Peter's Blog

Biden Signs Massive Military Spending Bill – How Will They Pay for It?

President Joe Biden’s “build back better” spending bill seems to be dead — at least for the time being. But there is still plenty of spending coming down the pike. This raises an important question: how is the Federal Reserve going to simultaneously taper its bond-buying program and monetize all of this debt? On Monday, […]

Inflation Is Eating Up Your Paycheck: Real Incomes Fall for Fourth Straight Month

I’ve got good news and bad news. The good news is you probably put a little more money in your pocket in November. The bad news is inflation ate up all your income gains and then some. Real personal incomes fell 0.2% in November despite a healthy gain in nominal income.

Looser Monetary Policy in China Could Further Boost Chinese Gold Demand

While the Federal Reserve talks about tightening monetary policy, the Chinese central bank is heading in the opposite direction. This could boost gold demand in that country even further. Earlier this month, the People’s Bank of China announced a 0.5% cut in financial institutions’ required reserve ratio (RRR). According to the World Gold Council, this move […]

Inflation Is a Policy That Cannot Last

Are we heading toward a Fed policy that fixes inflation at a permanent rate of five to six percent? We could be. But inflation is a policy that cannot last.

Chinese Gold Imports at Highest Level Since 2019

In October, Chinese gold imports reached the highest level since December of 2019 as the market continues to recover after taking a hard hit during the coronavirus pandemic. According to the latest data from Chinese customs, the country imported 123 tons of gold in October. That was a 38-ton month-on-month increase. China ranks as the […]

Worst Taper Ever: Fed Adds $92.1 Billion to Balance Sheet in One Week

Taper? What taper? Last week, the Fed announced that it plans to speed up the pace of its asset purchase taper. But so far, this taper hasn’t been very impressive. Between Dec. 8 and Dec. 15, the Fed added another 92.1 billion to its balance sheet, expanding it to a record $8.757 trillion.

Retail Sales Disappoint Despite Surging Prices

In October, retail sales surged much higher than expected, rising 1.7%. The mainstream gushed over retail spending, asserting that it was a sign that the economy is booming. At the time, I argued that it wasn’t necessarily good news. Well, the news just got even worse. Retail sales in November disappointed, despite another big surge […]

Russians on a Gold-Buying Spree

Russians have gone on a gold-buying spree. According to Russian media reports, investors in the country have bought a record amount of gold since 2014 despite prohibitively high taxes.

Federal Spending Pandemic Continues Unabated

Even with the federal government ostensibly trying to limit spending with its head against the debt ceiling, it managed to run another massive deficit in November. The budget shortfall last month was $191.34 billion, according to the latest Treasury Department statement. That was 31.7% higher than the November 2021 deficit.

I See Red! Consumer Debt Jumped Again in October

American consumers piled on more debt in October as inflation continues to squeeze their pocketbooks. Consumer debt grew by $16.9 billion, an annual increase of 4.6% (seasonally adjusted), according to the latest data released by the Federal Reserve. That raised total consumer debt to over $4.38 trillion.