Will the Fed Cut Interest Rates Next Month?
All of Wall Street is anticipating a cut to the federal funds rate at next month’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting. The meeting, the last before Washington empties out in August, will set the stage for summer and early fall trading, with the following meeting not scheduled until September 17-18. While the Fed didn’t cut rates at its...
The EU’s Internal Strife Sets the Stage for Gold
As much as authorities in Brussels would like to pretend that the EU is as united as ever, major fissures have erupted over the past several years as EU authorities continue their quest to unify the continent. While previous discontent was largely confined to smaller and more peripheral members, the latest feuds are starting to involve disputes between and...
Is a Hybrid Plan for Social Security a Good Idea?
Anyone who has been paying attention to Social Security’s fiscal problems knows that the system is woefully underfunded. Years of surpluses and interest income have lulled everyone into a false sense of security. But now total Social Security tax receipts plus interest income on the trust fund are not enough to pay the total amount of Social Security payments...
Finding the Right Fit: 401(k) vs. Gold IRA
Every American worker dreams at some point of retirement. The thought of living according to your own schedule, doing what you want to do, and not having to answer to anyone else is incredibly tempting. But too many workers put off thinking about retirement until it’s far too late. Thinking about retirement isn’t something that happens when you’re in your...
Chinese Government Accelerating Its Rate of Gold Purchases
By now most people are aware that one of the major factors behind increasing gold demand around the world is increased demand from governments and central banks. Rather than being net sellers of gold like they were 10-20 years ago, central banks have become net buyers of gold, with demand from central banks increasing to near-record levels over the...