Dear Reader, The Federal Reserve raised interest rates so fast that short-term interest rates have exceeded long-term rates, creating an inverted yield curve – which is a precursor to recessions. Inflation is at levels not seen in decades, and the 2-year bond yield are nearly 4.5% and 10-year bonds are 3.6% – and the Fed […]
The moment the Consumer Price Index (CPI) was released by the Commerce Department at 7.7% the market cheered.All indexes opened up big and kept going higher.The NASDAQ Composite finished up over 7%, its best “CPI Day” run ever, and one of its largest one-day moves ever.
Let me tell you why this is not good news...
The most recent consumer price inflation (or CPI) hit the headlines earlier this week, which wasn't great.The CPI, which tracks the costs of goods and services, jumped 8.5% from a year ago, just above the already Dow Jones estimate of 8.4%.
Today, a dollar doesn’t pack the same value it did ten years ago.That’s because of inflation.And as you might have noticed, nowadays it's getting out of hand.The Labor Department's latest numbers show the consumer price index rising 7.5% in January, the highest reading in 40 years.
The left wing of the Democratic Party has a lot of ambitious proposals on the table in the form of the Green New Deal, and they've come up with an imaginative way to pay for it: Modern Monetary Theory, or MMT for short. This is essentially the idea that there's nothing to prevent a sovereign government like the United States from printing as much money as it needs to pay for whatever it wants.
But here's why MMT would end in disaster...
The news has been rife with rumors of rising inflation in recent weeks, leaving many investors wondering how to navigate the market.
One option is to panic - that's what Wall Street is doing.
However, Money Morning Capital Wave Strategist Shah Gilani knows we shouldn't be panicking.
We should be planning our first profit play...
The very goods that have kept inflation low since the late 90s are about to become a whole lot more expensive.
Here's why inflation is here to stay...
...and how you could play it to double your money by June...
Inflation in January nearly doubled analyst expectations.
Wall Street may be panicking, but we're not.
Here's what really matters in the markets right now, and what you should do...
The Fed has kept interest rates stuck near zero for the last seven years, so there's little wonder investors and savers feel like "perma-zero" is the new paradigm.
Despair and ennui have settled in. According to the Fed, some 31% of non-retired Americans have no savings or pension whatsoever.
Some have been frozen out, unable to save thanks to stagnating incomes and dismal job prospects. Others who might otherwise be able to save just don't see the point when they're not making any interest to speak of.
That negative outlook is understandable, given today's economic realities. But it doesn't have to be that way.
Not when a small investment in one easy-to-buy asset can make so much difference...
If Mark Twain were alive today, he'd probably say that there are "lies, damned lies, and inflation statistics."
There just aren't many more important numbers that so many depend on and that are so regularly and maliciously manipulated.
You see, wages, pensions, and Social Security are all dependent in some measure on the Consumer Price Index. It affects the income of some 80 million Americans through contracts or indexation.
Unless you have this investment on your side...
Policymakers need to start being more honest about how the U.S. debt works.
It's an age-old debate among the members of Congress. How do we cut the budget? How do we reduce the debt?
But that debate is being framed in the wrong way.
Here's what no one in Congress is telling you about how the U.S. debt works...
While the investing world is focused on Greece, events unfolding right now in Africa offer another important cautionary tale.
Thanks to reckless political and economic mismanagement, Zimbabwe holds clues to the future of other nations - like ours.
Granted, this failed state's policies have been more egregious than those perpetrated by the U.S. government against its people. Nonetheless, some of the outcomes could be similar. And I'm going to tell you one way to protect yourself.
But preparing for it is easier than you'd think...
Deflation in 2015 seems to be upon us. And while falling prices might seem like a good thing, deflation can wreak havoc on the economy.
In a deflationary period, prices will drop, corporate profits will dry up, wages will shrink, and all of this will reinforce the conditions of recessions.
These four charts show that the U.S. has a real deflation problem now...
Gold stocks are poised for an upswing.
Just recently, the European Central Bank (ECB) announced a new policy to promote lending and, ultimately, inflation in the Eurozone. The move sent investors flocking to precious metals like gold and silver. And a recent election in April saw the seating of a new government in India. On account of the platforms of these new leaders, the Indian press has indicated to expect a considerable decrease in import duties.
Silver prices have been sideways this week, cooling off from a mid-June rally sparked by inflation-minded investors wary of the U.S. Federal Reserve's dovish talk.
But the second half of the year looks good - here's why ...
