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Image | Robert Mish: Front-Line Observations from a Seasoned Gold & Silver Bullion Dealer
Robert Mish: Front-Line Observations from a Seasoned Gold & Silver Bullion Dealer
by Adam Taggart

Spikes and plunges in the U.S. dollar price of gold; this is not new. It goes back to the early 1970s. We remember that for most of the past 40 years, physical gold and silver investors, particularly in the U.S., tended to chase big rallies and buy late, while too often selling after plunges or after long periods of price erosion. Gold was sold then primarily as an inflation hedge. When it was working, speculators bought much more. When it stopped working as an inflation hedge, they first became puzzled and frustrated, then fearful, and they sold out at bottoms.

So, fast-forward to this month, and today’s gold community starts to look a bit different as the breakdown below previous gold and silver price support levels began, and especially last week, with gold going below $1400. Physical buyers were outnumbering sellers in our store by at least 5 to 1.

 
Robert Mish: Front-Line Observations from a Seasoned Gold & Silver Bullion Dealer
 by Adam Taggart

Spikes and plunges in the U.S. dollar price of gold; this is not new. It goes back to the early 1970s. We remember that for most of the past 40 years, physical gold and silver investors, particularly in the U.S., tended to chase big rallies and buy late, while too often selling after plunges or after long periods of price erosion. Gold was sold then primarily as an inflation hedge. When it was working, speculators bought much more. When it stopped working as an inflation hedge, they first became puzzled and frustrated, then fearful, and they sold out at bottoms.

So, fast-forward to this month, and today’s gold community starts to look a bit different as the breakdown below previous gold and silver price support levels began, and especially last week, with gold going below $1400. Physical buyers were outnumbering sellers in our store by at least 5 to 1.

 
Image | Unintended Consequences Are Increasing World Demand for Gold
Unintended Consequences Are Increasing World Demand for Gold
by Chris Martenson

With the financial experts claiming, some gleefully, that gold has "lost its safe haven status" in the aftermath of its biggest tumble in 30 years, many commentators  thought (hoped?) that the dramatic price drop would steer people away from gold ownership. To my eyes, the past week has all the earmarks of a high-gloss propaganda campaign complete with well placed anti-gold stories in the media and the careful use of language aimed at sowing doubt about gold's ability to be a store of wealth.

But for those who consider gold a store of value, the recent gold slam is a gift: an invitation to purchase more sound money with fewer units of paper currency. In other words, a sweet deal.  Gold and silver on sale and the world is taking advantage.
Unintended Consequences Are Increasing World Demand for Gold
 by Chris Martenson

With the financial experts claiming, some gleefully, that gold has "lost its safe haven status" in the aftermath of its biggest tumble in 30 years, many commentators  thought (hoped?) that the dramatic price drop would steer people away from gold ownership. To my eyes, the past week has all the earmarks of a high-gloss propaganda campaign complete with well placed anti-gold stories in the media and the careful use of language aimed at sowing doubt about gold's ability to be a store of wealth.

But for those who consider gold a store of value, the recent gold slam is a gift: an invitation to purchase more sound money with fewer units of paper currency. In other words, a sweet deal.  Gold and silver on sale and the world is taking advantage.
Image | Mike Maloney: Today’s Low Gold & Silver Prices Are Not Realistic
Mike Maloney: Today’s Low Gold & Silver Prices Are Not Realistic
by Adam Taggart

During this very tumultuous week for precious metals prices, Chris sat down with Mike Maloney, founder and owner of GoldSilver.com, one of the world's largest bullion dealers.

Mike is a true scholar of monetary history. His reasons for getting into the bullion business have their roots in a very predictable cycle that has happened time and again over the centuries (more accurately millennia):
Mike Maloney: Today’s Low Gold & Silver Prices Are Not Realistic
 by Adam Taggart

During this very tumultuous week for precious metals prices, Chris sat down with Mike Maloney, founder and owner of GoldSilver.com, one of the world's largest bullion dealers.

Mike is a true scholar of monetary history. His reasons for getting into the bullion business have their roots in a very predictable cycle that has happened time and again over the centuries (more accurately millennia):
Image | Off the Cuff: Whither the US Dollar?
Off the Cuff: Whither the US Dollar?
 PREVIEW
by Adam Taggart

In this week's Off the Cuff podcast, Chris and Charles Hugh Smith do something a little different.

Given the thoughtful and in-depth discussion resulting in our recent article on the future of the dollar's purchasing power, Chris and Charles engage in a fundamentals-based debate on the outlook for the U.S. dollar over the next decade.

This is one of those instances in which Charles, a valued contributing editor to Peak Prosperity, sees the future differently than Chris…

Off the Cuff: Whither the US Dollar?
 PREVIEW by Adam Taggart

In this week's Off the Cuff podcast, Chris and Charles Hugh Smith do something a little different.

Given the thoughtful and in-depth discussion resulting in our recent article on the future of the dollar's purchasing power, Chris and Charles engage in a fundamentals-based debate on the outlook for the U.S. dollar over the next decade.

This is one of those instances in which Charles, a valued contributing editor to Peak Prosperity, sees the future differently than Chris…

Image | Say Goodbye to the Purchasing Power of the Dollar
Say Goodbye to the Purchasing Power of the Dollar
by Adam Taggart

On a long solo car trip this past weekend, I downloaded several podcasts to listen to as the miles passed. One was a classic: The Invention of Money, originally released by NPR's Planet Money team back in January of 2011. I highly recommend listening (or re-listening) to it in full.

The podcast is a great reminder of how any currency in a monetary system is a fabricated construct. A simpler way to explain this is to say it has value simply because we believe it does.

Say Goodbye to the Purchasing Power of the Dollar
 by Adam Taggart

On a long solo car trip this past weekend, I downloaded several podcasts to listen to as the miles passed. One was a classic: The Invention of Money, originally released by NPR's Planet Money team back in January of 2011. I highly recommend listening (or re-listening) to it in full.

The podcast is a great reminder of how any currency in a monetary system is a fabricated construct. A simpler way to explain this is to say it has value simply because we believe it does.

Image | Eric Sprott: Is the West Dishoarding Its Sovereign Treasure?
Eric Sprott: Is the West Dishoarding Its Sovereign Treasure?
by Adam Taggart

We are well into the financial crisis. Everyone’s trying to keep it together, even though it would appear from the reading of the economy things are not going well at all here. And everyone's ignoring things.

But I think, in their hearts, the Central Bankers must know what they’re doing is totally irresponsible. And the tell of that irresponsibility – which is the debasing of the currencies – is the fact that real things will go up in value. This should be reflected in the price of gold and silver.

So expresses Eric Sprott, CEO and founder of Sprott Asset Management, and one of the most experienced and vocal advocates for owning precious metals.

The past decade has validated Eric's thesis, as gold has risen considerably against all world fiat currencies. But what vexes him is that in recent years, when currency debasement has accelerated to extreme levels, precious metals prices have been clearly suppressed, particularly versus the U.S. dollar.

As the topic of price manipulation is nothing new, Eric finds his focus increasingly drawn to where the precious metals are going at these bargain prices – who is accumulating and who is dishoarding:
Eric Sprott: Is the West Dishoarding Its Sovereign Treasure?
 by Adam Taggart

We are well into the financial crisis. Everyone’s trying to keep it together, even though it would appear from the reading of the economy things are not going well at all here. And everyone's ignoring things.

But I think, in their hearts, the Central Bankers must know what they’re doing is totally irresponsible. And the tell of that irresponsibility – which is the debasing of the currencies – is the fact that real things will go up in value. This should be reflected in the price of gold and silver.

So expresses Eric Sprott, CEO and founder of Sprott Asset Management, and one of the most experienced and vocal advocates for owning precious metals.

The past decade has validated Eric's thesis, as gold has risen considerably against all world fiat currencies. But what vexes him is that in recent years, when currency debasement has accelerated to extreme levels, precious metals prices have been clearly suppressed, particularly versus the U.S. dollar.

As the topic of price manipulation is nothing new, Eric finds his focus increasingly drawn to where the precious metals are going at these bargain prices – who is accumulating and who is dishoarding:
Image | The 10 Next Predictable Steps to Japan’s Unfolding Disaster
The 10 Next Predictable Steps to Japan’s Unfolding Disaster
 PREVIEW
by Gregor Macdonald

Executive Summary

  • Japan is intentionally devaluing its currency through money printing. The recent boost in the Nikkei is simply the result of this flood of new money.
  • Japan industry is now experiencing cost increases on two fronts: inflation of the money supply, and rising prices on the global market for commodities.
  • Rising bond rates are all but guaranteed.
  • Gold vs. the yen is surging and will pick up momentum from here
  • The ten predictable events that will happen next, as the unavoidable Japan disaster unfolds

If you have not yet read Part I: The Arrival of Japan's Sunset available free to all readers, please click here to read it first.

In Part II we explain why Japan has unequivocally entered the terminal phase of its 20-year reflationary experiment.

Further “abundance” harvesting from this point forward will be difficult if not impossible.

Is the devaluation of the yen really the successful technology that will fool nature? We think not. The outcome will have spectacular implications for many global assets, ranging from real estate, to stock markets, to oil and gold.

Observers of Japan from this point forward should be sober about the threshold the country has now crossed. Japan has effectively said to the world: Go ahead, make my day. Sell our currency, give us inflation, and get out of our bonds.

Japan has indeed taken to heart the Krugman dictum, and committed to irresponsibility.

The 10 Next Predictable Steps to Japan’s Unfolding Disaster
 PREVIEW by Gregor Macdonald

Executive Summary

  • Japan is intentionally devaluing its currency through money printing. The recent boost in the Nikkei is simply the result of this flood of new money.
  • Japan industry is now experiencing cost increases on two fronts: inflation of the money supply, and rising prices on the global market for commodities.
  • Rising bond rates are all but guaranteed.
  • Gold vs. the yen is surging and will pick up momentum from here
  • The ten predictable events that will happen next, as the unavoidable Japan disaster unfolds

If you have not yet read Part I: The Arrival of Japan's Sunset available free to all readers, please click here to read it first.

In Part II we explain why Japan has unequivocally entered the terminal phase of its 20-year reflationary experiment.

Further “abundance” harvesting from this point forward will be difficult if not impossible.

Is the devaluation of the yen really the successful technology that will fool nature? We think not. The outcome will have spectacular implications for many global assets, ranging from real estate, to stock markets, to oil and gold.

Observers of Japan from this point forward should be sober about the threshold the country has now crossed. Japan has effectively said to the world: Go ahead, make my day. Sell our currency, give us inflation, and get out of our bonds.

Japan has indeed taken to heart the Krugman dictum, and committed to irresponsibility.

Image | Off the Cuff: When the Wheels Will Come Off
Off the Cuff: When the Wheels Will Come Off
 PREVIEW
by Adam Taggart

In this week's Off the Cuff podcast, Chris and Charles discuss:

  • The (Dire) State of the Union
    • The money for the Administration's grand vision just doesn't exist
  • The Housing Market
    • Bubble pricing returning to several markets
  • Currency wars
    • Why the dollar will likely strengthen further from here
  • The Next Correction
    • Here by summer?
Off the Cuff: When the Wheels Will Come Off
 PREVIEW by Adam Taggart

In this week's Off the Cuff podcast, Chris and Charles discuss:

  • The (Dire) State of the Union
    • The money for the Administration's grand vision just doesn't exist
  • The Housing Market
    • Bubble pricing returning to several markets
  • Currency wars
    • Why the dollar will likely strengthen further from here
  • The Next Correction
    • Here by summer?
Image | The Canadian Penny Died Yesterday
The Canadian Penny Died Yesterday
by JW

As many news outlets and even Google pointed out yesterday, the Canadian penny is no longer viable as currency. 

src=

screen capture: google.com

http://www.treehugger.com/economics/canadian-penny-died-today.html

The Canadian Penny Died Yesterday
 by JW

As many news outlets and even Google pointed out yesterday, the Canadian penny is no longer viable as currency. 

src=

screen capture: google.com

http://www.treehugger.com/economics/canadian-penny-died-today.html

Image | QE for Dummies
QE for Dummies
by Chris Martenson

A PeakProsperity.com reader recently lamented:

I have been trying to get my head around the mechanism of QE. Not being an economist or experienced investor I don't really understand a lot of the jargon. The usual simple definition of QE as "thin air money printing" does not satisfy my need for understanding either. Have hunted for a description of QE for dummies that leaves me feeling like I get it, but with no luck. My difficulty is in understanding how thin air money gets into circulation.

So I'm going to do my best to answer this plea in as intuitive and straightforward a manner as I can. I, too, share the need to understand the mechanism of a process in order to feel like I have a grasp of it.  And I think it's critically important to understand QE (also known by its full name, "quantitative easing") and what it really represents. Because it is, without a doubt, one of the largest market-shaping forces of our times.
QE for Dummies
 by Chris Martenson

A PeakProsperity.com reader recently lamented:

I have been trying to get my head around the mechanism of QE. Not being an economist or experienced investor I don't really understand a lot of the jargon. The usual simple definition of QE as "thin air money printing" does not satisfy my need for understanding either. Have hunted for a description of QE for dummies that leaves me feeling like I get it, but with no luck. My difficulty is in understanding how thin air money gets into circulation.

So I'm going to do my best to answer this plea in as intuitive and straightforward a manner as I can. I, too, share the need to understand the mechanism of a process in order to feel like I have a grasp of it.  And I think it's critically important to understand QE (also known by its full name, "quantitative easing") and what it really represents. Because it is, without a doubt, one of the largest market-shaping forces of our times.
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