Peter Reagan

Are we seeing a meaningful replay of the 1970s, or just a lookalike? The parallels are hard to ignore. The early 1970s began with the end of the Bretton Woods system in 1971, followed by persistent inflation, aggressive interest rate hikes and multiple oil supply shocks. Gold experienced sharp swings throughout the decade

I’m going to start with something that sounds like good news. Most of the truly catastrophic things we worry about… never actually happen. That’s not just optimism – it’s human experience. As Mark Twain supposedly said, most of the terrible things in his life never occurred.

Hearing gold is set for its second weekly loss and seeing it above $5,000 is surprising. It was a little surprising to me. On a given day, I might check headlines first before spot gold price, which has created some weird scenarios in recent times. I’m supposed to talk about gold falling, but can I really do that when it’s still above $5,000?

One of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to understand the economy is focusing only on the surface. Headlines tell us what happened today. But they rarely explain why. And often the deeper forces shaping the economy aren’t obvious at first glance. Sometimes you have to step back and look at several seemingly unrelated stories…

The phrase new normal has carried a lot of baggage in recent years. Lockdowns. Supply disruptions. Empty shelves. So when analysts begin describing $5,000 gold as a possible new normal, it’s understandable if people feel uneasy. Yet that idea is increasingly appearing in financial commentary…

For most of the 20th century, retirement in America followed a simple model. You worked for decades, usually for the same employer. Not least because most employers offered a pension. And when you chose to retire, a monthly check arrived like clockwork. The specific amount was based on your pay and years of service…

The headlines over the past few days couldn’t decide if tariffs or Iran strikes were what pushed gold back above $5,200. (They ultimately settled on the latter, not without reason.) We’ve been hearing about tariffs since before President Trump’s second term, so I believe their connection to gold’s price action is weaker than ever.

How do you know that you’ll actually have enough funds in your golden years to pay for even the most basic of necessities, much less pay for a comfortable retirement with those little perks that make life sweet (like being able to get that slice of cheesecake after dinner instead of pinching pennies and wishing)?

Five or six years ago, that number was mostly confined to the fringes. Mentions were usually tied to apocalyptic predictions about total dollar collapse. Today, the conversation is much more clinical. The very same price forecasts that would’ve been laughed at just a few years ago are everywhere today.

Imagine watching a championship game where, halfway through, the referees adjust the rulebook. The scoreboard doesn’t change immediately. The crowd may not even notice. But every coach on the field suddenly recalculates their strategy. That’s essentially what happened in global banking after the 2008 financial crisis.

Gold surged sharply before pulling back last week, triggering headlines about “crashes” and “billions wiped out.” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested Chinese speculators played a role in this all-but-unprecedented gold price volatility. He’s not alone. Bloomberg made similar claims a couple of weeks back.

Gold’s rebound has revived $6,000 forecasts, but silver remains oddly stuck. Meanwhile, global financial heavyweights are urging Indian savers to part with their gold. This week’s headlines reveal who still trusts real money, and who doesn’t…

(Clue: It Isn’t What You Think…) Government overspending has an unintended consequence that rarely gets mentioned: It quietly strips away our options. As debt grows, interest costs crowd out options – leaving fewer ways to meet obligations. This is what happens next…

Who Is Kevin Warsh, and Is He Good for Gold? Kevin Warsh’s Fed nomination points to reform and discipline – not upheaval. Markets reacted with cautious relief, even as gold suffered a sharp one-day sell-off. Here’s why that move says more about leverage clearing than about gold’s long-term role…

Gold rocketed past $5,000, silver just crossed $100 and the headlines are grasping for explanations – from tariffs to politics. When the narratives stop making sense, it’s usually a sign of something deeper. This week, let’s look at the signals…

You can do everything right – save diligently, plan ahead, follow the rules – and still come up short in retirement. The problem isn’t effort. It’s assumptions: Inflation, healthcare, and living costs don’t behave the way we expect. So what can we do?

As Bloomberg reported, the most recent reports are having trouble keeping up with gold’s gains. The article is written by an analyst from Singapore, whose timezone is 13 hours ahead of Eastern Time. For them, the market is open almost a full day ahead of the New York spot maket on Sunday, and they’ve been watching gold soar.

When a Treasury Secretary Sounds the Alarm, We Should Pay Attention. Former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin says today’s debt trajectory echoes past periods of financial strain. Treasury data backs him up. Here’s why rising interest costs and structural deficits matter more than any headline…

Gold is creeping higher with almost no fanfare, silver is surging to fresh records, and even Russia is warning that G7 nations may seize foreign reserves. Beneath the headlines is a simple reality: trust in global finance is eroding, and physical precious metals are quietly becoming the preferred safe harbor…

Gold is still just 2% of global assets, even as physical supply runs a 1,000-ton deficit and new demand surges from central banks and a surprising new source. UBS sees silver outperforming gold in the short-term for similar reasons. Here’s what you need to know…

Two very different billionaires, one warning: When Ray Dalio and Jeff Gundlach – two legendary investors with wildly different worldviews – start warning about the same thing, it’s worth paying attention. Both say today’s economy is distorted, and warn that “illusory wealth” may vanish when reality hits…

As gold rebounds past $4,000, the lone bearish forecast quickly collapses under its own logic. Meanwhile, silver gains new strategic importance on Washington’s “critical minerals” list. Here’s why gold and silver are poised to shine even brighter. Rounding up the most important stories about precious metals

Economies usually go just one way – but now we’re going in two directions. While the wealthy ride up on rising asset prices, millions of working Americans are moving down. Here’s how the “K-shaped” economy took hold – and what it means for your financial future…

Gold’s brief slide below $4,000 has pundits cheering – but traders, not fundamentals, drove the move. Silver’s scarcity tells a different story, and Bank of America now recommends gold as the smart hedge against the frenzied AI boom… Your News to Know rounds up the most important stories about precious metals.

As rising costs squeeze younger generations, a disturbing trend is spreading: “inheritance impatience.” Adult children are pressuring parents (and grandparents) for early access to their estates – draining retirements before they begin… Let me start with a question you’ve probably never asked yourself

CEO confidence has slipped below the danger line, signaling what many already feel: Higher prices, slower growth, and fading optimism. With inflation rising and growth stalling, even corporate America sees the specter of 1970s-style stagflation returning… And concerned Americans are doing the same things that many CEOs are planning for right now.

When governments run out of money, they don’t tighten belts – they borrow and print. That’s called “debasement,” and it quietly drains value from every dollar we earn and save. Here’s how the “debasement trade” is changing the investing landscape… And how are central banks being used to do it

Growing up, illusions were a wonderful thing. Watching David Copperfield fool the audience on television was amazing, even magical.As you get older, though, you realize that there are really two different types of illusions, one magical and wonderful. The other, a sort of con game to distract us from paying attention to what really matters.