Will the Yield Curve Indicate a Recession Once Again?
One key indicator of the economy’s health that economists and financial market observers look at is the yield curve. In particular, they look at the spread between the yield on 2-year Treasury bonds and 10-year Treasury bonds. As the difference between the yield on those two maturities narrows, the yield curve is said to be flattening. And in some...
Job Growth Seems Strong, But How Does That Reflect on the Economy?
There’s a tendency, when looking at economic data, to look at aggregate measures and use them as proxies to determine the health of the economy. When looking at job numbers, for example, it’s tempting to look at figures for the total number of jobs, number of employment openings, and the unemployment rate to figure out how healthy the economy...
Passive Investing Doesn’t Mean Being a Passive Investor
One of the most popular investing strategies today, and one that’s growing more popular all the time, is passive investing. It’s a strategy that focuses on investing in low-cost funds that track popular stock indices, such as the S&P 500, the Russell 2000, the Wilshire 5000, etc. Rather than trying to beat markets through active stock-picking, the passive funds...
The Founders Had It Right When It Comes to Gold and Silver
Last week marked the 242nd anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, which began one of the greatest experiments in liberty the world has ever seen. But while we can see with hindsight how successful the American Revolution was, there were a number of times when it came perilously close to failure. Learning their lesson, the Founding...
Are Banks Beginning to Keep Their Customers’ Gold?
There are concerning new reports emanating from Europe that customers looking to withdraw large amounts of cash or gold from their banks are being denied. And while that is understandably frustrating for the depositors involved, it’s a worrying sign for all depositors everywhere. When the time comes to request your cash or your gold, do you know that you’ll...