Any war or crisis that might break out somewhere on the planet automatically triggers the USA to begin spitting out as much money as necessary to deal with the problem. Other countries need not have an ATM card. America will generously dispense the dough automatically. US taxpayers (AKA ‘chumps’) pay for it all by means of inflation. Continue reading
Despite the fact that our politicians in Washington have been borrowing and spending trillions of dollars that we do not have in a desperate attempt to prop up the economy, living paycheck to paycheck has become a permanent lifestyle for most Americans. In other words, well over half of the country is literally living on the brink of financial disaster.
When you are living paycheck to paycheck, there is no room for error. A job loss, a business failure or a medical emergency can mean complete and utter financial ruin if you don’t have a cushion to fall back on. That is why the results of a brand new survey are so alarming. According to a report that was just released by LendingClub, 62 percent of all U.S. adults were living paycheck to paycheck last month… Continue reading
The threat of hyperinflation has haunted fiat money economies throughout history. Although past empires crumbled under the weight of unrestrained money printing, modern bankers at the Federal Reserve assure us that today’s financial system is immune to such a fate. Austrian business cycle theory, however, reveals that current economic stimulation may be propelling us toward a crisis of catastrophic proportions: a crack-up boom that marks the dramatic end of this boom-and-bust cycle. When a central bank expands the money supply to reinflate bubbles, it destroys the currency’s purchasing power.
This endgame, in which the monetary system crumbles beneath a weak economy, represents the ultimate failure of interventionism. Once the public expects prices to keep rising, hyperinflation becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Continue reading
It’s hard to deny the safe-haven trade that has propelled gold prices back to $2,000 an ounce. The chaos in the Middle East caused by the Israel-Hamas war is providing solid momentum for gold, but there is more going on in the market than just the safe-haven trade. Continue reading
Investors and traders need to keep an eye on gold’s $2,000 an ounce level next week as the market navigates further volatility created by the Federal Reserve’s expected hawkish higher-for-longer monetary policy stance, according to some analysts.
According to the CME FedWatch Tool, markets see a nearly 100% chance that the Federal Reserve will leave interest rates unchanged between 5.25% and 5.50%. At the same time, the Federal Reserve is expected to maintain restrictive monetary policies for the foreseeable future. Continue reading
The information for this article is sourced directly from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services..
On the heels of the Social Security announcement of a 3.2% cost of living adjustment comes the official Medicare rates for 2024. As always a degree in finance would be helpful in understanding them. Continue reading
I write a lot about the national debt – And most people don’t care…
That’s because there’s a widespread belief that the dollar is invincible.
Photo by Kovalchuk Oleksandr/Shutterstock
Current economic indicators provide a mixed picture. On one hand, the country has experienced robust GDP growth, signaling a strong economy. The labor market remains tight with historically low unemployment rates, and job gains continue to be impressive. However, a persistent concern is elevated inflation, with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation at 3.7% and core inflation at 4.1%.
The Federal Reserve’s approach to curbing inflation is rooted in their belief that they can reduce it to 2% by 2026. Their primary focus is on wage inflation, which they intend to address by rebalancing the labor market. In other words, they anticipate that by reducing job opportunities, wage inflation will naturally decrease. Continue reading
With investors turning to gold to hedge against inflation the price of the precious metal could soon rise again.
Inflation has been high for quite some time. While the Federal Reserve has been actively trying to tame it, many consumers still feel the burn — struggling with higher prices, higher interest rates and more.
This has led to increased interest in gold investments, as many consider it a smart hedge against inflation and a good way to safeguard wealth in troubling economic times. Continue reading
