Peter's Blog

John Hussman: This Stock Market Bubble Will End in Tears

John Hussman predicted the 2000 and 2008 stock market crashes. Now he’s saying the current stock market bubble will “end in tears.” In a recent note, the Hussman Trust president said the S&P 500 needs to plunge 64% in order to “restore run-of-the-mill long-term prospective returns.”

Oklahoma Woman’s Bag of “Junk Silver” Coins Worth More Than 17 Times Face Value

A bag of “junk silver” given to a woman by her father more than 50 years ago is now worth at least five figures. The Oklahoma woman received a bag of 2,000 silver half-dollar coins as a gift back in 1970. While the face value of the coins is just $1,000, the silver alone is […]

Number of US Corporate Defaults Already Bigger Than Last Year

The number of corporate debt defaults in 2023 has already exceeded the total number of defaults last year. According to data from Moody Investment Services, 55 American-based companies defaulted on loans through the first half of 2023. That was a 53% increase over the total number of defaults in 2022.

How Do You Get Pure Gold Out of Ore?

If you buy a gold bar or gold coin, you get beautiful, shiny metal. Of course, gold doesn’t come out of the ground that way. Gold ore basically looks like — well — a rock. In order to extract pure gold, refiners put the ore through a multi-step process.

More Than 800 Gold and Silver Coins Found in Kentucky Cornfield

A Kentucky man hit the jackpot when he uncovered money in a cornfield. The unidentified man unearthed 741 $1 coins along with a number of $10 and $20 pieces. There were more than 800 coins in the hoard with a face value of well over $1,000. Oh, and the coins were gold and silver, so […]

Shrinkflation: You’re Paying More and Getting Less

We are all keenly aware of price inflation. We notice those rising prices every time we go into a store. But the inflation boogeyman is hitting you even harder than you realize. Not only are you paying more for pretty much everything you buy, you’re getting less. Literally. It’s called shrinkflation.

Many Countries Bringing Their Gold Home for Safekeeping

In the wake of Western sanctions on Russia after the invasion of Ukraine, many central banks are bringing their gold home for safekeeping, according to an Invesco survey of central banks and sovereign wealth funds.

Credit Card Borrowing Still Running Hot Even as Borrowing for Big-Ticket Items Tanks

Americans continued to run up credit card debt in May, but borrowing for big-ticket items tanked. This could indicate that cash-strapped, over-leveraged consumers are reaching the end of the rope. American consumers borrowed another $7.2 billion in May, increasing total consumer debt to a record $4.865 trillion, according to the latest data released by the […]

Gold Up 5.4% Through First Half of 2023

Despite a lackluster June, the price of gold rose 5.4% through the first six months of 2023 and was the second-best performing asset class behind only developed market stocks.

Eight Central Banks Increased Gold Holdings in May

Excluding another big sale by Turkey, central banks were net buyers of gold in May, according to the latest data compiled by the World Gold Council. Eight central banks added gold to their reserves in May with net purchases totaling 50 tons.