The Fed hiked rates 0.5% this week in an effort to stem the inflation tide. But the economy already looks shaky and the central bank has barely started this inflation fight. Friday Gold Wrap host Mike Maharrey breaks down the messaging that came out of the Fed meeting and concludes the central bank is getting closer and closer to a crossroads. What will the central bank do? And what will it mean for the economy?
Jerome Powell began hinting that inflation might be a problem last August. In November, Powell retired the word “transitory.” But here we are in May and the Federal Reserve still hasn’t done anything substantive to address the inflation problem.
And now it may be too late. It’s probably time to buckle up for more inflation – and perhaps a crashing economy.
The Federal Reserve came through with the second rate hike of this tightening cycle, bumping up the Fed Funds rate by 0.5%. It was the biggest interest rate boost by the Fed since 2000. But given the extent of the inflation fight, this hardly seems like a bold, aggressive move. In fact, it was a weak swing that looks more like shadow boxing. And one has to wonder just how long the Fed can stay in the ring.
The Federal Reserve has raised rates once – a mere 25 basis points (with another hike on the table today). So, it’s just getting started, but has it already popped the housing bubble? It sure looks that way. The question is how long will it take for the air to really start coming out.
As mortgage rates push up, mortgage applications continue to fall. As of last week, applications were down 17%, and at the lowest level since May 2020 when the economy was shut down for COVID, according to last week’s Mortgage Bankers Association’s weekly Purchase Index. The index has dropped 30% from peak demand in late 2020 and early 2021.
Jerome Powell and other policymakers at the Fed keep telling us they can raise interest rates and slay the inflation dragon because the economy is strong. But these central bankers have a long history of being wrong. And as host Mike Maharrey explains in this episode of the Friday Gold Wrap podcast, the recent GDP numbers undercut this latest Fed narrative. He also talks about a startling confession from the IMF director and Q1 gold demand.
The Fed insists it can tighten monetary policy and tackle inflation without hurting the economy. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and other central bankers claim the economy is strong enough to handle higher interest rates. Peter Schiff said this is just another in a long line of arrogant miscalculations by the Fed.
Everybody and their brother is an expert on inflation now. And everybody thinks they can pinpoint the reason for rising prices. It’s Putin! Or maybe it’s greedy corporations. Or was it COVID?
As Ron Paul explains, it was none of the above.
The blame for this inflationary fire falls squarely on the shoulders of Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell recently participated in an IMF roundtable with European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde and several other figures in global politics and banking. In his podcast, Peter Schiff broke down Powell’s comments and revealed that just about everything Powell said was wrong.
The inflation freight train continues to barrel ahead. Not only are consumer prices at historically high levels; producer prices continue to run ahead of CPI, casting some doubt on the “peak inflation” narrative in the mainstream.
Despite the fact that inflation has been running hot for over a year, the mainstream pundits, government officials and central bankers can’t seem to nail down what’s going on. First, they said printing trillions wouldn’t cause inflation. Then they called inflation transitory. They said it was the pandemic. They pointed their fingers at supply chains and “excess demand.” Now they’re blaming Putin.
The Fed faces a real conundrum. Bond yields continue to rise. The only thing that can stop it is a central bank pivot back to rate cuts and quantitative easing. But the Fed needs to raise rates and shrink its balance sheet to fight inflation. In this episode of the Friday Gold Wrap podcast, host Mike Maharrey talks about the bond market and Fed’s conundrum. He also goes on a little rant about taxes.
