Tag Archives: Featured

Switzerland’s budget faces a sizeable deficit despite fewer pandemic costs than expected. Keystone / Gaetan Bally The coronavirus pandemic will have a lighter impact on Swiss state finances than previously feared but will still put the country’s budget in the red, the finance ministry forecasts. Measures to support companies and workers during the pandemic were expected to cost CHF7.4 million ($7.4 billion) during the last forecast in June. But on Wednesday, the...

One of the biggest reasons for people deciding to buy gold bars or to own silver coins is because of the folly of central banks and government. It seems bizarre to most people that we are all aware that money doesn’t grow on trees and yet those responsible for financial stability have forgotten this basic life-lesson. But, what has felt even more bizarre (and maddening) is for how long this foolishness has been allowed to continue. Well, it seems this won’t be the...

In recent decades, every instance in which the economy contracted two quarters in a row has coincided with a recession. Nonetheless, the Biden Administration and the leadership at the Federal Reserve insist there is no recession now, nor is one even in the works. On the other hand, declining GDP growth, rising credit card debt, disappearing savings, and falling disposable income all point to recession. And now one of the most closely watched recession indicators is...

For those who would find relief knowing the Bible sanctions a market-derived medium of exchange, Gary North’s Honest Money will come as a godsend (no pun intended). Even for those reprobates who forswear a religious worldview, his book will provide a solid grounding in monetary theory and history. North’s vast understanding of money and banking coupled with his lean, no-jargon writing style takes the labor out of reading. His narrative carries us on a journey from...

Credit Suisse is attempting to recover from a catastrophic sequence of business reversals and scandals. © Keystone / Walter Bieri Swiss bank Credit Suisse is shedding thousands of jobs, selling off parts of its business and raising billions in extra capital in a bid to reverse a downward spiral in fortunes. The bank announced on Thursday that it will slim down from a current headcount of 52,000 to 43,000 by the end of 2025. The job cuts will start this year with...

BIS Triennial Survey: April 2022 survey The SNB has today published the results of the survey on turnover in foreign exchange and over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives markets in Switzerland. The data reflect the turnover in April 2022 of the banks surveyed. The survey is part of a global survey coordinated by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) on foreign exchange and OTC derivatives trading. It is conducted every three years and in over 50 countries. This is...

The Cleanest Dirty Shirt It’s easy to overestimate the problems the United States faces while underestimating its strengths. The challenges are certainly significant. Politics have seldom been so divisive. The government is running an annual deficit of over a trillion dollars, with a total debt many times that. Inflation has spiked. The Fed has been hiking interest rates at a pace that could imperil the economy. There is enormous wealth disparity. Economic growth has...

In this latest installment of our Zombie Month series, we welcome Daniel Lacalle onto the Gold Exchange Podcast. Daniel is an economist, fund manager and professor of Global Economics. Daniel discusses the recent fallout in the UK, the pressures building up in the global economy, and the central banks’ creation of zombie firms. Listen to Ben, Keith and Daniel get into everything from quantitative easing to zombie slaying. Connect with Daniel on twitter @dlacalle and...

Federal buildings and other infrasructure are to be installed with photovoltaic panels in the next 12 years. © Keystone / Gaetan Bally The Swiss government has pledged to install solar panels on as many federal buildings as possible to help boost the production of energy from renewable sources. On Wednesday, the government said it wants solar energy generation to rise from 13 gigawatt hours to 87 gigawatt hours in Switzerland. To help achieve this target, it has...

Gestern überstieg der Wert des Gesamtmarktes wieder die Marke von einer Billion US-Dollar. Damit hat der Markt ein neues Monatshoch erzielt – vor 6 Wochen erreichte er zuletzt diese Marke. Die meisten der größeren Cryptocoins schalteten im Wochenvergleich auf Grün, viele konnten sogar im zweistelligen Prozentbereich zulegen. Crypto News: Markt wieder oberhalb von einer Billion US-DollarEthereum und DOGE waren die großen Gewinner der letzten 7 Tage. Der ETH gewann...