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Financial writer John Rubino says no matter what country, the global debt has exploded to record highs, and it’s going to go even higher in the coming years. Rubino contends, “Government debt is going to soar going forward no matter what. Whether we have three more years of growth or a recession next year, we are going to see massive new deficits and massive increases in government debt all over the world. This is coming at a time when we have already hit record levels of debt and blown right through previous record levels. The last crisis, that almost ended the global financial system, was debt driven. The next one is going to be that much, much more serious because we basically doubled the amount of debt that’s out there since 2005 and 2006.”

On the political front, Rubino says, “The idea that things get more extreme from here is not that out of the ordinary and not that hard to believe. We are not just going to see gridlock here in the U.S., we are going to see chaos. That means of the things that should be gotten done, very few of them will be. . . . Political chaos is good for precious metals . . . both metals are way undervalued.”

Few would disagree, that at some point, the financial system is going to explode. Rubino says, “Let’s look at what happens when this finally blows up. The pressure is going to be on currencies when the financial system starts to spin out of control next time. In other words, people are going to see the amount of debt we are taking on, see the amount of currency we are creating to service all this debt, and will wonder what that does to the value of the currencies that are being aggressively created. They will lose faith in those currencies.

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

Financial Advice In 2019: Own Gold To Hedge $250 Trillion Global Debt Bubble

January 8, 2019

Financial Advice In 2019: Own Gold To Hedge $250 Trillion Global Debt Bubble

– Financial advice needed in 2019? Let six experts guide you

– Save regularly, switch your mortgage, check up on tax reliefs & hedge risks in 2019 by diversifying into gold

– “There are also very real risks posed by the global debt bubble as the world nears $250 trillion in debt and the global debt-to-GDP ratio has risen to nearly 320 per cent” say GoldCore

Excerpt from Irish Times today (subscriber only)

My resolution:
One financial resolution is to read and watch less financial news. I stay up to date with financial markets, including breaking financial news, as I have to write a market update every day and frequently provide comment to media.

However, in the age of Trump and Brexit, it can be hard to keep up with it all.

I am going to unsubscribe from many of the alerts I get and become more selective and focused in my news consumption. This will help filter out much of the daily and weekly market noise and help me get more valuable long-term signal.

We believe that diversification and owning gold as a hedge and safe haven asset will again be important in 2019.

My recommendation:
We live in an increasingly polarised and uncertain world which casts shadows over our economies and the investment outlook.

This is clearly seen with Brexit, the risk of “Italexit”, an increasingly fractured EU and Trump’s aggressive foreign and economic policies, including trade wars.

There are also very real risks posed by the global debt bubble as the world nears $250 trillion in debt and the global debt-to-GDP ratio has risen to nearly 320 per cent.

We believe that diversification and owning gold as a hedge and safe haven asset will again be important in 2019 and in the coming years.

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

GLOBAL DEBT INCREASE 2018 vs. GOLD INVESTMENT: Must See Charts

November 23, 2018

GLOBAL DEBT INCREASE 2018 vs. GOLD INVESTMENT: Must See Charts

Global debt increased at the fastest rate at the beginning of 2018. In just one quarter, total global debt jumped by more than $8 trillion. That is quite surprising as total world debt rose by $22 trillion for the full year in 2017. Thus, the increase in global debt last year averaged $5.5 trillion each quarter.

However, global debt according to the Institute of International Finance dropped by $1.5 trillion in the second quarter of 2018. While mature markets saw their debt decline in Q2 2018, emerging market debt increased by $1 trillion lead by China. In looking at the data from the Institute of International Finance (IIF), they stated that global debt jumped by over $8 trillion in the first quarter of 2018 to $247 trillion, but then declined $1.5 trillion to $247 trillion in Q2 2018.

So, the global debt must have jumped by $9.5 trillion to $248.5 trillion during the first quarter of 2018 and then dropped $1.5 trillion in Q2. Thus, the IIF must be revising their figures each quarter. Either way, the net increase in global debt in the first half of 2018 was $8 trillion.

If we look at the following chart below, we can see how the increase in global debt compares to the value of the total global gold investment as well as the value of world gold supply:

From my research, total world gold investment, Central bank and private investment total approximately $3 trillion. This is based on the data from the next chart that estimates global gold investment of 2.25 billion oz valued at a $3 trillion:

Interestingly, when I did the chart above earlier this year, the market price of gold was trading at $1,330. Today, it is $100 less. So, if I want to be totally accurate, total Central bank and private gold holdings are presently valued at $2.8 trillion. Regardless, global debt increased $8 trillion in the first half of 2018, more than 2.5 times than the value of all world investment gold holdings.

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

Not Waving But Drowning–Stocks, Debt and Inflation?

October 30, 2018

NOT WAVING BUT DROWNING – STOCKS, DEBT AND INFLATION?

The US stock market is close to being in a corrective phase -10% off its highs
Global debt has passed $63trln – well above the levels on 2007
Interest rates are still historically low, especially given the point in the economic cycle
Predictions of a bear-market may be premature, but the headwinds are building

The recent decline in the US stock market, after the longest bull-market in history, has prompted many commentators to focus on the negative factors which could sow the seeds of the next recession. Among the main concerns is the inexorable rise in debt since the great financial recession (GFR) of 2008. According to May 2018 data from the IMF, global debt now stands at $63trln, with emerging economy debt expansion, over the last decade, more than offsetting the marking time among developed nations. The IMF – Global Debt Database: Methodology and Sources WP/18/111 – looks at the topic in more detail.

The title of this week’s Macro letter comes from the poet Stevie Smith: –

I was much further out than you thought

And not waving but drowning.

It seems an appropriate metaphor for valuation and leverage in asset markets. In 2013 Thomas Pickety published ‘Capital in the 21^st Century’ in which he observed that income inequality was rising due to the higher return on unearned income relative to labour. He and his co-authors gathering together one of the longest historical data-set on interest rates and wages – an incredible achievement. Their conclusion was that the average return on capital had been roughly 5% over the very long run.

This is not the place to argue about the pros and cons of Pickety’s conclusions, suffice to say that, during the last 50 years, inflation indices have tended to understate what most of us regard as our own personal inflation rate, whilst the yield offered by government bonds has been insufficient to match the increase in our cost of living.

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

Weekly Commentary: $247 Trillion and (Rapidly) Counting

July 20, 2018

Weekly Commentary: $247 Trillion and (Rapidly) Counting

I chronicled mortgage finance Bubble excess on a weekly basis. Relevant data were right there in plain sight, much of it courtesy of the Federal Reserve. Yet only after the Bubble burst did it all suddenly become obvious. Flashing warning signs were masked by manic delusions of endless prosperity and faith in the almighty “inside the beltway”. These days, data for the global government finance Bubble is not as easily-accessible, though there is ample evidence for which to draw conclusions. It will all be frustratingly obvious in hindsight.

The Institute of International Finance is out with their latest data that, unfortunately, is not made available in detail to the general public. Global debt ended the first quarter at a record $247 Trillion, or 318% of GDP. Even after a decade of historic Credit inflation, global debt continues to expand at (“Terminal Phase”) double-digit rates (11.1% y-o-y).

Global debt growth accelerated during the first quarter to $8.0 Trillion – and surged $30 Trillion over just the past five quarters. In a single data point not to be disregarded, Global Debt Has Expanded (a difficult to fathom) $150 Trillion, or 150%, Over the Past Ten Years. Actually, the trajectory of Bubble-period Credit expansion may seem rather familiar. It’s been, after all, a replay of the reckless U.S. mortgage Credit episode, only on a much grander global scale.

July 10 – Financial Times (Jonathan Wheatley): “The amount of debt in the world increased by nearly $25tn in the year to the end of March, piling more pressure on a global financial system already struggling to deal with rising US interest rates, widening spreads for borrowers and a strengthening US dollar. The Institute of International Finance… said total debts owed by households, governments and financial and non-financial corporations amounted to $247.2tn at the end of March, up from $222.6tn a year earlier and an increase of nearly $8tn in the first quarter alone.

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

The Debt Train Will Crash

July 16, 2018

The Debt Train Will Crash

Off the Tracks
Woes to Come
Growing Leverage
Pension Problems

We are approaching the end of the debt Train Wreck series. I’ve spent several weeks explaining why I think excessive debt is dragging the world economy toward an epic crash. The tracks ahead are clear for now but will not remain so. The end probably won’t be pretty. But there’s good news, too: we have time to get our portfolios, our businesses, and our families prepared.

Today, we’ll look at some new numbers on just how big the problem is, then I’ll recap the various angles we’ve discussed. This problem is so big that we easily overlook key points. I hope that listing them all in one place will help you grasp their enormity. Next week, and possibly a few after that, I’ll describe some possible strategies to protect your assets and family.

Before we go on, let me give a quick plug for Over My Shoulder. We rejuvenated this service a few months ago and it’s working even better than expected. Having Patrick Watson co-edit with me has been a big help. We’ve worked together, on and off, for 30 years now so he knows how I think. Between us, we have sent subscribers tons of fascinating economic analysis from my best sources—most of which you would never see otherwise. You get both the original item and our quick-read summary.

At just $9.95/month, Over My Shoulder may be the best financial research bargain out there, if I do say so myself. Click here to learn how you can join us.

Now on with the end of the train.

Off the Tracks

Talking about global debt requires that we consider almost incomprehensibly large numbers. Our minds can’t process their enormity. How much is a trillion dollars, really? But understanding this peril forces us to try.

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

As Global Debt Hits A Record $247 Trillion, The IIF Issues A Warning

July 11, 2018

As Global Debt Hits A Record $247 Trillion, The IIF Issues A Warning

Every quarter the Institute of International Finance publishes a new number of the total amount of global debt outstanding, and every quarter the result is the same: a new record high

Today was no exception: according to the IIF’s latest Global Debt Monitor, the amount of debt held in the world rose by the biggest amount in two years during the first quarter of 2018, when it grew by $8 trillion to hit a new all time high of $247 trillion, up from $238 trillion as of Dec. 31, 2017 and up from by $30 trillion from the end of 2016.

In other words, there is now a quarter quadrillion dollars in global debt, and it represents 318% of global GDP. More concerning is that this was the first time since Q3 2016 that global debt to GDP increased, suggesting that the marginal utility of debt is once again below 1.

This is how the debt is broken down as of Q1 2018 and compared to Q1 2013:

Non-financial corporate debt: $74 trillion, up from $58 trillion in 5 years
Government debt: $67 trillion, up from $56 trillion
Financial debt: $61 trillion, up from $56 trillion
Household debt: $47 trillion, up from $40 trillion

And visually:

Some more details from the report, via Bloomberg:

The government debt-to-GDP ratio has surged to 101 percent in the U.S.
Non-financial corporate debt is now at record highs in Canada, France and Switzerland
Household indebtedness in China, Chile and Colombia grew over 3% since Q1 2017, topping 49%, 46% and 30%, respectively.

What was surprising about the report – certainly not the latest all time high debt numbers, those are now standard – is that the IIF voiced a strongly negative opinion of recent developments in the debt arena.

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

The Dark Cloud of Global Debt… The Perfect Storm Looms

July 6, 2018

The Dark Cloud of Global Debt… The Perfect Storm Looms

While everyone is debating the effects of possible trade sanctions on the global economy, few are paying attention to a far more serious issue. Enormous global debt, combined with low-interest rates, have set the stage for a global recession that has the potential for economic chaos.

The combination of enormous debt and artificially low-interest rates were at the center of the 2008 credit bubble. One would expect central banks to be aware of this and show more concern. However, the overall silence has been astonishing.

An exception to this is the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), which has been making loud noises about the toxic level of global debt and the anticipated bubble. It recently reported that the global debt of 2008 was $60 trillion, small when compared to the current debt of $170 trillion. To make matters worse, today’s global debt is 40 percent higher in relation to GDP than it was in 2008, just prior to the Lehman Bros. downfall. To add to the current headache are the rising debt levels of emerging markets and corporate debts. According to McKinsey & Company, a global consulting firm, two-thirds of U.S. corporate debt are from corporations that pose a high default risk.

Countries such as Brazil, India, and China have been busy issuing questionable credit. This dubious credit being issued in many emerging markets has come with extremely low-interest rates. If the borrowers’ default, the lenders won’t be looking at enough compensation to recoup their loses. Low-interest rates have become an overall global problem, including the rates in the U.S. high-yield bond market. Central banks around the world have been keeping interest rates artificially low while printing money with abandon. The current global debt is the direct result of this policy.

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

Train Crash Preview

May 21, 2018

Train Crash Preview

Today we will summarize something I’ve been thinking about for a long time. Exactly how will we get from the credit crisis, which I think is coming in the next 12–18 months, to what I call the Great Reset, when the global debt will be “rationalized” via some form of nonpayment. Whatever you want to call it, I think a worldwide debt default is likely in the next 10–12 years.

I began this tale last week in Credit-Driven Train Crash, Part 1. Today is Part 2 of a yet-undetermined number of installments. We may break away for a week or two if other events intrude, but I will keep coming back to this. It has many threads to explore. I’m going to talk about my expectations given today’s reality, without the prophetically inconvenient practice of predicting actual dates.

Also, while I think this is the probable path, it’s not locked in stone. Later in this series, I’ll describe how we might avoid the rather difficult circumstances I foresee. While it is difficult now to imagine cooperation between the developed world’s various factions, it has happened before. There are countries like Switzerland that have avoided war and economic catastrophe. We’ll hope our better angels prevail while taking a somber look at the more probable.

The experts who investigate transport disasters, crimes, and terror incidents usually create a chronology of events. Reading them in hindsight can be haunting—you know what’s coming and you want to scream, “Don’t do that!” But of course, it’s too late.

We do something similar in economics when we look back at past recessions and market crashes. The causes seem obvious and we wonder why people didn’t see it at the time. In fact, some people usually did see it at the time, but excessive exuberance by the crowds and willful ignorance among the powerful drowned out their warnings. I’ve been in that position myself and it is quite frustrating.

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

Global Debt Bubble Hits New All Time High – One Quadrillion Reasons To Buy Gold

April 16, 2018

Global Debt Bubble Hits New All Time High – One Quadrillion Reasons To Buy Gold

– Global debt bubble hits new all time high – over $237 trillion
– Global debt increased 10% or $21 tn in 2017 to nearly a quarter quadrillion USD
– Increase in debt equivalent to United States’ ballooning national debt
– Global debt up $50 trillion in decade & over 327% of global GDP
– $750 trillion of bank derivatives means global debt over $1 quadrillion
– Gold will be ‘store of value’ in coming economic contraction
– Global debt is the mother of all bubbles

Source: Bloomberg

Global debt has now reached over 327% of global GDP, $237 trillion. Prior to the financial crisis it was less that $150 trillion. The amount by which it has surged in just one year is the same amount as the ballooning national debt of the United States.

The response of our leaders, central bankers and financial thinkers to this latest data?

It was good news as it showed that thanks to global growth the ratio of debt-to-gross domestic product fell for the fifth consecutive quarter. No irony in the fact that the economic growth is entirely funded by debt itself – adding another shaky layer to the house of cards.

Christine Lagarde said earlier this week:

The bottom line is that high debt burdens have left governments, companies, and households more vulnerable to a sudden tightening of financial conditions. This potential shift could prompt market corrections, debt sustainability concerns, and capital flow reversals in emerging markets.

A sudden tightening of financial conditions is inevitable. The latest FOMC minutes released yesterday showed that members plan to increase interest rates at a faster rate than previously expected. This was inevitable given the loose monetary policy that central banks have been enjoying for the last decade.

As Jim Rickards summarises:

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

Global Debt Hits Record $237 Trillion, Up $21TN In 2017

April 10, 2018

Global Debt Hits Record $237 Trillion, Up $21TN In 2017

Last June we reported that according to the Institute of International Finance – perhaps best known for its periodic and concerning reports summarizing global leverage statistics – as of the end of 2016, in a period of so-called “coordinated growth”, global debt hit a new all time high of $217 trillion, over 327% of global GDP, and up $50 trillion over the past decade.

Six months later, on January 4, 2018, the IIF released another global debt analysis, which disclosed that global debt rose to a record $233 trillion at the end of Q3 of 2017 between $63Tn in government, $58Tn in financial, $68TN in non-financial and $44Tn in household sectors, a total increase of $16 trillion increase in just 9 months.

Now, according to its latest quarterly update, the IIF has calculated that global debt rose another $4 trillion in the past quarter, to a record $237 trillion in the fourth quarter of 2017, and more than $70 trillion higher from a decade earlier, and up roughly $20 trillion in 2017 alone.

The IIF report, which also sources data from the IMF and BIS, found that the share of global debt remains well above 300% of global GDP, with mature market, i.e., DM, debt/GDP now at 382%. The silver lining: that number was slightly below recent levels, as increasing GDP growth in DMs helped reduce the debt-to-GDP ratio. However, this was more than offset by a surge in debt in emerging markets, where total debt/GDP is now well above 200%.

The good news, if only temporarily, is that on a consolidated basis, global debt/GDP fell for the fifth consecutive quarter as global growth accelerated: the ratio is now around 317.8%, or 4% points below the all time high hit in Q43 2016. To be sure, even a modest slowdown in GDP growth, let alone a contraction, will promptly send the ratio surging to new all time highs.

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

Global Debt Crisis II Cometh

February 15, 2018

Global Debt Crisis II Cometh

– Global debt ‘area of weakness’ and could ‘induce financial panic’ – King warns
– Global debt to GDP now 40 per cent higher than it was a decade ago – BIS warn
– Global non-financial corporate debt grew by 15% to 96% of GDP in the past six years
– US mortgage rates hit highest level since May 2014
– US student loans near $1.4 trillion, 40% expected to default in next 5 years
– UK consumer debt hit £200b, highest level in 30 years, 25% of households behind on repayments

The ducks are beginning to line up for yet another global debt crisis. US mortgage rates are hinting at another crash, student debt crises loom in both the US and UK, consumer and corporate debt is at record levels and global debt to GDP ratio is higher than it was during the financial crisis.

When you look at the figures you realise there is an air of inevitability of what is around the corner. If the last week has taught us anything, it is that markets are unprepared for the fallout that is destined to come after a decade of easy monetary policies.

Global debt is more than three times the size of the global economy, the highest it has ever been. This is primarily made up of three groups: non financial corporates, governments and households. Each similarly indebted as one another. Debt is something that has sadly run the world for a very long time, often without problems. But when that debt becomes excessive it is unmanageable. The terms change and repayments can no longer be met.

This sends financial markets into a spiral. The house of cards is collapsing and suddenly it is revealed that life isn’t so hunky-day after all. Rates are set to rise and as they do they will spark more financial shocks, as we have seen this week.

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

World Debt Is Rising Nearly Three Times As Fast As Total Global Wealth

January 9, 2018

World Debt Is Rising Nearly Three Times As Fast As Total Global Wealth

Some nasty dark clouds are forming on the financial horizon as total world debt is increasing nearly three times as fast as total global wealth. But, that’s okay because no one cares about the debt, only the assets matter nowadays. You see, as long as debts are someone else’s problem, we can add as much debt as we like… or so the market believes.

Now, you don’t have to take my word for it that the market only focuses on the assets, this comes straight from the top echelons of the financial world. According to Credit Suisse Global Wealth Report 2017, total global wealth increased to a new record of $280 trillion in 2017. Here is Credit Suisse’s summary of the Global Wealth 2017: The Year In Review:

According to the eighth edition of the Global Wealth Report, in the year to mid-2017, total global wealth rose at a rate of 6.4%, the fastest pace since 2012 and reached USD 280 trillion, a gain of USD 16.7 trillion. This reflected widespread gains in equity markets matched by similar rises in non-financial assets, which moved above the pre-crisis year 2007’s level for the first time this year. Wealth growth also outpaced population growth, so that global mean wealth per adult grew by 4.9% and reached a new record high of USD 56,540 per adult.

This year’s report focuses in on Millennials and their wealth accumulation prospects. Overall the data point to a “Millennial disadvantage”, comprising among others tighter mortgage rules, growing house prices, increased income inequality and lower income mobility, which holds back wealth accumulation by young workers and savers in many countries. However, bright spots remain, with a recent upsurge in the number of Forbes billionaires below the age of 30 and a more positive picture in China and other emerging markets.

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

Global Debt Hits Record $233 Trillion, Up $16Tn In 9 Months

January 7, 2018

Global Debt Hits Record $233 Trillion, Up $16Tn In 9 Months

Six months later, on January 4, 2018, the IIF has released its latest global debt analysis, which reported that global debt rose to a record $233 trillion at the end of Q3 of 2017 between $63Tn in government, $58Tn in financial, $68TN in non-financial and $44Tn in household sectors, an total increase of $16 trillion increase in just 9 months.

According to the IIF, private non-financial sector debt hit all-time highs in Canada, France, Hong Kong, South Korea, Switzerland and Turkey.

And yet, largely as a result of the ongoing Chinese crackdown on shadow banking, even as global debt rose to new record highs, the ratio of debt-to-GDP fell for the fourth consecutive quarter as economic growth accelerated. The ratio is now around 318%, nearly 10% below the high set in the first quarter of 2017.

In the annual report, the IIF notes that “a combination of factors including synchronized above-potential global growth, rising inflation (China, Turkey), and efforts to prevent a destabilizing build-up of debt (China, Canada) have all contributed to the decline.”

Still, while global GDP has enjoyed a period of accelerating growth, this may soon come to an end even as debt levels continue to rise. Meanwhile, the debt pile could act as a brake on central banks trying to raise interest rates, given worries about the debt servicing capacity of highly indebted firms and government, the IIF analysts wrote.

And speaking of rates in 2018, the IIF pointed out that after several years of forecasters reducing their year-end rate predictions, 2018 is the first year in many when “for a change” forecasters are predicting a rebound in interest rates. Maybe this is the one year when “experts” will finally be right when it comes to interest rates.

Visualizing $63 Trillion Of World Debt

October 29, 2017

Visualizing $63 Trillion Of World Debt

If you add up all the money that national governments have borrowed, it tallies to a hefty $63 trillion.

Courtesy of: Visual Capitalist

In an ideal situation, governments are just borrowing this money to cover short-term budget deficits or to finance mission critical projects. However, as Visual Capitalist’s Jeff Desjardins notes, around the globe, countries have taken to the idea of running constant deficits as the normal course of business, and too much accumulation of debt is not healthy for countries or the global economy as a whole.

The U.S. is a prime example of “debt creep” – the country hasn’t posted an annual budget surplus since 2001, when the federal debt was only $6.9 trillion (54% of GDP). Fast forward to today, and the debt has ballooned to roughly $20 trillion (107% of GDP), which is equal to 31.8% of the world’s sovereign debt nominally.

THE WORLD DEBT LEADERBOARD

In today’s infographic, we look at two major measures: (1) Share of global debt as a percentage, and (2) Debt-to-GDP.

Let’s look at the top five “leaders” in each category, starting with share of global debt on a nominal basis:

Together, just these five countries together hold 66% of the world’s debt in nominal terms – good for a total of $41.6 trillion.

Next, here’s the top five for Debt-to-GDP:

While only Italy and Japan here are considered major economies on a global scale, the high debt levels of countries like Greece or Portugal are also important to monitor.

In the IMF’s baseline scenario, Greece’s government debt will reach 275% of its GDP by 2060, when its financing needs will represent 62% of GDP.

– A recent IMF report, obtained by Bloomberg

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

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