With a stunning trillion dollars added to the national debt in only three months, projected to reach an incomprehensible $54 trillion within 10 years, and America’s interest payments on track to exceed defense spending next year, the question must be asked: How much longer can the debt bubble go?
Everyone’s heard of Javier Milei, the new president of Argentina, called by Fox News the world’s first libertarian president. He has been in the news for his denunciation of leftism, Marxism, and the sprawling bureaucracy that has trapped Argentina in debt. He’s also taken aim at run-away inflation in Argentina. Inflation in the last year was over 200% in Argentina, a rate that the United States hasn’t reached, even with Biden-levels of inflation.
Ron Paul’s recent op-ed from the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity, reprinted in the Orange County Register, breaks down the profound damage caused by central bank money printing: it pits savers against speculators, encouraging consumers to use debt to fund basic needs since their savings are constantly evaporating due to monetary debasement.
Even as central banks buy more gold than ever, coin premiums have been driven lower throughout the retail precious metals market. One of the big factors: is disappointing sales from the US Mint.
The collapse of Chinese real estate giant Evergrande is being called, by some, China’s “Lehman Moment.” Whether or not it will be enough to trigger a cratering of China’s broader economy, it’s a massive reality check for a country that has transformed itself over the decades with unprecedentedly massive urbanization and economic growth. Evergrande, since its creation in 1996, has been at the forefront of that rise.
It’s no surprise to readers of this site that metals are often worth more than fiat currency. Gold, silver, and other precious metals are known for their value. But sometimes fiat currency can’t even compete with zinc.
ESG, or “Environment, Social, and Governance,” is the new feel-good buzzword in the halls of global corporations and megabanks. It’s a PR push to cloak morally disastrous firms in a veneer of social and environmental responsibility — lip service — but at the end of the day, I believe the market will speak.
At SchiffGold, while there are areas of disagreement with Warren Buffett’s right-hand man, the late Charlie Munger, his nuggets of wisdom, often referred to as ‘Mungerisms,’ hold considerable weight in the financial world. Covering topics from wealth and happiness to avoiding foolish mistakes, Munger’s insights are diverse.
The most direct way to invest in gold is to buy gold and as SchiffGold advises the smart way to buy gold is to buy gold coins or billions. Sometimes investors bullish on the long-term prospects of gold take a look at the stocks of gold mining companies. Stocks of course lack some of the most attractive features of gold such as physical portability, and its finite amount (stocks always be diluted). Plus, mining companies can go bankrupt and are at greater risk from new regulations.
On Super Bowl Sunday, President Biden took to X (formerly Twitter) to skewer consumer brands for “shrinkflation,” a phenomenon where product vendors reduce package sizes without proportionally reducing price, in what essentially amounts to a per unit cost increase for consumers. The video explicitly calls out popular snack brands such as Breyers, Gatorade, and Tostitos— all food products that are likely on the top of consumers’ minds when thinking of inflation.
