Gold had a pretty good run in 2019. In fact, it was the best year for the yellow metal in nearly a decade. So what’s in the cards as we rush headlong into the 2020’s? In this episode of the Friday Gold Wrap podcast, host Mike Maharrey looks back at 2019 and highlights some of the things that drove precious metals markets. Then he pivots and looks ahead at 2020 and beyond. Where are we going and what will get us there?
As economist Thorsten Polleit pointed out, inflation has pernicious effects on the average person, while tremendously benefiting the chosen few. Inflation the money supply is a policy intentionally carried out by central bankers around the world. Polleit calls this an “inflation scam.” With the Federal Reserve signaling that it is willing to let the inflation monster run loose, you should be prepared to see the value of the dollar erode even further in the future.
In essence, inflation facilitates a transfer of wealth from the average Joe and Jane to the politically connected. You can’t talk about wealth inequality without pointing a finger at the Federal Reserve. After all, it is the central bank that generates inflation by effectively creating money out of thin air.
The Fed has indicated that it won’t hesitate to let the inflation Jeanie out of the bottle. As Peter Schiff put it in a recent podcast, the central bank is willing to resurrect the inflation monster that former Fed Chairman Paul Volcker slew.
Even if the Federal Reserve wasn’t set to allow inflation to run hot, it targets 2% inflation as a matter of policy. In simple terms, the central bank intentionally devalues your money by 2% every single year.
As economist Thorsten Polleit explains in an article originally published at the Mises Wire, inflation has pernicious effects on the average person, while tremendously benefiting the chosen few. Polleit calls inflation an “inflation scam.”
Peter Schiff recently recent sat down and talked to Daniela Cambone at Kitco News about the economy, politics, and gold. In part 1 of the interview, Peter said the Fed was not going to be finished cutting interest rates until it gets to zero. That will have serious ramifications for the US economy. With that in mind, Peter said now is the time to buy gold – before the masses figure out what’s going on in the economy and flock to the yellow metal.
Former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker passed away last week. Volker was appointed by President Jimmy Carter, but served most of his term under President Ronald Reagan. Volker was best-known for fighting inflation with interest rate hikes. At the peak, Volker pushed rates all the way to 20%.
Peter talked about Volcker in a recent podcast, noting that he was credited with slaying the inflation monster that today’s Fed seems happy to resurrect.
We’ve seen new records in the stock market in recent weeks. The headlines tell us it’s all because of a potential trade deal, but Friday Gold Wrap host Mike Maharrey doesn’t buy it. He says it’s really all about Fed money printing. That may juice the stock market, but there’s a downside – inflation. In this episode of the podcast, Mike talks about it along with the week’s gold news.
Where’s the inflation?
The Federal Reserve printed money for nearly a decade, and yet, inflation – as measured by the government – has been “muted.”
What gives?
The Dow Jones was down over 280 points yesterday, marking the third straight day of declines. Sudden pessimism about a trade deal has tanked stocks. In his latest podcast, Peter Schiff talked about it.
Typically, December is a strong month for stocks with the so-called “Santa Claus rally.” Peter said maybe the Grinch is going to steal that rally this year.
Stock markets hit new highs again this week. If you believe the headlines, the bullishness on Wall Street is mostly a function of trade deal optimism. But there’s another factor driving stocks higher – easy money courtesy of Federal Reserve (not) quantitative easing. In this episode of the Friday Gold Wrap, host Mike Maharrey talks about the impact QE4 is having on the markets and some delicious irony courtesy of a paper published by the central bank that admits its own policy might just be a problem.
There was more optimism about a trade deal this week. There was also more pessimism about a trade deal this week. Markets reacted accordingly. But there was some other interesting news out there. Jerome Powell lectured Congress about the national debt and last month’s inflation data came in hotter than expected. Host Mike Maharrey covers these stories and more, and basically ignores the trade war gossip, on this episode of the SchiffGold Friday Gold Wrap podcast.
