Peter's Blog

Consumer Confidence Declines for Second Straight Month

The powers that be keep telling you that the economy is fine and inflation has likely peaked. But you’re not buying the story. Consumer confidence fell for the second straight month in November as worries about inflation and the trajectory of the economy persist.

Recession Warning: US Small Businesses Struggling to Pay Rent

In another sign of a struggling economy, small businesses are having an increasingly hard time paying rent. According to Alignable’s November Rent Poll, 41% of US small businesses reported they couldn’t pay their rent in full and on time in November. That was a 4 percentage-point increase from the previous month.

War on Cash: India Rolling Out Retail Pilot Program for Digital Rupee

We recently reported that the Federal Reserve plans to launch a 12-week pilot program in partnership with several large commercial banks to test the feasibility of a central bank digital currency (CBDC). The US isn’t alone in experimenting with digital currency. India is working on developing a digital rupee and recently announced the second phase […]

China Likely Stockpiling Gold to Minimize Dollar Dependence

China is likely quietly stockpiling gold in a bid to further minimize its dependence on the US dollar.

Silver Demand on Pace for Record Year

Silver demand is on pace to hit record levels in 2022, driven by new highs for physical investment, industrial demand, jewelry, and silverware production, according to the Silver Institute’s Interim Silver Market Review.

Wealthier Shoppers Flocking to Walmart as Inflation Bites

Walmart recently announced better-than-expected third-quarter sales growth. This may seem like great economic news until you realize the reason behind the retailer’s big jump in sales. As it turns out, wealthier shoppers are flocking to Walmart to make ends meet as rising prices squeeze pocketbooks.

Household Debt Charts Largest Increase Since 2007 in Third Quarter

With real wages decreasing and inflation running rampant, Americans are burying themselves in debt to make ends meet. After setting a new record in the second quarter, household debt increased at the fastest pace in 15 years during Q3, as American consumers have run up credit card balances month after month this year as they […]

War on Cash: New York Fed Launches “Digital Dollar” Pilot Program

On Tuesday (Nov. 15), the New York Federal Reserve announced a 12-week pilot program in partnership with several large commercial banks to test the feasibility of a central bank digital currency (CBDC). The “proof of concept” program will test an “interoperable digital money platform” on a regulated liability network (RLN) for “technical feasibility, legal viability, […]

Get Up to 30% More Silver Free!

If you are holding American Silver Eagles, this is a great time to exchange them for silver bars and walk away with a lot more silver.

More of the Same: US Government Starts Fiscal 2023 With a Big Budget Deficit

After running a $1.3 trillion deficit in fiscal 2022, the US government took up right where it left off to start fiscal 2023 — running a big budget deficit. The October budget deficit came in at $87.8 billion despite another month of healthy government receipts, according to the latest Treasury statement.