fed move actually be a rate cut?

Reality Over Rhetoric: SchiffGold Friday Gold Wrap May 5, 2023

The Federal Reserve raised rates yet again during its May FOMC meeting. Now everybody is trying to decipher the messaging coming out of the Fed to figure out what’s next. But what if the words Powell and Company are saying don’t really matter? In this episode of the Friday Gold Wrap podcast, host Mike Maharrey […]

The Fed Is Trying to Thread a Needle With a Rope: SchiffGold Friday Gold Wrap March 24

On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates again despite the problems in the banking system. In this episode of the Friday Gold Wrap, host Mike Maharrey talks about the Fed’s inflationary efforts to paper over the problems in the financial system while still keeping up the pretense of an inflation fight. He says it’s […]

The Federal Reserve Is Walking a Tightrope in a Hurricane

The Federal Reserve is trying to walk a tightrope — in a hurricane. After rate hikes resulted in the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, the Federal Reserve and the US Treasury stepped in with a bailout. With that hole in the dam seemingly plugged for the time being, the Fed pushed forward and […]