With the announcement of "QE2", the debate over the proper role of the Federal Reserve and whether it maintains the ability to positively effect the economy is heating up. A recent op-ed in the New York Times has elicited an avalanche of response from all sides of the conversation and prompted the publishing icon to provide a forum for the conversation to be carried out. Experts and neophytes, gold bugs and gold detractors alike are weighing in. The important point is that the conversation is … [Read more...]

As the ranking member of the House Subcommittee for Domestic Monetary Policy and Technology, Texas Congressman Ron Paul will more than likely take over as the chair in the next session. From that position he sees taking the committee in a little more aggressive direction. According to the senior editor at CNBC.com, John Carney, in his blog "NetNet", Dr. Paul will be looking to make some moves on behalf of sound monetary policy that should appeal to more than just the Austrians in the crowd.  … [Read more...]

"QE2" is what experts are calling the latest round of "quantitative easing" being engaged by the Fed. The announcement made today after two days of talks includes an estimated $600 billion in purchases of Treasury bonds. The deeper story here though is the clear and distinctive rift between the chairs of the regional Fed banks. In their defense (albeit weak though it is) the central private bank is really without much ammo at their disposal to fight this battle currently. Their move to lower … [Read more...]

Looking at the metals market, you may have noticed the dramatic increase in the price of silver versus gold and other metals in the past year. Many attribute these gains to the uncovering of market manipulation that has been accomplished by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission chaired by Bart Chilton. The CTFC has been engaged in an investigation of the practices of major market players for three years and recently Chilton testified before Congress on what he has found. And the earth … [Read more...]

There are more than a few heads spinning as a result of the current tremors in the commodities market. You may be asking if now is the time to buy, sell or stick to using your AOCS Approved medallions as an exchange/barter vehicle. As long as the market is headed towards a more accurate reflection of the true value of silver, then the best advice may well be to grab as much silver as you can and hold on to some and trade with the rest. Obviously you want to have the greatest amount of buying … [Read more...]

Dollar stability took another slight hit yesterday as it was reported by Bloomberg.com that China and Russia will begin trading the yuan and ruble directly. To date conversion into US dollars has been a required step in the process. Now, as these producing nations move toward greater efficiency in direct trades, the dollar will lose another position of significance. You can learn more about the planned transition by reading the article at Bloomberg.com. Here's a sample... Yuan Trading … [Read more...]