Stefan Gleason

Both China and Russia play hugely important roles in the global economy. Both face economic sanctions from the United States. And both are eyeing long-term strategies for shifting the locus of global trade away from the Federal Reserve Note “dollar.”

The recent explosion in inflation rates caused by runaway debt-funded federal spending and Fed money printing has sparked renewed interest in state legislatures in the role gold and silver play in hedging against systemic risks.

The U.S. reached a $30 trillion milestone this week. Instead of signifying a great achievement, though, it serves as a dire warning for American workers, investors, and retirees.

Officials in Washington who insist things are looking up in the economy just don’t get it (or, in many cases, are deliberately misleading). Ordinary Americans, however, do get it. They know they are losing out to inflation as 61% of Americans say their family incomes are falling behind their costs of living…

Last week’s Consumer Price Index and Producer Price Index reports put those measures of inflation at 7.0% and 9.7%, respectively. Manufacturers had to bear the brunt of the inflation surge in 2021. The worst may be yet to come for consumers as producers pass on their costs to wholesalers and retailers.

In uncertain times, diversification is key to being able to survive market turbulence. Every investment advisor under the sun preaches diversification. Unfortunately, conventional asset allocation models prescribe only superficial diversification across stocks and bonds…

As Bitcoin made new all-time highs in recent weeks, an increasing number of investors referred to it as the “new gold.” Cryptos are a far cry from hard money, however, and recent price action may be indicative of why.

In recent days, the Fed announced it would not only begin – but possibly step up – its tapering of monthly bond purchases, and global markets have not liked what they heard with stock indices falling last week and again this week, despite some brief recovery rallies.

Investors fear government health officials will order new lockdowns to try to contain it.Never mind that previous lockdowns don’t appear to have worked. Some of the most draconian were imposed by Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer. Her state now records the nation’s highest seven-day rate of infections.

President Joe Biden signed a $1.2 trillion “infrastructure” bill into law on Monday amid growing concerns that his administration’s policies are fueling higher inflation. Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, a Democrat, is warning of an economically and politically ruinous inflation problem brewing.

Gold finished solidly above the $1,800/oz level on Friday, marking the yellow metal’s best weekly close since late August. More importantly, gold may be breaking out of a larger consolidation pattern in force since prices peaked August last year.

When will precious metals markets finally make their move? It’s a question that has frustrated many investors in 2021. However, there are signs both technical and fundamental that point to a major directional move coming in the relatively near future.

After sitting on the sidelines last year, central bank appetite for gold has resumed, due to inflationary pressures globally along with disruptions in the energy market. Russia recently reached a milestone record for its gold reserves, ranking fifth in the world for holdings – with well over 20% of its reserves in gold!

While the Fed insists that recent high inflation readings are “transitory” and that long-term inflation expectations remain “anchored” at 2%, investors can’t afford to take their word for it. We must be prepared to navigate unpredictable and erratic markets…

Kicking the can down the road is the new national pastime. Every time the government’s bills come due, officials at the Treasury Department find creative ways of paying them with money they don’t have.

New, heavy-handed IRS and Federal Reserve controls along with other threats to financial privacy highlight the importance of holding wealth outside the banking system.

The post-COVID inflation surge that was supposed to be “transitory” is looking a lot more permanent. On Friday, the Bureau of Economic Analysis Friday released data on Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE), the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge.

A prominent U.S. Senator just called the head of the nation’s central bank “dangerous.” Unfortunately, the true dangers of U.S. monetary and fiscal policy were lost on everyone involved. On Tuesday, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell testified before the Senate banking committee…

Credit risk out of China and debt ceiling drama in Washington are driving precious metals markets this week. Gold and silver attracted some significant safe-haven buying as equity markets succumbed to selling.

In addition to the white metal’s growing uses in high-tech and alternative energy industries, some silver bulls are banking on rising bullion demand by retail investors and a possible reinvigoration of its use as currency…

“Bond King” Bill Gross warns that stocks and bonds could become tantamount to garbage. Gross sees inflation, coupled with waning demand for Treasuries by foreign central banks, forcing bond yields to rise.

The U.S. government’s nearly two-decade-long, multi-trillion-dollar “nation building” effort in Afghanistan may now have nothing to show for itself. Unsurprisingly, they didn’t see it coming. Central planners almost never do.

A mysterious $4 billion sell order – suspiciously placed during the most illiquid time of the day – caused a waterfall $100 decline in gold prices while silver dropped in tandem by over $1.30 per ounce. Among the major issues investors are eyeing this month is the debate over the federal debt…

How they decide to answer it – or evade it, as the case may be – will have profound implications for investors and anyone who holds U.S. dollars. For months, the financial media has been running stories about how the pandemic led to a surge in savings…

In a yield-starved environment where bonds and cash are returning less than inflation, there are no guarantees. But there are certainly opportunities outside of fixed income instruments. Investors who try to sprint their way to success risk hurting themselves in the process. Going for fast-moving penny stocks or cryptocurrencies can lead…

This week Biden superficially addressed the problem by admitting the obvious – that prices have been rising rapidly this year – while denying that the inflation surge represents anything out of the ordinary. Trust the experts! After all, when have they been wrong about anything…

In decades past, income instruments such as government bonds and bank certificates of deposits provided decent yields. Today, with a 10-year Treasury note yielding just 1.3%, that is not the case.

Recent collapses of bridges and a Florida condo building highlight what can go wrong when basic structural and foundational elements are neglected and allowed to deteriorate. As corrosion and cracking spread, they may go little noticed at first, with repairs and upgrades put off.