Thursday, May 26, 2022

Fed Rate Hikes Are A Short Term Headwind For Silver and Gold, But Ultimately Will Speed Up US Dollar Debasement and Higher Precious Metals Prices

I think it likely that investors may be continue to be able purchase gold and silver at prices near current levels for the next few months. As the Fed rate increases push interest rates up, as well as the DXY (dollar index versus a basket of foreign currencies), this will put pressure on the price of precious metals. But the increase in interest rates also leads to higher cost to the US Treasury to fund the debt. The ever growing US debt is debasing the value of the US dollar.

Due to interest rates rising by more than projected, the US Treausury had interest costs in 2021 that were around $20 billion higher than the Congressional Budgt Office (CBO) estimated. And that was before the Fed had even started raising rates.

The increasing US debt will be funded by an ever increasing percentage of US federal revenues. The value of the US dollar is going to plunge and the price of gold and silver will rocket higher. And as you read the following, please keep in mind that the CBO projections are often optimistic

As the Peter G. Petrsen Institute reported

"The growth in interest costs presents a significant challenge in the long-term as well. According to CBO’s latest projections, interest payments would total around $60 trillion over the next 30 years and would take up nearly one-half of all federal revenues by 2050. Interest costs would also become the largest “program” over the next few decades — surpassing all discretionary spending in 2043, Medicare in 2043, and Social Security in 2045."

https://www.pgpf.org/analysis/2022/05/higher-interest-rates-will-raise-interest-costs-on-the-national-debt

Thus, while record high gold prices and triple digit silver may not be in the cards in the short term, it will most likely arrive many years (decades?) before 2050.