Former Fraudster: Carrying These Cards in Your Wallet Is a Big Mistake

(Frank Abagnale, CNBC) To identity thieves, a recycling bin, a mailbox, a parked car or a lonely purse left behind on a church pew are like all-you-can-steal buffets. Names, addresses and ID numbers are right...

Social Security Benefit Increase for 2020 May Feel Like a Real Cut

(Mark Hulbert, MarketWatch) Your Social Security check will be just 1.6% higher in 2020 than it is this year. Are you disappointed? Many retirees appear to be. Their disappointment is being fueled by media coverage...

Pelosi’s Plan for Medicare to Negotiate Drug Prices “Unworkable”

(Associated Press) The White House has concluded that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's plan authorizing Medicare to negotiate drug prices is "unworkable" and President Donald Trump will instead support bipartisan legislation in the Senate,...

Gold ETF Inflows Surge to All-Time High

(World Gold Council) A surge in ETF inflows (258t) outweighed weakness elsewhere in the market to nudge gold demand 3% higher in Q3. Although central bank buying remained healthy, it was significantly lower than...

Trump Tariffs Working? U.S. Trade Deficit Now Falling

(Associated Press) The U.S. trade deficit fell in September to the lowest level in five months as imports dropped more sharply than exports and America ran a rare surplus in petroleum. The Commerce Department...

Laying Waste to the Prevailing Federal Reserve Narrative

(John Tamny, RealClearMarkets) It’s often said that “red” and “blue” are divided as ever. But like most things, this bit of conventional wisdom is overstated. Consider the Federal Reserve. President Trump and his most ardent...

Ponzi Scheme Mastermind “King Perry” Pleads Guilty

(Associated Press) The fraudster called himself "King Perry," and for a while he lived like royalty. Perry Santillo masterminded a long-running investment scam that collected more than $115 million from 1,000 investors around the...

Fed’s Balance Sheet Soars Above $4 Trillion

(ZeroHedge) If it seems like it was just over a month ago that the repo market suddenly suffered its biggest cardiac arrest since the financial crisis, when overnight repo rates exploded from 2% to...

“Get the Hell Out” of This Broke, Tax Hungry Big City

(Mish Talk) Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the Teachers Union reached agreement on a deal sure to send Chicago over the cliff. The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board blasts Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot for her...

Time for Investors to Reset Their Portfolios for Inflation

(Money Metals News Service) As investors reset their clocks to accord with the end of Daylight Savings Time, they may also need to reset their expectations for future returns.  A strong body of research suggests...