Peter's Blog

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, […]

US Government Kicks Off 2020 With Another Big Deficit

The US government posted another massive deficit to start out calendar-year 2020. According to the latest data released by the US Treasury Department, Uncle Sam spent $32.6 billion more than it took in last month. That compares with an $8.7 billion surplus in January 2019. Analysts had projected an $11.5 billion shortfall in January.

Whether You Call It QE or Not the Fed Is Monetizing the US Debt

Last October, the Federal Reserve relaunched quantitative easing. Of course, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell insists it’s not quantitative easing. But as Peter Schiff pointed out in a recent tweet, that debate is really just semantics. The argument over whether the current Fed balance sheet expansion constitutes QE is pointless. QE was always just a euphemism […]

CBO: Massive Budget Deficits Pose “Significant Risk” to Economy

The CBO projects the federal government will run massive budget deficits into the foreseeable future and says the ballooning national debt poses “significant risk” to the economy and financial system. According to the CBO, the federal budget shortfall will hit $1.02 trillion in FY 2020 and rise into the foreseeable future. Deficits will average $1.3 […]

Deal or No Deal? SchiffGold Friday Gold Wrap Jan. 17, 2020

Donald Trump and Chinese Vice Premier Liu inked their signatures on the Phase 1 trade deal this week. But was it really a big deal? Or was it no deal? Mike Maharrey talks about it on this week’s Friday Gold Wrap podcast. He also talks about why the gold market seems to be holding steady […]