Money & Metals Brief

A new April CNBC survey shows 81% of respondents expect higher oil prices to drive inflation higher, while economic growth is projected to slow. The combination points to a more challenging environment ahead as inflation pressures persist and growth begins to soften.

The Federal Reserve is widely expected to hold interest rates steady this week, taking a "wait-and-see" approach as it assesses the economic impact of rising energy prices and ongoing geopolitical tensions. But beneath the surface, uncertainty is building.

Americans were already feeling stretched. Now, a new inflation warning is making that pressure harder to ignore. According to a recent CNBC report, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development now expects U.S. inflation to reach 4.2% in 2026, far above the Federal Reserve's 2.7% estimate. That is a major gap, and it shows just …

Gold's recent drop has rattled Americans who look to precious metals as a source of stability during uncertain times. On the surface, the move has been surprising. Gold fell hard even as geopolitical tensions, oil shocks, and global instability intensified. For many people, that seems backward. Gold is supposed to rise when the world gets …

For decades, central banks around the world have steadily accumulated gold as a way to protect against currency risk, inflation, and financial instability. Now, a similar trend is quietly emerging much closer to home. A small but growing number of U.S. states are beginning to treat gold not just as a commodity, but as a …

Recent economic headlines have painted a confusing picture of the U.S. economy. On one hand, stock markets remain strong, consumer spending continues to rise, and unemployment is relatively low. On the other hand, many Americans say they feel financially squeezed by rising costs for housing, groceries, and everyday necessities. Economists increasingly describe this phenomenon as …

Geopolitical conflicts often carry economic consequences that extend far beyond the region where they occur. The developing conflict involving Iran in 2026 is already raising concerns among economists and market analysts about energy prices, inflation, and potential pressure on the global economy. While the situation is still evolving, many analysts are closely watching how disruptions …

The Cboe Volatility Index (VIX) is often called Wall Street's "fear gauge." It represents the market's expectation of stock market volatility over the next 30 days, based on prices of options tied to the S&P 500 index. Higher values mean traders expect bigger price swings; lower values suggest calmer markets. In practical terms: When the …

You may have seen recent headlines warning that the United States could be entering a "debt spiral." What that actually means is that the federal government is borrowing money faster than the economy is growing. At the same time, the cost of servicing that debt - the interest payments - is rising rapidly. When interest …

In recent weeks, an unusual surge in investors selling their physical gold and silver back into the market, often referred to in the industry as "buybacks", has temporarily outpaced the physical infrastructure required to process those transactions. This is because the precious metals market operates differently from paper markets, relying on secure shipping, verification, refining, …

Understanding the U.S. push to diversify supply chains-and why metals like silver may see rising demand What Is Project Vault? The U.S. government has launched a major new initiative called Project Vault, a roughly $12 billion strategic stockpile of critical minerals designed to reduce dependence on foreign supply chains, particularly China's dominance in rare earths …