The End of the Bank Bailout: Cause for Concern?   On January 24, 2024, the Fed announced that the Bank Term Funding Program (BTFP) will cease to make new loans to US banks as of March 11, 2024. The Bank Term Funding Program (BTFP) was created by the Fed in March 2023 as a response to the unexpected bank failures of Signature Bank and Silicon Valley Bank. These were the largest bank failures since the 2008 financial crisis. Designed to provide emergency liquidity to depository institutions, the program allowed banks to borrow against collateral assets, such as U.S. Treasuries and mortgage ..read more

The year is beginning with a lot of anxiety about a potential recession, stock market crash, and more bank failures. But, let’s hand it to Wall Street. The S&P 500 was up more than 21% by the end of 2023. Cause for Celebration? Given the Fed’s innumerable interest rate hikes and investor anxiety over economic uncertainty, it’s remarkable that the S&P finished as strong as it did. But, instead of celebrating, it’s actually unsettling news to investors. As it turns out, the S&P’s impressive performance is due to just a handful of stocks, known as the Magnificent Seven. Together, Appl ..read more

According to gold pricing experts, industry leaders, financial analysts, and big banks, there are several factors affecting the forecast of gold prices in 2024. These include: US/Global recession The Fed pivots and cuts interest rates Geopolitical tensions, ongoing wars in the Middle East and Europe High demand for Gold by Central Banks India and China retail gold demand stabilize BRICS nations move towards de-dollarization Weakening of the US dollar US political risks and elections More banking failures The following is a list of financial institutions forecasting the price of gold into 202 ..read more

Low interest rates are good for our economy. They spur economic growth, encouraging businesses and consumers to make big purchases, i.e., houses, cars, business R&D/expansion, etc. Less is paid in interest which allows more money to be spent creating a ripple effect throughout the entire economy. When interest rates are raised 11 times to the highest levels seen in 40 years, business borrowing becomes more expensive which stifles growth, re-investment, and hiring. On the consumer side, higher interest rates force Americans into more debt. For banks, higher interest rates bring disastrous c ..read more

In a historic turn of events, the glittering metal, gold, has surpassed its all-time high, reaching an impressive price of $2084.49 per ounce. This milestone not only marks a significant moment in financial history but also raises a crucial question for investors: Should you consider reshaping your portfolio to include gold as a key asset? The Golden Surge: A Market Milestone: The current gold price reflects a culmination of various factors, including global economic uncertainties, inflation concerns, and a depreciating US dollar. The precious metal has long been considered a safe-haven ass ..read more

Revenue Growth of Almost 800% Over Three-Year Period Lands Company in Top 50 Fastest-Growing Financial Services Firms in U.S. and in Top 50 Fastest-Growing Companies in Los Angeles August 15, 2023 12:07 PM Eastern Daylight Time WEST HILLS, Calif. –(BUSINESS WIRE)– Allegiance Gold proudly announces that it has been awarded the 749th ranking on Inc. 5000’s highly prestigious list of the fastest-growing, privately-held, for-profit companies in the U.S. The 2023 Inc. 5000 list also names Allegiance Gold as the 46th fastest growing financial services firm in the U.S., the 109th ..read more

Over the past decade, China has continued its relentless campaign to make itself the worldwide economic center of gravity, slowly yet intentionally eating away at America’s economic authority in the international balance of power. And now, sensing weakness in Washington, China has made increasingly bold moves to tip the scales, overtly strengthening ties with Moscow, brokering a rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia,[1] At the heart of it all—underlying each of these strategic initiatives—has been a concerted, decades-long push toward de-dollarization. And, with the help of Brazil, Ru ..read more

In 1848, a laborer named James Marshall found flecks of gold in the dirt near the site of a California sawmill.[1] His discovery soon prompted the largest gold rush in American history. Over the next few years, hundreds of thousands of prospectors from all over the world streamed to the foothills of the southwestern US, hoping to get their hands on the precious metal.[2] Now, nearly 200 years later, there’s a new gold rush happening. Only this time, it’s even bigger. In 2022, central banks around the globe purchased more than $70 billion worth of gold.[3] This 28% increase in demand from last ..read more

On March 10, 2023, Silicon Valley Bank collapsed.[1] In just 48 hours, SVB went from $200 billion to bankrupt. If you had never heard of SVB before its untimely demise hit front page news, you’re not the only one. But SVB wasn’t some trivial financial institution—it was the 16th largest bank in the US and the second largest bank failure in our nation’s history.[2] True to its name, Silicon Valley Bank was a titan in the tech industry, serving high-profile, high-value clients like Etsy, Roku, Buzzfeed, Roblox, and more.[3], [4] And SVB was just one of the banks that collapsed, faltered, or requ ..read more

Are you thinking of investing in precious metals? As this year kicks off, investors are pouring money into gold as precious metals rally in the markets. Of course, if you pride yourself on being savvy with your money, you’ll want to look deeper under the hood before investing in a new asset class. Building wealth isn’t about jumping bandwagons, it’s about making informed choices that safeguard your portfolio and your future. Precious metals as a whole is a solid (pardon the pun) asset class. But it’s important to understand what drives the supply and demand for these commodities, as ..read more