Based on the headline numbers, price inflation cooled again in December, boosting market optimism that the Federal Reserve will continue to ease off the pedal on its monetary tightening. But this could be setting the stage for more price inflation down the road.
And a deeper look at the data reveals that a lot of inflationary pressure remains despite the optimistic headlines.
Last year was a tough one for investors. In fact, it was the worst year for Wall Street since 2008. The Dow was down about 8.8%. The S&P 500 fell by 19.4%, dropping more than 20% from its high. The Nasdaq took the worst hit, tumbling by 33.1%. Meanwhile, the bond market tanked, bitcoin collapsed, and the air started coming out of the real estate bubble.
Peter Schiff recently did an interview with the Epoch Times. He predicted more pain in 2023, primarily driven by inflation and the Federal Reserve.
During the pandemic, we got trillions of dollars in stimulus. The Federal Reserve alone pumped nearly $5 trillion into the economy. People gobbled up those stimulus checks, but there is no such thing as a free lunch. Now we’re paying for those stimmy checks with rampant inflation that is morphing into stagflation.
As Peter Schiff has said, “Every dollar that the government spends must be paid for by the public, one way or another.”
You have questions. Friday Gold Wrap host Mike Maharrey has answers. In this episode of the podcast, Mike answers questions submitted by listeners. He covers topics ranging from the American Silver Eagle shortage to the best states for sound money.
For the last several years, we’ve enjoyed the fruits of an economic bubble blown up by easy money and debt. But ultimately, that debt is going to be the economy’s undoing. Simply put, these debt levels are unsustainable without runaway inflation.
So, pick your poison.
The Federal Reserve is trying to win a war against price inflation without tipping the economy into a recession. In this episode of the Friday Gold Wrap, host Mike Maharrey highlights two more reasons this is a game the Fed can’t win. He also does a quick overview of the gold market in 2022 as we head toward the end of the year.
Peter Schiff recently said he is very bullish on gold in the year ahead.
Obviously, I’ve been bullish for a while. But I’m even more bullish now to the extent that’s possible, based on what’s been happening.”
Peter is not alone. Doug Casey also thinks 2023 will be “the year for gold.”
Most people have focused on Federal Reserve interest rate cuts as it battles price inflation. But there is another element in the inflation fight most people ignore – balance sheet reduction.
It isn’t going well.
Since 2008, we have been in an era of unprecedented money printing and interest rate suppression. Now the cost of all of that easy money is coming due.
The Federal Reserve’s favorite inflation indicator came in slightly higher than expected for November. This is another indication that while price inflation appears to be easing some, the data indicates it is far from whipped.
