Peter's Blog

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?

Big May Shortfall Pushes 2023 Budget Deficit Well Over $1 Trillion

Congress “solved” the debt ceiling problem by effectively eliminating borrowing limits for the next two years. But it did nothing to address the underlying problem. And that underlying problem is painfully obvious when you look at the monthly budget deficits the federal government continues to run month after month. In May, the Biden administration piled […]

High Interest Rates Not Stopping Americans from Running Up More and More Debt

Despite the high interest environment intended to slow down borrowing, American consumers continue to run deeper and deeper into debt as they cope with sticky inflation. Consumer credit spiked by another $20 billion in April, a 5.7% increase year on year, according to the latest data released by the Federal Reserve.

National Debt Surges By Over $350 Billion in One Day After Debt Ceiling Deal

I warned you. I said when the fake debt ceiling fight ended, the real problems would begin. Well, the debt ceiling fight is over, and here we are. On the first working day after the so-called Fiscal Responsibility Act went into effect, the national debt surged by $359 billion.

What Central Banks Giveth They Taketh Away; Wave of Corporate Defaults on the Horizon

With a debt ceiling deal done, the threat of a US government default is off the table for the time being. But a wave of corporate defaults is on the horizon according to Deutsche Bank’s annual default study. This is the inevitable consequence of central bank monetary policy and it was entirely predictable.

The Fed Blew Up Another Real Estate Bubble and It’s Losing Air

In March, I warned that the commercial and investment real estate markets could be the next thing to break in this bubble economy. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal put a face on my warning.

The Real Problem Begins After Congress Raises the Debt Ceiling

The debt ceiling fight is getting down to the wire. In a letter to Congress on Monday, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said that without a debt ceiling increase, it was highly likely the government wouldn’t be able to meet all of its obligations by “early June, and potentially as early as June 1.” Despite the […]

Talk Is Cheap; What Will the Fed Actually Do?

Gold had dropped by over $100 in the last two weeks. Meanwhile, the dollar rose to a 7-week high on May 17. If you’re thinking that this looks a lot like how gold and the dollar moved at the height of the Federal Reserve’s inflation fight, you’re right. That’s because the central bankers at the […]

Federal Tax Revenues Tank as Biden Administration Goes Right on Spending

The US government ran a surplus in April, as it generally does in tax return month. But federal tax revenues collapsed year-on-year and the fiscal 2023 deficit is still close to $1 trillion despite the small April windfall.