Precious Metal & Rare Coin Market News

The Federal Reserve raised its key interest rate by half a percentage point on Wednesday - the biggest rate increase in 22 years - as the central bank battles against runaway inflation in the U.S. The Fed bumped up the Fed Funds rate by half a percentage point to 0.75% and 1% and also announced a reduction in its balance sheet by $95 billion. Gold climbed following the Fed's announcement this afternoon, trading at $1,899 ... >> Read More        

The rising price of oil is a concern for many Americans. The average price of a gallon of gasoline reached an all-time high just weeks ago. Oil is becoming more expensive for three reasons. Demand is rising as the economy continues to return to normal as the country learns to manage COVID. The war in Ukraine has altered the supply chain. Energy companies like Shell, BP, and Exxon have all exited their energy deals with ... >> Read More        

Gold is already shining brightly in 2022, compared to other investment asset classes. Yet, new research reports from the Wells Fargo Investment Institute and BofA Global Research reveal that gold has more room to run on the upside. Let's take a quick look at recent market performance. Through late April, gold is up 6% year-to-date, while the S&P 500 is down 6%, and the tech-heavy NASDAQ is down over 13%. Ten year Treasury yields nudged ... >> Read More        

Diversification is the first rule investors learn. Spread your investment across a greater number of assets to avoid overexposure to risk in one area. The concept is simple and intuitive. It is also becoming more difficult to follow. Assets become more correlated as the economy becomes more globalized. This increasing globalization is more apparent than ever as sanctions against Russia take hold. In response, European countries are struggling to find energy alternatives. Simultaneously, countries are ... >> Read More        

Many people believe the U.S. government was the first organization to mint gold mined in California. In truth, this historical touchstone belongs to Salt Lake City, Utah. The origin of this story, however, does not begin in Salt Lake City. Instead, it starts in San Diego during the Mexican-American War. This was the destination of the Mormon Battalion. During their march some members of the battalion traveled north and eventually started working for James Marshall ... >> Read More        

In the 1870's, several nations began advocating for the creation of a universal coin that could be used in international trade. The idea gained traction in 1879. That year, John A. Kasson, the U.S. envoy to Austria-Hungary proposed a U.S. $4 gold coin, which would state its metallic content in the metric system to make it simpler for Europeans to use. The proposed $4 coin would roughly equate to the value of the Spanish 20-peseta, ... >> Read More        

If you are a successful entrepreneur, small business owner or a high net worth individual who has accumulated wealth through your innovation, hard work and smart investing, the government is coming for you. The Biden administration rolled out a major tax reform proposal last week called the "Billionaire Minimum Income Tax." This aggressive proposal would result in a huge tax hit on America's high-net worth households if enacted, and it's not just the billionaires who ... >> Read More        

NEW ORLEANS, LA, April 6, 2022 – Blanchard and Company, the nation's leading tangible asset firm, made numismatic history again following this week's public auction of the Zito family collection. Included were two 1907 $10 Indian pieces that shattered previous auction records.  These coins, an NGC MS68 1907 $10 Indian Wire Edge and a CAC PCGS MS67 1907 Rolled Edge, both sold at nearly double their previous record highs. Over an eight-year period, Blanchard advised ... >> Read More        

In mid-March, the movie theater chain AMC announced their agreement to buy a stake in Hycroft Mining Holding Corp. AMC will spend $27.9 million for a 22% stake. The investment offers much-needed support for the mining operation which is struggling financially. Hycroft owns a mine in Northern Nevada and is aiming to raise cash by selling shares. Their goal is to generate $500 million. In recent months, AMC has seen a dramatic improvement in their ... >> Read More        

Prior to the 2008 Global Financial Crisis, the Federal Reserve board relied upon a little known but useful guideline that economists called "The Taylor Rule." We thought it was time to dust off the Taylor Rule, shine some light on what it says – and also discuss what's happened since the Fed abandoned its previously useful guideline. First, what is the Taylor Rule? Stanford University professor John Taylor introduced this formula in 1993 which prescribes ... >> Read More