There was much at stake in today's retail sales report, because had the Census reported another miss in the headline, ex auto and control group data, it would have made the Fed's job of maintain the illusion of a recovery into a rate hike cycle virtually impossible. Luckily for Yellen, the numbers came out and they were were beats across the board.
Yesterday we outlined that Central Banks’ War on Cash is about to go into Hyperdrive.
Today we’re discussing just the policies Central Banks are already working to implement to eviscerate savings.
Globally, over 50% of Government bonds currently yield 1% or less. These are bonds that are negative in real terms meaning they are trailing well below the rate of inflation.
Submitted by Jeffrey Snider via Alhambra Investment Partners,
Part 1 here...
One week before the BOJ shocked the world by adopting negative interest rates and unleashed the next leg lower in global risk assets, it warned everyone "please not to worry, all is under control"
Moments ago at least Yellen had the courtesy of "warning" market participants in general, and banks and savers in particular that legal, logistical or monetary concerns aside, the Fed is already evaluating the possibility of negative rates.
Submitted by Christoph Gisiger via Finanz Und Wirtschaft,
Fred Hickey, editor of the widely read investment newsletter «The High-Tech Strategist», warns of more trouble to come for stocks and spots bright investment opportunities in the gold sector.