The central banks of the world have been buying up gold at the fastest rate in 6 years. This is flashing warning signs for the future of the United States dollar.
Central banks (the Federal Reserve) and foreign governments hold literally trillions of dollars of reserves which they traditionally they acquire by buying U.S. government debt. To big institutions and banks, U.S. government debt is considered as an equivalent to cash and they use it as a form of money. U.S. debt is, therefore, extremely liquid. In fact, the $22 trillion US debt market is the biggest and most liquid market in the world.
More importantly, central banks hold U.S. dollars because that’s the global standard: the U.S. dollar has been the world’s primary international reserve currency for seventy-five years. But it sure looks like the elitists of the world want to buy a lot of gold removing it from circulation amongst the public.
According to Sovereign Man, the World Gold Council’s report showed that foreign governments and central banks have been buying a LOT more gold than in previous years. Net gold purchases in Q1/2019 among foreign governments and central banks was nearly 70% greater than Q1/2018 and the highest rate of first quarter purchases in six years.
The Chinese in particular, have been stockpiling gold faster than ever, while at the same time, Chinese ownership of U.S. Treasuries as a percentage of total holdings has been gradually declining over the past years. The Chinese have been rapidly ditching the U.S. dollar and other countries are following suit.
The Congressional Budget Office forecasts that the United States government will never again see an annual budget deficit of less than $1 trillion starting in 2021, and should the political overlords decide to start handing out free college and writing of trillion in student loans while promising free healthcare to all, the deficit will explode like never before. All of that has a serious impact on the ability of the U.S. government to repay its obligations to foreign creditors. And now those creditors are wising up and unwilling to carry the risk of holding U.S. Treasuries.
Central banks themselves are on the verge of insolvency and in just as bad of a position as governments. The whole system will eventually collapse, but gold will still be around. It is not a variable. Virtually anywhere you can possibly go in the world, gold has value, and it’s definitely worth your consideration as a means to protect your wealth.
If central banks are buying up all the gold they can get their hands on, shouldn’t we be at least considering it too?
H/T [Sovereign Man]
“Throughout the ages, many things have been used as currency: livestock, grains, spices, shells, beads, and now paper. But only two things have ever been money: gold and silver. When paper money becomes too abundant, and thus loses its value, man always turns back to precious metals. During these times there is always an enormous wealth transfer, and it is within your power to transfer that wealth away from you or toward you.” – Michael Maloney, precious metals investment expert and historian; founder and principal, GoldSilver.com, and the author of Guide To Investing in Gold & Silver: Protect Your Financial Future.
