A Kentucky man hit the jackpot when he uncovered money in a cornfield.
The unidentified man unearthed 741 $1 coins along with a number of $10 and $20 pieces. There were more than 800 coins in the hoard with a face value of well over $1,000.
Oh, and the coins were gold and silver, so they are worth many times more than that today.
We are all keenly aware of price inflation. We notice those rising prices every time we go into a store. But the inflation boogeyman is hitting you even harder than you realize. Not only are you paying more for pretty much everything you buy, you’re getting less.
Literally.
It’s called shrinkflation.
In the wake of Western sanctions on Russia after the invasion of Ukraine, many central banks are bringing their gold home for safekeeping, according to an Invesco survey of central banks and sovereign wealth funds.
Americans continued to run up credit card debt in May, but borrowing for big-ticket items tanked. This could indicate that cash-strapped, over-leveraged consumers are reaching the end of the rope.
American consumers borrowed another $7.2 billion in May, increasing total consumer debt to a record $4.865 trillion, according to the latest data released by the Federal Reserve.
Despite a lackluster June, the price of gold rose 5.4% through the first six months of 2023 and was the second-best performing asset class behind only developed market stocks.
Excluding another big sale by Turkey, central banks were net buyers of gold in May, according to the latest data compiled by the World Gold Council.
Eight central banks added gold to their reserves in May with net purchases totaling 50 tons.
Researchers at Duke University are experimenting with replacing lithium in batteries with argyrodite, a mineral that contains silver along with other elements.
This could further increase the demand for silver and tax an already strained silver supply.
A lot of the economic data this month looks strong. But when you dig a little deeper, you find that this “strength” is an illusion.
Following is a breakdown of several of these data points with some help from our friends at Passant Gardant.
If you listen to the mainstream financial media, you might think gold has fallen out of favor. Most people remain fixated on the surging stock market or the next move by the Federal Reserve. But perception doesn’t always line up with reality – especially mainstream perception.
While the trendy kids are ignoring the yellow metal, there are plenty of people buying gold. In fact, gold demand hit an 11-year high in 2022.
So, what do these folks know that the mainstream might be missing? Are there good reasons to buy gold now?
When you buy physical gold, the price you pay will start with the “spot price.”
As defined by Investopedia, the “spot price” is “the current price in the marketplace at which a given asset—such as a security, commodity, or currency—can be bought or sold for immediate delivery.”
So, how is the spot price for gold determined?
