Peter’s Blog

People keep saying the economy is fine. We’re not in a recession. There’s nothing to see here. Meanwhile, business activity contracted for the fourth straight month in October.

Inflation is squeezing American budgets to the breaking point. According to a LendingClub survey, the number of Americans living paycheck to paycheck is nearing record levels.

Air continues to seep out of the housing bubble blown up with the Fed’s artificially low interest rates in the wake of the pandemic. Sales of previously owned homes fell by 1.5% in September, according to a National Association of Realtors report.  It was the eighth straight month of declining home sales.

The US government ran a $1.38 trillion budget deficit in fiscal 2022 despite government receipts at near-record levels. This further highlights the federal government’s out-of-control spending problem. It’s also a big problem for the Fed as it tries to fight inflation.

You’re making more money. But you can’t buy as much stuff. Why? Because inflation continues to eat away at your wages.

The US government is rolling in dough! US tax receipts have surged this year. Through August, the US Treasury had collected over $4.4 trillion in revenue for fiscal 2022 with one month left to go. That was already 10% higher than receipts in 2021. The US government took in $303.73 billion in August alone. That […]

Although gold has been one of the best-performing assets in 2022, it has faced significant headwinds due to rising interest rates and a strong dollar. Members of a panel discussion during the London Bullion Market Association’s (LBMA) annual precious metals conference agreed that gold and silver prices may still face headwinds in the near term […]

Social Security recipients will be getting a big raise in 2023. That’s good news if you’re receiving benefits from the program, but not so great if you’re hoping inflation will abate any time soon. The Social Security Administration recently announced an 8.7% cost of living adjustment (COLA) for next year. That goes on top of […]

Gold is migrating from the West to the East. As Bloomberg described it, many western investors – particularly at the institutional level – are dumping bullion. Meanwhile, Asian buyers are taking advantage of lower prices to snap up less expensive jewelry, coins, and bars.

Producer price data for September was bad news for people looking for relief from rising prices. The Producer Price Index (PPI) rose by 0.4%, doubling the 0.2% projected increase, according to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).