Peter's Blog

2020 Budget Deficit Comes In at a Cool $3.13 Trillion

The fiscal 2020 budget shortfall totaled $3.13 trillion as Uncle Sam added another $124.6 billion to the deficit in September, according to the latest Monthly Treasury Statement. That more than doubles the previous record deficit of $1.4 trillion set in 2009 at the height of the Great Recession.

What Is the Retail Mess Telling Us? SchiffGold Friday Gold Wrap Oct. 9, 2020

Regal Cinemas shut down all of its US theaters this week. The company said the closure is temporary, but it reveals the deeper strain in the retail sector. In this episode of the Friday Gold Wrap podcast, host Mike Maharrey digs deeper into the retail mess and talks about what it is telling us about […]

Staggering April Budget Deficit Just the Tip of the Iceberg

The April federal budget deficit came in at a staggering $738 billion as government coronavirus stimulus began flowing through the pipelines and revenue dipped due to the government lockdowns.

The New Normal: SchiffGold Friday Gold Wrap May 8, 2020

People keep talking about the “new normal” we’ll all have to adjust to as we recover from the coronavirus pandemic. So, what does that mean for the economy? In this episode of the Friday Gold Wrap podcast, host Mike Maharrey looks ahead at the new normal, the prospects of an economic recovery and speculates that […]

National Debt Climbs Above $25 Trillion

Twenty-eight days. That’s how long it took to add another $1 trillion to the national debt.

Enjoy Your Future; We’re Spending It Now

Welcome to your future. Your government is spending it right now. And your children’s and grandchildren’s future to boot. The US Treasury plans to borrow $2.99 trillion in the second quarter. The Treasury also plans to borrow another $677 billion in the July-September quarter, bringing the total fiscal 2020 debt to $4.48 trillion. It’s a level […]

Big Government Crippled the Economy

It seems like everybody is getting a bailout right now. The government is handing out money it doesn’t have left and right. This is all justified because of coronavirus. Even conservatives who normally oppose government bailouts have jumped on the stimulus train. “This is a crisis!” they cry. The government has to step in. But […]

The Calm Before the Storm: $119 Billion Budget Deficit in March

The US government budget deficit in March came in at $119 billion, according to the latest US Treasury Department Report. That’s a massive budget shortfall. But it’s actually the calm before the storm.

National Debt Tops $24 Trillion

The US national debt pushed above $24 trillion on Tuesday. The US government was already running massive budget deficits long before the coronavirus pandemic and the debt was piling up at a dizzying pace. Response to the outbreak has put spending and debt in hyperdrive.

Another Massive Deficit With More Spending Coming Down the Pike

The US is heading for economic lockdown as the impact of the coronavirus grows. To cope with the crisis, President Trump has promised fiscal stimulus. The actual plan remains unclear, but the Trump administration has floated a reduction in payroll taxes, along with bailouts and loan guarantees for struggling industries. While the details are murky, […]