Executive Insights

For many months, financial news outlets and analysts have been discussing the chances of a “soft landing”—a situation in which inflation decelerates to normal levels without a recession or other economic downturn. This scenario remains the stated goal of the Federal Reserve as it attempts to tighten monetary policy and rein in inflation. Recent data,…

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 in the United States have continued to fuel record prices for physical gold. Now conflict…

No matter how the financial industry changes or what new digital currencies are developed, precious metals are still considered a powerful and oftentimes preferred vehicle for wealth protection. That reputation goes back thousands of years, and there’s no sign that precious metals like silver and gold are going to lose their allure any time soon.…

We live in a digital world—one where seemingly every aspect of our lives is in some way controlled or affected by electronic networks. Communication, travel, entertainment, and finance are all areas in which we’re now forced to rely almost entirely on our smartphones, computers, and the internet. It makes sense, then, that when so many…

If you study enough history, patterns begin to emerge. Certain major events become cyclical, with even the most extraordinary circumstances having precedents. This is true for both paper money and for gold, as we can see from the recent failure of a nation’s currency and that nation’s turn to physical gold. But could this failure…

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 time. The national debt was under $6 trillion…

A fundamental step in learning how to buy silver is knowing how different types of silver are made. Two common types of silver are hand-poured silver and cast silver. They are both silver products, but this comparison explains how they differ in the manufacturing process and why it matters. Understanding Cast Silver The Process of…

The dollar continues to lose popularity on the global stage. Right now, the signs are subtle— shrinking holdings of U.S. Treasurys by other nations, negative statements about the dollar from world leaders—but the story they tell is clear. The U.S. dollar could fall, and it could be taking the stock market with it. De-dollarization is…

Higher interest rates are a tool utilized by the Federal Reserve to fight inflation. And while it may prove successful, it may also come at the cost of a constrained economy. Many of the side effects of high interest rates are obvious—difficulty in borrowing means fewer Americans buying homes or starting businesses, for example—but there’s…

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 begin, and what set it off? It began October 7, 2023,…

Did you know that you can sometimes tell when a storm is coming by observing changes in animal behavior? Many animals—including birds, cows, sheep, and frogs—are known to indicate through their behavior that a storm is imminent by seeking shelter. The same is often true with financial markets, with the behavior of major market players…

Numismatics is the study of all forms of currency and payment methods, such as coins and paper money. The term “numismatics” may also refer to the hobby of currency collecting. Technology has expanded the payment methods that are commonly used today and in turn has expanded the study of numismatics. How can everyday people benefit…