Peter's Blog

The Federal Government Spending Is Even Worse Than Advertised

Uncle Sam is spending money far faster than he’s taking in. The US federal government ran the biggest budget deficit in seven years in fiscal 2019, according to the Treasury Department. And the spending is even worse than advertised. The $984 billion deficit amounts to 4.7 percent of GDP. That’s the highest percentage since 2012. […]

2019 Federal Budget Deficit Was the Biggest in Seven Years

When is a $984 billion budget deficit good news? When you thought you might get a $1 trillion budget deficit. The Treasury Department released the fiscal year 2019 budget numbers on Friday. The budget shortfall came in at $984 billion right on the CBO estimate. A CNBC report said this would likely, “come as a […]

National Debt Climbs Over $800 Billion in Just Two Months

The US national debt increased by a staggering $814 billion between Aug. 1 and Oct. 6, according to Treasury Department data. That represents a 4% increase in the debt — in just a little over two months.

That Seems Less Than Ideal: SchiffGold Friday Gold Wrap Oct. 18, 2019

News of a possible “phase 1 trade deal” and movement toward a resolution of the Brexit fiasco have buoyed stocks and put a lid on silver and gold this week. But positive vibes on these two fronts overshadowed a lot of economic data that came out this week that was less than ideal. It seems […]

Is the National Debt Really Just Money We Owe to Ourselves?

The national debt continues to spiral upward. It increased by another $1.2 trillion in fiscal year 2019. But Paul Krugman says it’s not that big of a deal. He downplayed the national debt in a tweet, claiming emphatically that “DEBT IS MONEY WE OWE TO OURSELVES.” This encapsulates a common Keynesian argument. Debt can’t really burden […]

CBO Estimates FY2019 Federal Budget Deficit Was Just A Hair Under $1 Trillion

The budget deficit for fiscal year 2019 came in just a hair under $1 trillion according to the Congressional Budget Office estimate. Even if it does come in under the trillion-dollar mark, it would still rank as biggest deficit since 2012. The budget shortfall has only eclipsed $1 trillion four times, all during the aftermath of […]

The Word of the Day Is Volatility: SchiffGold Friday Gold Wrap Oct. 4, 2019

It was a bumpy ride in the markets this week. Right now, volatility is the name of the game – in both stocks and precious metals. People are getting nervous out there with some pretty grim economic data this week stirring up recession fears. Meanwhile, the US government just keeps spending money it doesn’t have. […]

Fiscal Malfeasance: US National Debt Increased $1.2 Trillion in FY2019

The US national debt increased by $1.2 trillion in fiscal 2019, which ended Sept. 30. This follows on the heels of a $1.27 trillion increase in the national debt in fiscal 2018.

US Government Adds Almost Half a Trillion Dollars to National Debt in One Month

The fiscal year budget deficit surged passed $1 trillion last month. Spending deficits necessarily mean more government borrowing and we’re seeing that in the numbers as well. Uncle Sam’s outstanding public debt grew by $450 billion in August alone. The national debt stood at $22.02 trillion on Aug. 1 and surged to $22.47 trillion as […]

Budget Deficit Shoots Past $1 Trillion for Fiscal 2019

The federal government continues to spend money at an insane rate and is running up budget deficits reminiscent of the Great Recession era. With one month left to go, the federal budget deficit for fiscal year 2019 eclipsed $1 trillion in August, according to Treasury Department data released last Thursday.