Philip N. Diehl is the president of U.S. Money Reserve and a published analyst of the precious metals markets. As 35th Director of the U.S. Mint (1994–2000), Diehl oversaw one of the most impressive government agency turnarounds in recent U.S. history through new product initiatives, increased oversight, strategic reorganization, and fiscal responsibility. His experience and expert knowledge in the field of precious metals strengthens U.S. Money Reserve’s commitment to a superior customer experience.
As I write this morning, gold prices have yet again set new records, breaking $2,500/oz. During this extraordinary 10-month rally that began at $1,820/oz., most analysts have focused on the forces that have driven rising gold demand over this period. And rightly so;...
News reports this week revealed that a confidential assessment by the Comptroller of the Currency—the OCC—a key U.S. bank regulator, found that 11 of the 22 biggest banks it oversees lack a full understanding of major risks they face. These 22 banks are a “Who’s Who”...
Over the last nine months, gold has rallied by $600 per ounce. That’s a 33% increase in only nine months. Over that time, prices have repeatedly jumped on news, or speculation, that inflation was falling or that the Federal Reserve would soon cut interest...
On June 12, 2024, Federal Reserve officials announced that the central bank had not yet seen enough progress on the inflation front to cut interest rates, and they lowered their projections for the number of rate cuts this year from two to one. This was big news...
Here’s something I learned while I worked in Washington, D.C.: When everyone seems to agree on a “fact,” it’s time to get skeptical and go to the data. For example, if you follow business news, you know that consumer debt has climbed to levels that warn the...
I recall first hearing concerns about the financial viability of Social Security when I was in my 20s. At the time, the prospect of that problem affecting me personally seemed pretty remote. 45 years later, I’m now receiving Social Security benefits—and this prospect...
One of my first challenges as U.S. Mint Director was developing a marketing plan for a commemorative coin program that would help fund the staging of the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympic Games. There is a long history of Congress mandating the minting and sale of...
The current rally in gold prices—now surpassing an increase of $500/oz.—began within hours of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. Since then, extraordinary demand from central banks and Chinese retail buyers and uncertainty about inflation and interest rates...
Thirty-four trillion dollars. That’s how much our country owes holders of U.S. Treasury debt—and that’s double what we owed only 15 years ago. The last time the United States ran budget surpluses was from 1997 to 2001. I remember it well. I was Mint Director at the...
If you follow financial news, you probably know that gold has been on a tear recently, setting and resetting all-time record highs. Knowing why this is happening is crucial to understanding that this rally is just getting underway. When did this latest gold rally...
Here’s some news I bet you haven’t heard: In one of the most dramatic rallies of all time, gold prices rose almost $260/oz. over the span of just 11 weeks late last year. That amounts to a gain of 14%, which if annualized, comes to an appreciation rate of 70%. In 11...
During a recent interview on CBS’s 60 Minutes, Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell was asked if the national debt is a danger to the economy. He answered, “In the long run, the U.S. is on an unsustainable fiscal path. The U.S. federal government is on an...
