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The Fed’s Catch-22 Taper Is A Weapon, Not A Policy Error

December 26, 2021

The Fed’s Catch-22 Taper Is A Weapon, Not A Policy Error

Back in 2018 leading up to Christmas the Federal Reserve began publicly flirting with the notion of ending asset purchases, reducing their balance sheet and committing to an all around taper of stimulus. I wrote about it extensively at the time along with my position that the Fed could and would taper, at least for a short period, which would lead to an accelerated crash of stocks. This did in fact happen, but as we all know the Fed reversed course not long after.

This reversal was seen by many as proof that the Fed would “never” actually pursue a full blown taper and that stimulus measures would go on forever. I believed it could be a dry run for a more aggressive taper event down the road. I argued that the fed would continue stimulus until stagflation became evident to the public, and then a careful game of scapegoating would have to be played and another taper would commence.

It is also important to understand that there were many in the economic media that also argued that because the dollar is the preeminent world reserve currency the central bank could print dollars perpetually without inflationary consequences. This notion became a basic fundamental of Modern Monetary Theory (MMT).

Of course, MMT is utter nonsense. There are ALWAYS consequences for overt money creation even for world reserve currencies. It doesn’t matter if you try to price your national currency without comparisons to foreign currencies; under globalism and economic interdependency the velocity of money matters. If a country is printing with wild abandon, those dollars are going to buy less labor, less production and less goods overseas. Nothing defeats the laws of supply and demand, not even strategic debt creation.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Chaos and the Triumph of Survival

December 26, 2021

CHAOS AND THE TRIUMPH OF SURVIVAL

One of the most horrifying works of art is Bruegel’s “The Triumph of Death” painted in 1562. The painting depicts the end of life on earth.

I sincerely hope that this is not what the world will literally look like in the next decade or two but metaphorically this is not an unlikely depiction of the chaos that could hit us all.

For a detailed description of the grim painting see here

Triumph of death

The Black Death plague of the 14th century, which killed up to half of the world’s population, clearly had a major influence on the painter.

The moral message is that when chaos hits, the destruction will affect everyone, rich and poor, young and old. No one will escape by power or devotion.

The financial, economic and moral devastation which is about to hit the world will for more than 99.5% of the people come out of the blue like a flash from a clear sky.

For most people, coming events will thus be like the definition of the word CHAOS: “A state of total confusion and disorder”.

CHAOS NUMBER 1: COVID

Talking about disorder, just like the Black Death that inspired Bruegel’s painting, the world is now facing a global pandemic. But rather than the nearer 50% of global population that perished in the mid 1300s, today we are looking at total deaths from the current pandemic of 0.06% of the world population! And even that figure might be overestimated due to the classification rules applied.

For that minuscule percentage the world has now been paralysed for the third year soon.

There are lockdowns, quarantines, compulsory vaccines with unlined boosters, covid passports, closed schools, closed offices, major industries like leisure haemorrhaging, airlines going bankrupt, shortages of labour, components, products, closed borders, and for the few people who dare to and can travel across borders, more bureaucracy, paperwork and tests than in a police state…

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Inflation In 2021 Far Different From What We Had In 1979

December 23, 2021

Inflation In 2021 Far Different From What We Had In 1979

The inflation of today is a starkly different creature than what we faced in 1979. The world is massively different and presenting us with a strain of inflation that will most likely be stronger and more difficult to combat without major disruptions to our economy. This article is an attempt to highlight the differences and why today the position we find ourselves in is much more precarious.New data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed price inflation in November rose to the highest in forty years. Allianz Chief Economic Advisor Mohamed El-Erian warned the Federal Reserve is losing credibility by not tapering its balance sheet to rein in inflation. Appearing on CBS’ “Face the Nation” he stated the most significant miscalculation in decades is the Fed’s inability to characterize inflation correctly. It was only on November 30th that Fed Chair Jerome Powell finally retired the term “transitory” and opted to label inflation as persistent.

President Biden responded to rising inflation has been to call upon Congress to pass his Build Back Better plan. Biden claims this will lower how much families pay for health care, prescription drugs, child care, and more.” In reality, of course, the passage of BBB would increase inflationary pressure throughout the economy and only transfer these soaring costs from the individual to the government.

The idea the economy of 2021 is strong enough to allow a rapid and huge surge in interest rates such as those imposed upon America in 1981 is false. During America’s prior bout with inflation 40 years ago the economy was able to withstand the shock. Yes, we did have a recession, but it was short-lived because the foundation of our economy was much stronger. America was not bleeding from huge trade deficits and people had real jobs.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

The Clouds Have Cleared in 2021, and What We Are Seeing Is a Dystopian 2022

December 22, 2021

The Clouds Have Cleared in 2021, and What We Are Seeing Is a Dystopian 2022

Photo by Javier Quiroga

This year was a doozy. Right out of the gate, millionaires were sounding the alarm that the markets were looking overvalued while reducing their risk exposure.

In February we got a taste of what could be the “end game” for the U.S. dollar as we saw it lose more of its grip as global reserve currency. Of course, it won’t collapse overnight because market psychology is still propping it up (for now).

But three big major economic influences have made 2021 one to remember. This chaotic “trifecta of market turbulence” kept the media busy and retirement savers on the edge of their seats.

So without further ado, let’s dive into the first one…

The confused Fed

Back in 2019 when the repo markets started going crazy, we reported how the Fed’s “confused” response only added fuel to a fire that continued to burn into this year.

And this year, one word you might have heard coming from Powell’s mouth with nauseating frequency to describe rising inflation was “transitory.” Over and over again, Powell’s confused Fed kept downplaying inflation…

Until it was obvious to everybody that inflation wasn’t transitory any longer. When Senator Pat Toomey challenged Powell during an appearance before Congress, the Fed chairman was forced to change his tune:

Powell explained that while the word has “different meanings to different people,” the Federal Reserve “tend to use it to mean that it won’t leave a permanent mark in the form of higher inflation.

“I think it’s — it’s probably a good time to retire that word and try to explain more clearly what we mean,” Powell added.

(We’ll discuss this in greater detail in a moment.)

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

“Peak Inflation Is Here”- Jim Rickards

December 19, 2021

“Peak Inflation Is Here”- Jim Rickards

Peak Inflation Is Here and Gone

Last week Stansberry Investor’s Daniela Cambone interviewed Jim Rickards and got his take on inflation. We think this is a solid interview and Jim makes some good reasonable explanations as to why inflation has done what it has. Rickards puts much of the blame squarely in two places: Supply chain problems, and Biden administration policies.

When asked: Why did used car prices go up? Rickards responded with ‘No new cars were available due to chip issues. People bought used cars.’

His explanation for energy problems is equally sensible. The push into clean energy was too fast and poorly executed. Smart energy companies took advantage of that, as did Russia’s Putin.

The thesis essentially is that money printed isn’t the cause of inflation. The sanitization of the printing via RRP and bond allocations dampen the inflationary effect. For Rickards, the supply chains and Biden Administration fiscal policies are the culprit.

The only area he did not touch upon was rents. That shoe has yet to drop fully. Will it be as easily explained? The other point he makes is the Fed may be raising rates into a recession. Enjoy.

Jim Rickards: We’ve Reached Peak Inflation; The Real Risk in 2022 and Why Cash Is Critical

“Expect inflation to come down very quickly,” due to incoming rate hikes expected from the Federal Reserve, says NYT best-selling author Jim Rickards.

You could see severe, “tightening into weakness,” with a potential of three rate hikes next year, he predicts with our Daniela Cambone during the premiere of this year’s series, Outlook 2022: The Tipping Point.

In order for gold to gain momentum and rise in price, “the dollar has to get weaker,” he says. Having money on the sidelines is vital, according to Rickards, in order to be nimble into the coming year.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Chairman Powell Paralyzed With Fear As Inflation Takes Over

December 16, 2021

Chairman Powell Paralyzed With Fear As Inflation Takes Over

Public domain, courtesy of the Federal Reserve

One thing is certain, inflation is no longer officially “transitory.”

For months, recently reappointed Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell kept telling the public that rising inflation was transitory, and would soon subside.

It hasn’t, and isn’t likely to in the near future either. So the next natural question to think about is: What now, Chairman Powell?

With four major pivots in monetary policy over a short three years, according to CNBC, both Powell and the Fed he leads seem confused about what to do next:

At its two-day meeting next week, the Fed is expected to say it will double the pace of its bond purchase taper, while also likely hinting at more aggressive interest rate hikes coming in 2022. The moves are coming in response to inflation that is stronger and longer-lasting than Fed officials had anticipated.

But [Joseph] LaVorgna worries that the Fed, after months of calling inflation “transitory,” is now making the mistake of overestimating its duration and tightening at the wrong time. That could necessitate officials again having to change back next year, if the current inflation trend runs out of steam. [emphasis added]

Powell’s remarks revealed his confusion about the economy, and why he chose the word “transitory” in the first place:

 “We tend to use it to mean that it won’t leave a permanent mark in the form of higher inflation,” he told the Senate Committee. “I think it’s probably a good time to retire that word and try to explain more clearly what we mean.”

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

 

Fear and Inflation — The Timeless Policy Tools of Discredited Systems

December 12, 2021

Fear and Inflation — The Timeless Policy Tools of Discredited Systems

If you’re wondering why the media, markets and mandates are making less sense despite a constant flow of hard facts contradicting their message, it’s critical to watch what is done rather than said by the policy makers behind the fear and inflation “new normal.”

The Latest Fed-Speak Translation: From “Transitory” to “Persistent” Inflation

To the extent there’s anything exciting about a cornered Jerome Powell, he was at least able to drop some bombshells at his November 30th meeting before Congress, including a truly cutting-edge observation and fear that inflation forces are “more persistent” and that it’s now time to retire the word “transitory” regarding the same.

Well, Jerome, we could have told you that long, long ago, but this, of course, is no shocker…

More Taper-Talk (Distraction)

Perhaps more “exciting” was his not-so-subtle announcement that the Fed plans to begin a discussion at its next meeting to accelerate the Fed taper by a few months.

Hmmm…

Despite the fact that any Fed Taper will in substance be a “non-taper” given backdoor liquidity tricks from the Standing Rep Facility and FIMA swap lines, the optics of such continued taper-talk will be negative for almost all assets save for the USD, the VIX trade, so-called “safe-haven” Treasuries and possibly gold.

Bitcoin’s Troubles

Needless to say, BTC didn’t respond too well, dropping by 20% in the wake of Powell’s double-speak; as of this writing, it rose by 9% in less than 24 hours.

Such dramatic price swings, in our opinion, confirm that cryptos (despite “consolidation” and “adoption” pains) will never be stores of value but rather volatile (and yes, exciting) speculation assets—though we know the crypto circles (who will likely also ignore recent warnings [raised by Jintao Ding] of quantum hacker risks) will strongly disagree.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

The next recession: Here’s when the ‘everything bubble’ will burst

December 10, 2021

The next recession: Here’s when the ‘everything bubble’ will burst

In October 20XX. That’s not a typo. To reach the best guesstimate of when the next recession will begin, we need to understand how the Federal Reserve creates unsustainable booms and why the next bust may be just around the corner.

A caveat is in order. As physicist Niels Bohr exclaimed, “Prediction is very difficult, especially if it’s about the future.” Nevertheless, I will weigh in fearlessly with my 10 cents. The Fed’s inflationary policies have increased my two cents fivefold. Maybe the next cryptocurrency is on the horizon: My 10 Cents.

If a dog can have a crypto, why can’t a retired finance professor who warned the public that prices were about to accelerate due to the Fed’s inflationary policies in the spring of 1976 have one?

Consumer prices rose 5.7% in 1976, 6.5% in 1977, 7.6% in 1978, 11.3% in 1979 and 13.5% in 1980. Talk about being right on the money!

As inflation was galloping throughout his presidency, then President Jimmy Carter appointed Paul Volcker, a former banker and U.S. Treasury official, in 1979 to halt the multiyear price spiral. Volcker succeeded spectacularly. Consumer prices rose 10.3% in 1981, revealing how inflation momentum can continue for a while before the Fed’s tight money policies slay the inflation dragon. In 1982, prices rose 6.1%, 3.2% in 1983, and (miracle of miracles) only 1.9% in 1986, a year before Volcker stepped down as Fed chairman and was replaced by Alan Greenspan.

To accomplish what was considered at the time improbable due to high inflation expectations, the Volcker-led Fed raised the Fed Funds Rate–the rate banks borrow from each other for overnight loans–to 22% by December 1980. The cost of Volcker’s tight monetary policies necessary to halt the dollar’s slide was back-to-back recessions: a short downturn 1980 and then another one, 1981-1982. A case can be made that one long recession occurred that in effect lasted three years, from January 1980 to November 1982.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

And Just Like That, Inflation Is About To Disappear?

December 10, 2021

And Just Like That, Inflation Is About To Disappear?

Earlier this year, when inflation was still “transitory” two Fed chairs, Powell and Bernanke, made comments which we joked only make sense if the definition of inflation is changed:

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Mainstream Economists Struggling to Hide the Incoming Economic Collapse

December 7, 2021

Alternative Economists Were Right, The Stagflation Crisis Is Here

Photo by Annie Spratt

For many years now there has been a contingent of alternative economists working diligently within the liberty movement to combat disinformation being spread by the mainstream media regarding America’s true economic condition. Our efforts have focused primarily on the continued devaluation of the dollar and the forced dependence on globalism that has outsourced and eliminated most U.S. manufacturing.

The problems of devaluation and stagflation have been present since 1916 when the Federal Reserve was officially formed and given power, but the true impetus for a currency collapse and the destruction of American buying power began in 2007-2008 when the Financial Crisis was used as an excuse to allow the Fed to create trillions upon trillions in stimulus dollars for well over a decade.

The mainstream media’s claim has always been that the Fed “saved” the U.S. from imminent collapse and that the central bankers are “heroes.” After all, stock markets have mostly skyrocketed since quantitative easing (QE) was introduced during the credit crash, and stock markets are a measure of economic health, right?

The devil’s bargain

Wrong.

Reality isn’t a mainstream media story. The U.S. economy isn’t the stock market.

All the Federal Reserve really accomplished was to forge a devil’s bargain: Trading one manageable deflationary crisis for at least one (possibly more) highly unmanageable inflationary crises down the road. Central banks kicked the can on the collapse, making it far worse in the process.

The U.S. economy in particular is extremely vulnerable now. Money created from thin air by the Fed was used to support failing banks and corporations, not just here in America, but around the world.

Why does it matter where those dollars came from?

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Davos is Making the Central Bank Case for Gold

December 6, 2021

Davos is Making the Central Bank Case for Gold

A few months ago I talked about the upcoming changes to the way adoption of Basel III’s new bank reserve rules would alter the gold market. In short my conclusion was similar to that of Alistair MacLeod’s and others, that Basel III should collapse the egregious manipulation of the gold market through the use of using futures and unallocated gold as bank reserves.

In May I wrote:

In effect, Basel III, if implemented in its current form, would change the gold market from a speculative one based on perceptions of the efficacy of monetary policy to control real interest rates to one that should force price discovery in an almost purely physical market. As I told my Patrons in May 16th’s Market Report video, physical gold will go from being the price taker to the price maker.   

I didn’t then nor do I think now that will happen immediately after Basel III goes into effect in the U.K. on January 1st. But I do think the recent weakness in gold has been an early sign of stress within the gold market brought on by the upcoming rules implementations.

And that has sent gold lower in recent weeks despite rising inflation and falling real interest rates. Of course this is because the markets have been overpricing the ‘transitory inflation’ argument put forth by the major central banks.

So, when Jerome Powell came out, in his first important statement post-reappointment announcement, and put a fork in ‘transitory’ inflation the markets were properly shocked. This happened on the heels of OmicronVID-9/11 dominating the headlines and also creating some overblown market reactions thanks to poorly-programmed headline trading algorithms.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

The Fed Will Break the Economy

December 5, 2021

The Fed Will Break the Economy

Last week, the Fed was handed an unexpected gift as first-time jobless claims fell to the lowest level since 1969, which gives the Federal Reserve the green light to continue tapering its $120 billion monthly purchases of U.S. Treasury and mortgage-backed securities. Given the Fed’s dual mandate of maximum employment and stable prices, low unemployment claims along with a low unemployment rate allow the Fed to focus on combating inflation.

To fight inflation, the Fed only has two policy tools. The Fed can raise the federal funds rate, which is currently at 0 percent, and it can taper or reduce the size of its balance sheet. While those two tools are good at fighting monetary inflation, or rising prices associated with money printing, neither are useful for fighting supply-chain inflation.

The Fed isn’t concerned about how inflation manifests itself but only its ability to fight inflation. At the Federal Open Market Committee’s Nov. 3 press conference, Fed Chair Jerome Powell announced the committee has decided it was appropriate to reduce its asset purchases.

Starting in mid-November, the Fed would reduce its purchases of U.S. Treasury and mortgage-backed securities from $120 billion per month to $105 billion per month. In mid-December, the Fed will further reduce its asset purchases to $90 billion per month. Many pundits believe the Fed will increase the pace of its reductions at its Dec. 15 press conference, which will mark the last Federal Open Market Committee meeting for 2021.

For the Fed, the need to slow the rate of inflation is a matter of maintaining credibility. Congress has assigned the role of maintaining stable prices to the Fed, which has determined that 2 percent annualized inflation is a reasonable target. With the Consumer Price Index rising at a rate of 6.2 percent on a seasonally adjusted rate in October, there are serious political ramifications for Congress should the Fed be unable to control inflation.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Our $29 Trillion Deficit, Interest Rates, Inflation, And Debt

December 2, 2021

Our $29 Trillion Deficit, Interest Rates, Inflation, And Debt

 

The emergence and acceptance of Modern Monetary Theory has turned our economic system upside down. Skeptics of its substance and sustainability have been brushed aside temporarily but expect the MMT experiment to collapse and end in ruin. To us that believe in old school economics, debt matters and is tied directly to interest rates and inflation. Central banks across the world claim the lack of inflation is the key force driving their QE policy and permitting it to continue, however, the moment inflation begins to take root much of their flexibility will be lost. This translates into governments being forced to pay higher interest rates on their debt.

With America’s national debt now blowing past 29 trillion dollars, it is important to keep the numbers in perspective. Nothing is as sobering as looking at future budgets. Those of us rooted in the tried and true economics relied upon in the past are worried.  For years the argument that “This Time Is Different” has flourished but history shows that periods of rapid credit expansion always end the same way and that is in default. This also underlines the reality that any claims Washington makes about the budget deficit being under control is a total lie.
Click (Here) To View National Debt Clock
America is not alone in spending far more than it takes in and running a deficit. This does not make it right or mean that it is sustainable. Much of our so-called economic growth is the result of government spending feeding into the GDP. This has created a false economic script and like a Ponzi scheme, it has a deep relationship to fraud.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Could The Fed Trigger The Next “Financial Crisis”

November 29, 2021

Could The Fed Trigger The Next “Financial Crisis”

Could the Fed trigger the next “financial crisis” as they begin to hike interest rates? Such is certainly a question worth asking as we look back at the Fed’s history of previous monetary actions. Such was a topic I discussed in “Investors Push Risk Bets.” To wit:

“With the entirety of the financial ecosystem more heavily levered than ever, the “instability of stability” is the most significant risk.

The ‘stability/instability paradox’ assumes all players are rational and implies avoidance of destruction. In other words, all players will act rationally, and no one will push ‘the big red button.’

The Fed is highly dependent on this assumption. After more than 12-years of the most unprecedented monetary policy program in U.S. history, they are attempting to navigate the risks built up in the system.“

The problem, as shown below, is that throughout history, when the Fed begins to hike interest rates someone inevitability pushes the “big red button.”

Next Financial Crisis, Could The Fed Trigger The Next “Financial Crisis”

The behavioral biases of individuals remain the most serious risk facing the Fed. While they may hope that individuals will act rationally as they hike rates and tighten monetary policy, investors tend not to act that way.

Importantly, each previous crisis in history was primarily a function of extreme excesses in one area of the market or economy.

  • In the early 70’s it was the “Nifty Fifty” stocks,
  • Then Mexican and Argentine bonds a few years after that
  • “Portfolio Insurance” was the “thing” in the mid -80’s
  • Dot.com anything was a great investment in 1999
  • Real estate has been a boom/bust cycle roughly every other decade, but 2007 was a doozy

What about currently?

A Bubble In “Everything”

No matter what corner of the market or economy you look there are excesses.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Fed’s Lowest Lowball Inflation Measure Spikes to Worst-Hottest 31-Year High. Powell Groans and Mutters

November 27, 2021

Fed’s Lowest Lowball Inflation Measure Spikes to Worst-Hottest 31-Year High. Powell Groans and Mutters

But the Fed has now backed off its ridiculous claims and is taking inflation more seriously.

The lowest lowball inflation measure that the US government produces, “core PCE,” which excludes the now soaring food and energy prices and understates inflation by the most, is used by the Fed for its inflation target: a symmetrical 2% “core PCE.” And this core PCE in October, released today by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, spiked by 4.1%, more than twice the Fed’s inflation target, and the worst-hottest inflation reading since January 1991:

It’s not temporary, Fed Chair Jerome Powell groaned and muttered this morning upon seeing this inflation monster blow out, following his $4.5 trillion in money-printing in 21 months. Here he is, freshly re-nominated for another four years, viewing the problem of his own making that he will now have to deal with, by cartoonist Marco Ricolli for WOLF STREET:

The overall PCE inflation index that includes food and energy, the second-lowest lowball inflation measure the US government produces, spiked by 5.0% in October, the worst-hottest since November 1990:

There is hardly anyone left on Wall Street with professional experience in this kind of inflation.

And the Fed still has the foot on the gas, but just slightly less so, planning to print $105 billion from mid-November through mid-December to repress long-term rates, and it’s still repressing short-term rates to near-zero – blowing at nearly full speed through every red light at every intersection.

On a month-to-month basis, the overall PCE increased by 0.43% in October from September, the worst-hottest increase since May. This amounts to an annualized pace of 5.2% (12 x 0.43%).

If you think that a car will slow down on its own somehow when you floor the accelerator, you’re tragically mistaken, as the history of automotive accidents shows.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

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