Interest Rates

It’s ‘taper’ talk time again and here is a post that is only too happy to join the cacophony… Dear Federal Reserve, please signal what would be at least a symbolic gesture to the market and pretend to tighten policy by beginning a tapering of long-term bond buying.  We know inflation is being promoted via … Continue reading

The impossibility of economic calculation in a fiat world The purpose of keeping accurate accounts is to quantify net worth at any given point in time – as well as the change from a prior date. It goes without saying that the measure used, money, should be constant if comparisons over time are to mean … Continue reading

Charts from contraryinvestor.com show that, as of right now, there is going to be almost $1.8 trillion in US Treasury debt maturing this year, and all of it will need to be “rolled over” by issuing new debt.

Perhaps it is also instructive that they also note that “Just shy of 50% of UST debt ‘rolls’ within three years.

Heading into 2011, the consensus outlook on precious metals is slightly positive but the consensus believes that higher interest rates will ultimately support the US currency and in turn engender a move out of Gold. The Gold naysayers are using “rising rates” as a way to dismiss Gold. Let me explain why this belief is … Continue reading

The odds are good that China won’t dump its holdings of U.S. Treasuries anytime soon. But by substantially reducing its purchases of U.S. debt – or halting them completely in the form of a buyers’ strike – the Red Dragon could absolutely shatter the myth that it is the U.S. Federal Reserve that controls U.S. interest rates….

Today’s gold market is significantly different from the gold market of the 1970s for two reasons……

Indeed, the Fed will have to keep a close eye on inflation, but it also will have to watch for turbulence in the housing sector. The FOMC statement said that the Fed is still in the process….

Have Violin Must Fiddle By Neil Charnock goldoz.com.au Interest rates are up again here in Australia as the RBA hikes our prime rate by 0.25% to 3.75%. One bank has already come out with a 0.45% hit on mortgage borrowers of nearly double that figure. The Federal Treasurer stated that the banks have no justification … Continue reading

This is a typical argument that many mainstream gold bears make. It goes like this…. “As soon as the Fed raises rates, it will pop the Gold bubble and the US$ will bottom” This is totally ridiculous. First, it is real interest rates that matter. Rates need to be 2-3% above the level of inflation. … Continue reading