Market Updates

The term inflation refers to a sustained increase in the price of goods and services. In other words, things are getting more expensive. As goods and services get more expensive, a unit of currency will not buy as much of them. For example, as gasoline prices go up, every dollar buys less gas. As the price of a loaf of bread rises, every dollar buys less bread.

Diversification is a term many have heard, but few understand. Without getting into any fancy definitions, diversification is a way to try and improve returns for your level of risk. What does that mean? Well, it means that one can construct a portfolio based on numerous factors such as one’s age, time horizon and volatility tolerance. In order to try and maintain one’s level of risk, a mixed portfolio of various asset classes may be used.

The relationship between gold and the U.S. dollar is an important one. Understanding this relationship can be advantageous when it comes to making investment decisions.

The spot gold price is in a constant state of flux. The price of gold may experience quiet periods as well as volatile periods in which large swings in price may be seen. That being said, there are a number of factors that may potentially influence gold prices.

A common question among those new to investing in precious metals is what exactly to purchase. The reality is that there is no one size fits all when it comes to buying physical gold, silver or other precious metals. Here we will provide a quick guide, however, to help you decide what products may be best for your needs. Please keep in mind that no investment advice is being given or implied.

One common question gold investors may face is whether to buy their gold or precious metals from a local bullion or coin dealer or buy from an online precious metals dealer. The fact is that buying precious metals online can have a number of advantages. This short guide will outline why buying your gold online may be a better deal.

Many people who are new to buying gold, silver and other precious metals fail to grasp the differences between bullion coins and numismatic coins. These two coin types are in fact very different, and may be used for different purposes. Here we will outline both bullion coins and numismatics, and discuss the differences between the two. Having a thorough understanding of these differences may help you buy the coins that are most suitable for your needs.

For U.S. customers, buying physical precious metals within an IRA account may be important. An IRA account provides investors with a way to acquire certain precious metals on a tax-deferred or after tax basis. If you are interested in purchasing precious metals for your IRA account, there are a number of rules and strict guidelines that must be adhered to. For any questions on IRA eligibility or tax related matters, please consult your tax professional. Here we will outline some of the basic guidelines, but nothing contained in this guide should be considered tax advice. 

One has many different choices to make when buying precious metals. There are thousands of coin and bullion products to choose from, and these different products come in various forms including coins, bullion bars, and rounds. Here we will discuss each type of product, and discuss any pros or cons of each.

There are many excellent precious metals retailers today that sell coin and bullion products to customers. As with any other type of business, however, there are some dealers that may not have their customer’s best interest at heart. Here we will discuss some common ways one may be taken advantage of when buying precious metals, and how to avoid them.

When looking to invest in gold, silver or other precious metals, people face a variety of choices. You can buy gold or silver based ETFs, mining stocks, precious metals certificates, or coins, bars and rounds.

Like a rock tumbling down hill, oil prices have broken 40 dollars per barrel and sustained their downward momentum. Bearish reports ranging from the outcome of the OPEC meeting in Vienna over a week ago to supply outlooks from the International Energy Agency continue to weigh on the global crude market and have further dampening effects on global financial markets.

This past week in the markets set the scene for a diverging picture in terms of monetary policy in the United States versus the reset of the world. Through speeches and congressional testimony, US Fed Chair Janet Yellen made clear that a December rate hike remains on the table as the US Federal Reserve looks to lift off of rock bottom interest rates on December the 16th. 

A lot is being made of remarks from Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen earlier this week and the likelihood of the Federal Reserve raising rates as early as December. This is because, all else being equal, the US economy no longer warrants emergency level interest rates. Fridays US jobs report added further evidence to this, and that in fact the lame payroll numbers of August and September look more to be anomalies than a slowdown of the US economy, which was immediately impacted by economic instability in Asia. 

The three words in the title sufficiently describe the state of the globes financial markets. Although, directionless might be a little over optimistic given the S&P 500 is down nearly 6 per cent over the last 3 months and the yield on the US 10 year bond has moved from approximately 2.3 per cent to again below 2 per cent for the fifth time this year. 

It has been 81 months, and counting. The US Federal Reserve has missed another opportunity to raise interest rates. Instead, Janet Yellen and her fellow committee members cited global economic and financial uncertainty, sidelining Fed policy for at least another month. The problem with the Federal Reserve’s decision Thursday, and in turn their decision making process is that it paves way for greater uncertainty. 

August was the 80th successive month of the US Federal Reserve standing pat and not adjusting their key policy interest rate known as the federal funds rate. This Wednesday could mark the first rate move since December of 2008. As investors attempt to determine the actions of the US Federal Reserve, this “will they, or wont they” scenario has cast a cloud over the markets for the past few month as the US Fed readies themselves for liftoff. 

On the 10th of August we witnessed the Peoples Bank of China decision to allow the yuan to depreciate for the first time in two decades. Brazil, the “B” in the sensation that was the BRIC economies tabled a budget this week that roiled the real, its currency, and sparked fears among investors that its debt would be relegated to junk status by credit rating agencies. 

It may just be my natural bias, but it seems the “anti-gold bugs” have more animosity and emotion when expressing their views on gold then the gold bugs have in their excitement for the yellow metal. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with being bearish on gold at present time. Especially as the trend following the undeniable strength of the US dollar and chatter of the US Federal Reserve hiking interest rates gives little reason or evidence to go against consensus. 

Make no mistake; the European Central Bank (ECB) has decisively been the game changer for how events are unfolding in Greece. The decision by the ECB to limit the emergency liquidity assistance provided to Greek financial institutions prompted the bank closures, which if they remain will have devastating and escalating effects on their economy.