As we head into the final quarter of 2012, it’s time to take stock of what’s going on in the gold and silver markets. In the third quarter—August and September specifically—both metals saw tremendous gains from their summer lows. At the beginning of the third quarter (July 1), gold hovered around the $1600/oz mark for…
What the Fed Isn’t Saying: The (Unintended) Consequences of Quantitative Easing
In our last two posts, we touched on the Federal Reserve’s controversial decision – to purchase $40 billion in mortgage-backed securities every month for an indefinite period of time – and the effect it’s having on the gold and silver markets. News coverage on the monetary stimulus seems to be centered primarily on what the…
House of Representatives Overwhelmingly Passes Fed Audit Bill
H.R. 459, better known as the Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2012 (…or Audit the Fed), has passed the full House of Representatives by a vote of 327-98. Passage of the bill represents a crowning achievement in the career of Congressman Ron Paul, the bill’s author. For decades as a congressman and 3-time presidential candidate,…
A Six-Figure Income Isn’t What it Used to Be
In decades past, the magic 6-figure salary was (…and still is) a monumental accomplishment. Individuals and families with earnings over $100k per year often had two nice cars, a nice home, took good vacations and still had plenty left over to save for the kid’s college and retirement. But inflation (…or rising prices) has eaten…
States Seek Alternatives to the U.S. Dollar
In the last couple of years, an increasing number of state legislatures across the country have introduced bills to allow gold and silver to be used as legal tender. In 2011, Utah became the first state to introduce its own alternative currency to the U.S. dollar. That state’s governor, Gary Herbert, signed a bill in…
Some Analysts Claim Gold Way Undervalued Due to Market Manipulation
Due to the strong impact gold prices have on interest rates and government bond rates, many analysts believe the price of gold has been manipulated by bullion trading banks, central banks and the U.S. Government. While this certainly isn’t the first we’ve heard about manipulation in the gold market, it’s the first we’ve chosen to…
