Every time the folks at the Federal Reserve talk about the “Powell Pause,” they assure us that the US economy is still strong. The president assures us that the US economy is still strong. The pundits on the financial news networks assure us that the US economy is still strong. But the US consumer doesn’t seem to be buying it.
US consumer confidence declined for the fourth month out of five in February, surprising economists who expected an increase in optimism.
On Friday, the yield curve inverted, often a warning sign of an impending recession. Many mainstream pundits say we shouldn’t be concerned about the inversion and that the US economy is still healthy. They say there are other underlying reasons for the inverted yield curve. But there are plenty of other economic data points that are flashing recession warnings. For instance, inventories are piling up in warehouses.
Wholesale inventories surged again in January, according to the latest Commerce Department data.
Peter Schiff has said a recession is a done deal. Since he made that comment, we’ve seen more and more signs of a looming economic downturn. On Friday, we got another. The yield curve inverted, historically a sign of a looming recession.
The yield on 10-year Treasurys fell below the yield on 3-year bonds for the first time since 2007 – the cusp of the Great Recession.
The Fed wrapped up another FOMC meeting this week and came out even more dovish than expected. Rate hikes are off the table in 2019 and the central bank now only expects one hike in 2020. In his episode of the Friday Gold Wrap, host Mike Maharrey talks about the meeting and the dirty little secret Reuters let slip out. The goal here is to get you to spend more money and keep the bubble full of air. As Mike put it, “The Fed is trying to feed the debt monster and it wants you to pick up the tab.” He also covered the meeting’s impact on the markets and the latest in political theater.
Americans owe over $1 trillion in credit card debt and recent polling data indicates they aren’t paying off those balances anytime soon.
According to a CNBC article, nearly half of all Americans carry a balance on their credit cards. Of those, only 30% say they will be able to pay off that balance within the next year.
Not too long ago, Peter Schiff said, “The rate hikes of the past have already guaranteed that the economy is headed for recession. It doesn’t matter whether they continue to raise rates in the future. The recession is a done deal.”
In a recent interview, economist and editor of the Gloom, Boom and Doom Report, Dr. Marc Faber, expressed a similar sentiment, saying, “Forget about the coming slowdown because the economy has already been backing up for months and we’re likely already in a recession.”
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell appeared on 60 Minutes last Sunday to reassure us that the US economy is great. There’s nothing to worry about. So, why the sudden reversal in Fed monetary policy? According to Powell, the central bank is just worried about slowing global growth. But as Mike Maharrey discusses in this week’s Friday Gold Wrap, it’s pretty clear the real problems are right here in the good ol’ US of A. Mike also covers the latest in precious metals news, with a focus on silver.
What is the biggest problem in the US economy? As Peter Schiff put it in a recent podcast, “The big, fat, ugly bubble is deflating and the air is coming out.”
And that is precisely why Peter thinks Jerome Powell recently appeared on 60 Minutes.
This is part of a confidence road show – a dog and pony show.”
The February jobs report came in significantly below expectations. First quarter GDP estimates are way down. And we’re seeing other numbers that indicate a rotting economic foundation.
But nobody is worried.
In fact, most of the attention continues to be focused on the trade deal as if it is going to push the economy to new heights. In his most recent podcast, Peter dug into some of the numbers and came to the conclusion that most of the analysts and pundits are utterly clueless about what’s really going on.
Central bankers and politicians think they can run the economy.
They can’t.
In this episode of the Friday Gold Wrap, host Mike Maharrey digs into some fundamental economic theories that explain why these central planners will always fail, no matter how noble their intentions.
