Inflation/Deflation: The Economy Is An Elephant

This is the key dynamic of the economy going forward: defaults on debt, declining wealth as assets are relentlessly repriced lower and sharp declines in income due to layoffs and debt defaults.

The economy is like an elephant surrounded by blindfolded economists and pundits: what each blindfolded person reports about the elephant depends on what part they happen to touch.

This is why aggregate measures such as gross domestic product (GDP) and the consumer price index (CPI) will be misleading and therefore useless going forward: different parts of the economy might experience sharp deflation while other parts are experiencing rapid inflation. What each household and enterprise will experience depends on their exposure to these cross-currents.

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Gold Is Dangerously Under-owned by Americans, Especially Now Gold Is Dangerously Under-owned by Americans, Especially Now

Far from being mired in the summer doldrums, precious metals markets appear to be on their way to making this summer one for investors to celebrate.  $20+ silver and new record highs for gold are both well within reach.

Even as the big tech stocks that make up the Nasdaq are posting rip-roaring gains, the best performing sector of 2020 has actually been the gold miners.  The HUI gold mining stock index is up 30% year to date – and up over 90% since bottoming in March.

Investors who bought just about any stock market sector near the climax of the panic selling have since been able to make big gains.  But valuations are now becoming stretched while the earnings picture for most companies remains shaky.

Perhaps equities will be able to ride the rising tide of liquidity provided by the Federal Reserve to still higher heights.  But Michael Howell, the CEO of Crossborder Capital, urged CNBC International viewers to consider diversifying into gold.

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