Stefan Gleason

The mainstream financial media is hailing Friday’s surprise “blowout” jobs report. According to the Labor Department, employers added 254,000 jobs in September, much more than had been forecast. President Joe Biden joined Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell in taking a victory lap for the supposedly strong economy.

On an annual basis, global silver supply generated by mines seems to have run into a ceiling of about 1 billion ounces. Supply has essentially flat-lined over the past several years. At the same time, explosive growth in demand is driving widening projected supply deficits for physical silver.

With spot gold prices at record highs, investors might expect that shares of precious metals mining companies are also trading at record highs. By and large, that is not the case. Mining stocks, as represented by the HUI Gold BUGS Index, are still underwater by more than 40% compared to their 2011 highs.

Market participants are now extremely confident in the kickoff of an extended Fed rate-cutting campaign in September, especially in light of weak employment numbers. The stock market, however, continues to trade near its all-time highs — even as volatility increases. A correction would likely provide a new catalyst for gold

It’s no longer a question of whether the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates. It’s a question of how soon central bankers will cut and how big they will go. Last week’s ugly economic reports on manufacturing and employment helped trigger a mini-meltdown in the stock market – one that continues today.

On June 23, 2024, the criminal organization LockBit 3.0, a Russian ransomware cybercriminal group, publicly stated that it hacked the Federal Reserve and implied it would release over “33 terabytes of juicy banking information containing details of Americans’ banking secrets” unless a large ransom is paid.

Last week, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) introduced the Federal Reserve Board Abolition Act (HR 8421). The bill would do exactly as its title suggests: abolish the Fed. “Americans would be better off if the Federal Reserve did not exist,” Massie said. “The Fed devalues our currency by monetizing the debt, causing inflation.”

Thanks to sweeping spending cuts enacted this year, the government has posted three consecutive monthly budget surpluses – leading to a reduction in money supply growth and a marked lessening of inflation pressures. This hopeful state of affairs doesn’t apply to the government of the United States, of course, but Argentina…

Miners spend billions of dollars every year pulling precious metals out of the ground. They toil mightily for years on end to produce these stores of value – but then they turn right around and sell all their gold and silver immediately in exchange for fiat currencies.

The Federal Reserve’s most recent policy statement came with a curious omission. Fed officials removed language from previous statements that proclaimed “the U.S. banking system is sound and resilient.”
That begs the question: Is the banking system no longer sound and resilient?

The gold market is poised to make history in 2024. It enters the New Year within striking distance of new all-time highs. How high will gold go? Much depends on how low interest rates and the U.S. dollar go. The Federal Reserve ended its rate hiking campaign last fall. It is expected to pivot toward monetary easing later this year…

“The overwhelming interest in the 2023 Sound Money Scholarship was deeply heartening. At a time not only of high inflation and bank instability but also when states are advancing dozens of sound money bills, this fundamentally important issue is reaching an inflection point”

Savvy investors are always on the lookout for the next big thing – a dominant theme that drives headlines and creates profit opportunities in markets. The problem is that by the time everyone is talking about it, it’s often too late to invest – at least at attractive prices. The big investment story-line of 2023 has been artificial intelligence.

“This may be the most dangerous time the world has seen in decades.” That’s according to JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon. His alarming statement accompanied the bank’s latest earnings release. Dimon is concerned about geopolitical strife in the Middle East, Ukraine, and elsewhere. He is also alarmed by rapidly deteriorating U.S. finances.

A late summer rise in COVID cases is triggering calls by control freaks across the globe for reimposing mandates and restrictions on the public. Civil liberties advocates are warning that crippling new economic lockdowns could be coming down the pike. Public health officials are talking up widespread masking yet again

Poor planning practices at the U.S. Mint, including an apparent refusal to stockpile extra silver blanks during periods of market slack (such as now), have caused a steady erosion in the market share of this once extremely popular U.S. silver coin.

Those who are looking to get rich quick can try their luck at lotteries, casinos, or highly leveraged derivatives markets. Most who do will, predictably, end up getting poorer. A sound investing strategy won’t necessarily bring you jackpot gains, but it will protect you from disastrous losses while…

Last week, the Fed launched a new payment processing system dubbed “FedNow.” Officials say FedNow will allow individuals and businesses to initiate instant funds transfers between banks. Critics warn FedNow could be a prelude to central bank digital currency (CBDC) that threatens financial privacy and freedom.

President Joe Biden will meet with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Monday to hold high-stakes talks on the still-unresolved debt ceiling standoff. Both sides agree that the government will need to take on more debt in order to pay its bills.

On Sunday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned that ‘financial and economic chaos will ensue’ if the U.S. government’s borrowing limit isn’t raised. If that wasn’t dramatic enough, she also said on ABC’s “This Week” that a default would bring about an ‘economic calamity.’

There are many reasons to buy and hold physical gold. The lack of counterparty risk, the diversification, and the hedge against inflation are among the top reasons to own the monetary metals. The public is only in the early process of figuring out why gold ownership is an absolute MUST during a banking crisis.

Sound Money Bills Moving Forward Rapidly in Many States: Because there is so much activity happening at the state level with respect to sound money legislation, here is a quick update on some of the most important bills that are currently pending.

Contrary to popular misconceptions perpetuated by the Fed, the root causes of inflation aren’t tied to employment or economic growth. Inflation occurs when the currency supply expands too rapidly as confidence in the ability of U.S. dollars to retain their value falls.

January’s jobs report was ‘stunningly good,’ according to CNBC promoting traders to buy up U.S. dollars and short gold and silver. The official unemployment rate fell to 3.4%, the lowest since 1969. Skeptics say something smells fishy.

According to Fed chairman Jerome Powell, disinflation is now taking hold. Yes, the very same person who had to walk back his ridiculous pronouncements in 2021 and 2022 that inflation was “transitory” now wants us to believe inflation is steadily declining

Among the top New Year’s resolutions investors can make is to pay less in taxes. Without doubt, taxes can be one of the biggest drains on realized investment returns. Fortunately for holders of physical precious metals coins, rounds, and bars generate no tax consequences…

While investors continue to await a possible Federal Reserve pivot toward monetary easing, the pivot has already occurred in major asset markets, including precious metals. Last week was indeed pivotal for multiple asset classes.

Currency traders may be looking ahead – specifically to the likelihood of a U.S. economic downturn in 2023. The potential of another housing-led Great Financial Crisis also looms. The full effects of the Fed’s latest rate hike won’t be known for months, but higher borrowing costs will hit struggling consumers