Precious Metal & Rare Coin Market News

The Federal Reserve said today it plans to raise its benchmark interest rate at least three times in 2022, in an attempt to tame the big jump in consumer inflation that is spiraling throughout the economy. The Fed also sped up the pace of its "tapering" or reduced bond-buying spree by $30 billion per month and will end the program in March. The Fed has been buying bonds every month to support the economy after ... >> Read More        

As snow begins to blanket northern parts of our nation and holiday lights twinkle on city streets, Wall Street firms begin rolling out their forecasts, projections and economic outlooks for the next year. As the nation continues to grapple with political polarization in the wake of the 2020 presidential election, the uncertainty of a new COVID variant, Omicron, and unsettling high levels of consumer inflation, what could lie ahead? Let's take a look at a ... >> Read More        

On the American Plains in 1937, a Buffalo with three legs could easily have been shot by a rancher or eaten for dinner by a pack of wolves. In the rare coin world, however, a 1937 Nickel with a three-legged Buffalo has become a legendary numismatic prize. You've probably heard of the Indian Head or Buffalo nickel. Many Americans of a certain age remember these coins surfacing in their pocket change regularly even into the ... >> Read More        

If two separate investments deliver the exact same return over the same period which is better? The concept of risk-adjusted returns helps answer this question. An investment’s risk-adjusted return reflects the amount of risk an asset presents to deliver a particular return, or possible return. In other words, the risk-adjusted return reflects not only the assets earning power but also the potential for loss. Here is another way to think about risk-adjusted returns. Consider two ... >> Read More        

On Tuesday, the Dow Jones Industrial average skidded over 600 points intraday. That followed a Black Friday session which saw stocks get hammered as well. What's going on? One factor that analysts warned about recently are the historically high levels of margin borrowing. Indeed, the recent stock plunges reveals the fragility of the uptrend in stocks and underscores how quickly the market can reverse. If you are unfamiliar with margin buying, it is a strategy ... >> Read More        

How would you feel if your bank denied you access to your money? Or, said you needed to wait 10 days before making a transaction like a wire transfer? While it may sound like a bad dream, it's happened to many Americans – including Blanchard clients. If this has in fact already happened to you – don't despair – you aren't alone. There are a surprising number of little known banking rules and regulations that ... >> Read More        

While many Americans struggle with the challenges of rising inflation – at the grocery store, at the gas pump, rising rent and more, stock market investors are a complacent bunch right now. The U.S. stock market is indeed enjoying double-digit gains in 2021, propelled higher by government spending that flooded the economy during the Covid crisis and the Fed's rock-bottom interest rates. Can this continue? There is an old market adage: the stock market takes ... >> Read More        

With less than eight weeks before the end of the year, many are beginning to ask what the US economy might look like in 2022. The recovery from COVID continues to push forward but the movement is stubbornly slow. Throughout the mid-1990s and mid-2000s the annual U.S. GDP growth surpassed 3 percent. Many analysts believe this performance will be unattainable in the coming years. There are three reasons for this low growth outlook. First, long-term ... >> Read More        

What currency should be used in world trade? Over 150 years ago, China and the United States wrangled over that very question – just as they do today. For those of you that don't follow global economics closely, today, importers and exporters that buy and sell goods across country lines like crude oil, diamonds, cars and vehicle parts and even computers – primarily use the U.S. dollar to complete the transactions. Example: when China wants ... >> Read More        

Nearly two years after COVID-19 hit our shores, sending our nation into an economic tailspin, the Federal Reserve announced today it is dialing back on its emergency bond-buying program. Wall Street expected today's announcement that the Fed would taper its monthly bond purchases. Gold registered little reaction to the news, recently trading at around $1,765 an ounce. "In light of the substantial further progress the economy has made toward the Committee's goals since last December, ... >> Read More