Peter's Blog

The Days of Quantitative Easing Are Back and We’re Not Even in a Recession Yet

Ever since the beginning of the “Powell Pause,” Peter Schiff has been saying it won’t be enough. If the Fed doesn’t want to upset the markets, soon it will be forced to go back to QE and zero percent interest rates.” Peter isn’t alone in saying this. After the most recent FOMC meeting, Ryan McMaken […]

The Fed Is Already Talking About Increasing Its Balance Sheet Again

All of a sudden, the Federal Reserve is considering increasing its balance sheet again. Remember back in September? QE was on “autopilot.” Then we got the “Powell Pause” and suddenly, the talk was that balance sheet reduction could be winding down. Powell confirmed that was the case just a couple of weeks ago when he […]

Powell Put Confirmed: Balance Sheet Reduction Will End This Year

After weeks of hinting, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell confirmed that the central bank will end its balance sheet reduction program this year. This just five months after insisting quantitative tightening was on “autopilot.” “We’ve worked out, I think, the framework of a plan that we hope to be able to announce soon that will […]

Was Ben Bernanke Lying or Just Wildly Mistaken?

Was Ben Bernanke lying or just wildly mistaken when he claimed the Federal Reserve wasn’t monetizing the debt in the early days of the financial crisis? The Fed released the minutes from its January Federal Open Market Committee meeting yesterday. There really weren’t any surprises. The minutes emphasized the central bank will exercise “patience” in […]

The Pause Is on and Now the Mainstream Is Starting to Talk Interest Rate Cuts

Right after the last Federal Reserve Open Market Committee meeting, Peter Schiff said the “Powell Pause” won’t be enough to save the stock market and head off a recession. He said ultimately, the central bank would have to cut interest rates and launch another round of quantitative easing. Well, it seems the mainstream is starting […]

Borrowing into Oblivion: SchiffGold Friday Gold Wrap 02.15.19

The SchiffGold Friday Gold Wrap podcast combines a succinct summary of the week’s precious metals news coupled with thoughtful analysis. You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.

Fed Considering Using Quantitative Easing “More Readily”

Once upon a time, quantitative easing was considered an “extreme measure.” But it may become more commonplace. According to a Reuters report, central bankers in the US are discussing whether they should turn to that “tool” more often. In other words, the Fed may make the “extreme” the norm.

What Did European Central Bank Quantitative Easing Accomplish? Not Much

We often criticize the Federal Reserve for its three rounds of quantitative easing. Coupled with artificially low interest rates, Fed QE stimulus — essentially money creation –pumped up all kinds of asset bubbles. Now that the US central bank is trying to tighten, we’re beginning to see the air seep out of those bubbles. But […]

Quantitative Easing Lives on in the EU

Central bank quantitative easing is a little like a zombie. It dies – but it never really dies. There’s been a lot of focus on the Federal Reserve raising interest rates and unwinding its balance sheet. Sometimes it’s easy to forget the Fed isn’t the only game in town. While most people consider QE dead […]

Fed’s Monetary Tightening Could Become a Havoc-Wreaking Juggernaut

The price of gold has fallen four straight weeks, primarily driven down by anticipation of Federal Reserve monetary tightening. The kickoff of the Fed’s balance sheet normalization program and the expectation of rising interest rates have helped spark a dollar rally. But few people seem to be paying any attention to the pitfalls of quantitative […]