International Forecaster Weekly

A newsletter for economic news, global trends, politics, money, and investment. Published on Wednesdays and Saturdays for subscribers. Get a free sample of our full issue, or Subscribe today.

A Curious Phone Call

Bob Rinear, February 6 2021

It wasn’t even a couple days and Unknown was calling again. I answered it again, saying that I don’t have and never have had a line of credit via paypal. But he was persistent. He said that in 2018 I opened this line of credit, he had the correct email address, and said that I even made several payments, before stopping payments in late 2019.

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WHO BENEFITED FROM STIMULUS 1.0? - Largely Households Making Under $100,000

Guest Writer, February 3 2021

As Congress nears debate on another round of stimulus/relief aid for American households, businesses, state and local governments, schools, Covid vaccination delivery, and more, I thought it would be instructive to see how the direct aid sent as part of Stimulus 1.0 was spent.

A new report from the IRS shows that the first round of economic impact payments (or stimulus checks) primarily benefited households earning less than $100,000. 

This is good news.

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Broken

Bob Rinear, January 30 2021

So here we are, where everyone from staff at the White house, to old dinosaur Wall Street denizens, to SEC members to brokerages, are all trying to figure out what to do with these upstarts. It’s really quite funny to watch.

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ECONOMIC RECOVERY STYMIED BY THE VIRUS - Meanwhile, Global Inequality Threatens to Explode

Guest Writer, January 27 2021

Policymakers’ goal of rolling out vaccines fast and evenly is clear — to erase volatility in the bond market and make debt the cheapest it’s ever been to discourage saving and encourage investment. 

Their hope rests on the premise that cheap cash motivates companies to invest and hire as rising asset prices make people more confident and ready to spend. 

The inevitable side effect, obviously, is even more risky asset volatility as investors chase returns around the world. 

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It Never Ends

Bob Rinear, January 23 2021

First off, what is inflation? We all recognize it as increasing prices when we buy things. The spinner heads will tell you that no, according to the dictionary, inflation is an increase in the money supply. So let me ask, do we have the dictionary description of what inflation is? Let’s see:

Normally characterized by slow, steady growth, the U.S. money supply has grown 20% from $15.33 trillion at the end of 2019 to $18.3 trillion at the end of July.

Well dang! It looks to me like there’s been a quite hefty increase in the money supply, what says you?  You agree? 

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2021 OUTLOOK FOR GOLD IS STRONG - Will It Rise to $2,100, $2,500, $3,000 or More?

Guest Writer, January 20 2021

As you know, the performance of gold responds to the interaction of demand and supply, which, in turn, is influenced by the interplay of four key drivers: 

  • Economic expansion;
  • Risk and uncertainty;
  • Opportunity cost; and
  • Price momentum

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Gold?

Bob Rinear, January 16 2021

All day every day, all we hear about is Bitcoin, and how exciting it is. How more and more people are adopting it. Well, as I wrote a few weeks ago, I missed the whole boat on Bitcoin. The idea of it being anonymous was attractive, but the idea that I couldn’t hold it in my hand, had to rely on “wallets” with passwords, and the fact that I think they can indeed shut it off if they want, told me, I didn’t need it.

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LABOR MARKET RESURGENCE SCREAMS TO A HALT - Any Silver Linings Are a Mirage

Guest Writer, January 13 2021

As 2020 came to a brutal end, an unequal K-shaped recovery was interrupted as the pandemic raged on while the government belatedly enacted an incomplete stimulus/relief package. 

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INFLATION ISN'T COMING...IT'S HERE! Will the Fed's Market Manipulation Actually Help?

Guest Writer, January 9 2021

Well, don’t look now, but meaningful, relevant inflation is already upon us — and has been for some time — not just here in the U.S., but all around the world. 

It shouldn’t come as a surprise either. After all, it’s the Fed’s explicit goal. And what else would you expect when the nation’s money supply (M-2) has grown by 410% since 2000 — and $3.7 trillion, or 24%, in 2020 alone?

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Bitcoin Madness?

Bob Rinear, January 6 2021

The topic I would rather talk about is the situation that’s taking place in Georgia with the Senate race, and then of course whatever madness is going to happen on Wednesday. But, since we don’t know the outcome to either, I’d like to just take a minute and chat about Bitcoin for a minute.

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Merry Christmas!

Bob Rinear, December 19 2020

So I shall celebrate this Birthday with prayer and meditation. I will come back from the daily grind to contemplate my reason for being here and what ever job I should be doing while I am.  I don’t have all the answers, but I have to believe in something. I shall believe in a God, and that when this body of meat and bones runs its course, I hope I am accepted as one of his. 

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Random Musings

Bob Rinear, December 16 2020

Call me silly, but if I was being ousted from a job, where crap like that was taking place, I’d be all about finding a way to persecute the person that assigned that error rate.

So, we’ll see how this all shakes out. I still suggest that some rocky times are ahead.

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TREASURY STILL HOLDING $340 BILLION IN CARES ACT FUNDING - Just $114 Billion Has Been Handed Over to the Fed

Guest Writer, December 12 2020

However, according to the Fed's December 10th H.4.1 report, almost 9 months after the CARES Act became law, Treasury has handed off to the Fed only $114 billion of the authorized $454 billion total. 

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Hold On Tight

Bob Rinear, December 9 2020

Sorry to burst your bubble, but the media is not your friend. The media is the friend of Globalists. The Friend of communists and socialists.

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What do You Know?

Bob Rinear, December 5 2020

Basically what I’m trying to say is that I don’t take hardly anything at face value. In the stock market, just listening to some talking head on TV will wipe out your account in a heartbeat. Getting tips from the kid at McDonalds only works in market manias. I don’t believe earnings releases, nor Government economic reports. Hell our own Feds say they can’t see any inflation, meanwhile the paper towels that used to be 12.50 for a case are now 24. I guess Fed’s don’t buy paper towels.

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