JP Morgan tries to blame decade's old Bear Stearns acquisition for gold manipulation that goes all the way to the LBMA

10:55 AM bear stearns, criminal enterprise, gold manipulation, gold market, gold price, Jamie dimon, jp morgan, lbma, market rigging, rico No Comments

With JP Morgan having been fined more than a dozen times over the past decade for fraudulently rigging the Forex, Libor, and Mortgage interest rate markets, it should not be surprising that they have finally been outed for what most in the gold community suspected... rigging of that market as well.

And in a vastly surprising turn of events on Sept. 17, the Department of Justice (DOJ) not only decided to finally look into the investment bank's dealings in the gold markets, but they are even going so far as to call them a criminal enterprise.

In an indictment unsealed on Monday morning, the DoJ charged Michael Nowak, a JPMorgan veteran and former head of its precious metals trading desk and Gregg Smith, another trader on JPM's metals desk, in the probe. (Blythe Masters was somehow omitted). 

“Based on the fact that it was conduct that was widespread on the desk, it was engaged in in thousands of episodes over an eight-year period -- that it is precisely the kind of conduct that the RICO statute is meant to punish,” Assistant Attorney General Brian Benczkowski told reporters. 

Here's where it gets extra interesting: according to Bloomberg, the unusually aggressive language language embraced by prosecutors reminds legal experts of indictments utilizing the RICO Act - a law allowing prosecutors to take down 'criminal enterprises' like the mafia by charging all members of the organization for any crimes committed by an individual on behalf of the organization. - Zerohedge

But wait!  There's more!

Of the three primary bankers involved in the manipulation and price rigging, one of them is actually on the Board of the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) who is responsible for the 'fixing' of prices twice a day for gold.

In the indictment unsealed 16 September 2019, the DoJ charged LBMA Board member and JP Morgan managing director Nowak, along with JP Morgan precious metals trader Gregg Smith and former JP Morgan precious metals trader Christopher Jordan for: 

“alleged participation in a racketeering conspiracy and other federal crimes in connection with the manipulation of the markets for precious metals futures contracts, which spanned over eight years and involved thousands of unlawful trading sequences.” 

Commenting on the case, Department of Justice Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski stated that: “The defendants and others allegedly engaged in a massive, multiyear scheme to manipulate the market for precious metals futures contracts and defraud market participants.” – Bullion Star

Earlier this year, Senator Elizabeth Warren was able to get the CEO of Wells Fargo to resign following the bank's egregious manipulation of the mortgage, credit card, and depositor markets.  So with JP Morgan having now manipulated markets that encompass a combined several trillion dollars worth of activity, is the Senate and DOJ finally going to force Jamie Dimon to face the music, or is he going to suddenly get a case of the Sicilian Flu once again and claim that he had no knowledge of any of this just as before.

OR... is he going to blame Bear Stearns which they acquired more than a decade ago.

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Do corporations or any company really owe their workers retraining in light of the coming AI paradigm shift?

8:29 AM a.i., automation, corporations, ibm, jobs, learning, robotics No Comments

A new study out on Sept. 6 from IBM's Institute for Business Value (IBV) shows that upwards of 120 million workers, many of which work for major corporations, will have to find new skill sets in order to participate in the upcoming automated economy.  And while Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) and robotics are indeed taking over jobs at an escalating rate, is it really the responsibility of companies themselves to re-train workers for new skill positions?

In the next three years, as many as 120 million workers in the world's 12 largest economies may need to be retrained or reskilled as a result of AI and intelligent automation, according to a new IBM (NYSE: IBM) Institute for Business Value (IBV) study. In addition, only 41 percent of CEOs surveyed say that they have the people, skills and resources required to execute their business strategies. The study, which includes input from more than 5,670 global executives in 48 countries, points to compounding challenges that require a fundamental shift in how companies meet and manage changing workforce needs throughout all levels of the enterprise. 

According to the global research, the time it takes to close a skills gap through training has increased by more than 10 times in just four years. In 2014, it took three days on average to close a capability gap through training in the enterprise; in 2018, it took 36 days. 

The study showed that new skills requirements are rapidly emerging, while other skills are becoming obsolete. In 2016, executives ranked technical core capabilities for STEM and basic computer and software/application skills as the top two most critical skills for employees. In 2018, the top two skills sought were behavioral skills -- willingness to be flexible, agile, and adaptable to change and time management skills and ability to prioritize. In contrast, according to an IBM poll conducted by Morning Consult, ethics and integrity was the skill often named most critical in a survey of consumers in U.S. cities including Atlanta, Austin, Baton Rouge, Boston, Chicago, Raleigh, and San Francisco. 

"Organizations are facing mounting concerns over the widening skills gap and tightened labor markets with the potential to impact their futures as well as worldwide economies," said Amy Wright, Managing Partner, IBM Talent & Transformation, IBM. "Yet while executives recognize severity of the problem, half of those surveyed admit that they do not have any skills development strategies in place to address their largest gaps. And the tactics the study found were most likely to close the skills gap the fastest are the tactics companies are using the least. New strategies are emerging to help companies reskill their people and build the culture of continuous learning required to succeed in the era of AI." – IBM Newsroom

100 years ago tens of thousands of 'buggy whip' workers found themselves unemployed as the advent of the automobile made horse drawn transportation virtually obsolete.  This was then followed decades later by the massive decline in industrial manufacturing as steel workers, auto workers, and other assembly workers found their plants closed and their industries shipped overseas.

Contrary to what most of the Socialist candidates running for President wish to tell you, no one owes you a job, a lifestyle, or a guaranteed income.  The freedoms to pursue your own destiny require you to also take the responsibility to continuously learn, grow, and make your own future no matter what occurs in society.  To not do this, and instead pander to politicians who use the promises of free stuff and the nanny state to consolidate their own lust for power, reminds me of a great axiom that works in any era of history.

"In times of change learners inherit the earth; while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists."

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With UK elections on horizon, front runners BoJo and Corbyn mirror Trump and Sanders in political and economic ideologies

11:27 AM bernie sanders, bojo, Donald trump, elections, jeremy corbyn, marxism, nationalism No Comments

Recently, articles depicting Wall Street being deathly afraid of either a Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren Presidency are suddenly being mirrored over in the UK where the potential of snap elections could see the rise of Jeremy Corbyn to the office of Prime Minister.  And while tax the rich and give everyone free stuff schemes from both Warren and Sanders easily label them as Socialists if not Marxists, an interesting promotion coming from Corbyn's Labour Party on Sept. 4 suddenly vaults the leftist politician into this same Marxist air.

This is because a new scheme being promoted by the Labour Party would see homeowners being forced to sell their property to renters at below market cost... or in essence at a loss to the homeowner.

The UK's Labour government would consider a controversial "right-to-buy" scheme to allow millions of renters in the UK to buy their rented homes for a "reasonable" price (aka way below market), according to The Independent, citing the shadow chancellor.  

The idea, first brought up by Jeremy Corbyn during his 2015 bid for party leadership, would force landlords to sell their homes below market prices according to McDonnell. - Zerohedge

Thus the long standing right of individual property ownership is one of many things at risk should Britain vote to return Labour to power after several years of Conservative domination.

But attacks on individual property rights are not the only institutions afraid of a Corbyn victory, and that is because similar to what happened in France when Francois Hollande took power and sought to institute a 100% tax on all earnings above one million euros, wealthy Brits would make a beeline out of the UK and take their money elsewhere.

As Prime Minister Boris Johnson faces the prospect of his rule being cut short, wealthy Britons have a message for Johnson's most likely successor: A 'no deal' Brexit makes no difference to them. But if Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn becomes PM, they will flee in droves, taking their money with them. 

The chairman of one Swiss asset manager who helps wealthy Britons shield their money in tax havens warned that if Johnson is defeated in a snap election, and Corbyn becomes the next PM, it could trigger a wave of capital outflows as the wealthy scramble to move their assets (and themselves) out of the country. - Zerohedge

Meanwhile, Conservative leader Boris Johnson (BoJo) is facing the same full on assault that U.S. President Donald Trump experienced from the Republican Party as globalist and Euro sycophant members of the Torries staged a coup yesterday by voting against their Prime Minister on the subject of Brexit.

In the end the battle between globalism and populism continues to rage in the chambers of Washington and in the corridors of London. And between now and November of 2020 we could see these two countries either become stronger nationalists through the elections of Trump and BoJo, or succumb to the ideology of envy and Marxism through the usurpation of power by either Bernie Sanders, Jeremy Corbyn, or even both.

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Housing appears to be one bubble the Fed isn't re-inflating through lower interest rates

7:22 AM central bank, everything bubble, fed, housing bubble, interest rates, nirp, qe No Comments

While the first decade of this millennium saw the economy pumped up by the central bank through the asset class of housing, post 2008 became a watershed moment as the Fed went all in on the Everything Bubble.  And through their use of artificial stimulus in stocks, real estate, and massive loans to emerging markets, they were able to coax Wall Street into the longest bull in U.S. history.

Unfortunately for the Fed however, their programs of NIRP and QE have long reached the point of diminishing returns and this is being seen right now in the Housing market as their latest drop in interest rates has failed to re-inflate a bubble that has been rapidly bursting for the past 13 months.

Despite "Super-Low Mortgage Rates", July Pending Home Sales Plunge Back Into Contraction

All regions fell in July:

• Northeast fell 1.6%; June rose 2.7%
• Midwest fell 2.5%; June rose 3.3%
• South fell 2.4%; June rose 1.3%
• West fell 3.4%; June rose 5.4%

Pending Home Sales retreated back into contraction YoY (by 0.3%)...

Fitch Confirms Lower Interest Rates Have Yet To SparkHome-Buyer Demand

Fitch Ratings suggests in a new report that declining interest rates won't be enough to spark a rebound in housing market activity for 2H19, with affordability concerns and a lack of supply remaining as a significant constraint. 

Almost 40 weeks of declining mortgage rates haven't led to a jump in housing market activity in the US, but rather a decline in home price growth across the country, as per data published via S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller's 20-City Composite price index.

Mortgage Defaults Rise First Time Since Financial Crisisbut Refi Surge Likely

• An estimated 243K borrowers defaulted on first lien mortgages in Q2 2019
• While the quarter ending on a Sunday certainly played a factor in the rise in defaults, a noticeable overall slowdown in the decline in default activity has been observed.
• The national default rate rose by 3% compared to Q2 2018, the first such annual rise since the financial crisis (adjusting for the 2017 hurricane season)

In the end, no amount of interest rate alchemy will do much to keep the Housing Bubble afloat because what the Fed fails to recognize is that the American consumer is completely tapped out with a non-mortgage debt accumulation of over $4.1 trillion.

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Silver blows through the $18 handle as yield curve complete inverts

8:26 AM bond yields, bonds, inverted yield curve, silver, silver price No Comments

It appears that no amount of Trump intervention, either by Tweets or Treasury, could keep the yield curve from completely inverting on Aug. 27.  And with it came a breakthrough for silver as the price skyrocketed past the $18 mark for the first time in half a decade.

US Treasury Yields:

Silver Price:

This is the most inverted the curve have been since Lehman... and the party is only getting started.

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Imagine what the price of gold or silver would be if just 5% of the world's investment income went into precious metals

11:43 AM dollar, fiat currencies, gold, gold price, investment, investment income, silver, silver price, value 1 Comment

On Aug. 19, long time money manager Mark Mobius spoke with Bloomberg Business and doubled down on a previous statement that the investment public should not only get into physical gold, but also that it should encompass 10% of their investment portfolios.

Yet gold is not the only precious metal that serves as a monetary safe haven to protect oneself from devaluing fiat currencies.  And looking back at an infograph made by the Visual Capitalist back in 2017, we have to beg the question... how much would both gold and silver be priced at if just 5% (vs. even 10%) of the world's investment income was dedicated towards these metals.

(Note. according to {Peter Schiff, just 1% of all investment income is currently dedicated towards gold and silver, with the majority of it being in the form of paper derivatives.)



The current value of all available silver at the time of this project was around $77 billion, while the value of gold was estimated to be at around $7.7 trillion (now valued at $9.058 trillion at $1505 spot price).  Meanwhile the estimated total of combined equities, real estate, and derivatives (also not counting bonds) back in 2017 was around $834 trillion.

So taking these figures of investment values within the overall market, the percentage of money currently placed in either gold or silver is 1/100th of a percent, or .01.

Now imagine what the price of metals would be if this were to go from .01 to 5% (500 times), while also noting the recent works of SRS Rocco which shows that we reached Peak Gold production back in early 2018 and where central banks hold the largest accumulation of physical gold which is unavailable to the public.

At some point in the near future, the fiat currency experiment will end and people will be screaming for something that is tangible, and where they can actually hold in their hands.  And while two generations have grown up since 1971 not knowing the true value of gold and silver in the monetary system, when that paradigm finally breaks it will see a worldwide rush into the metals that will make 2017s Bitcoin mania look like a tiny drizzle.

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Trump administration dropping hints that they too are interested in joining the MMT movement through the use of 100 year bonds

11:12 AM 100 year bond, debt, fed, inflation, interest rates, mmt, president trump No Comments

A politician's favorite scapegoat is the fact that by the time their destructive policies ever come to full fruition, they will often be long gone from office.  And while this isn't always the case, (President Obama and Obamacare) for the most part this does fit the pattern for elected officials in Washington D.C..

Which is why a scheme dropped on Aug. 17 by President Trump's Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin may actually see Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) enacted by a conservative administration long before the Democrats get control of the White House to implement their own version.

And the mechanism to introduce unlimited money printing? The 50 and 100 year bond.

As Bloomberg first reported, the Treasury’s Office of Debt Management is again conducting a broad outreach to Wall Street to refresh its understanding of market appetite for a potential Treasury ultra-long bond, according to a statement Friday. Specifically, the US Treasury is once again looking at the market interest in 50- or 100-year bonds, although it has not yet reached any decision whether to issue such a product. - Zerohedge

With the advent of the credit based system and completely fiat dollar, debts require a combination of inflation and future devalued currency to be able to pay off the obligations.  And since the Federal Reserve has been reticent lately to lower interest rates to allow the upcoming $6 trillion in national debts to be rolled over at a lower rate of interest, introducing a bond that will not have to be paid back until the 22nd century seems just as good for President Trump.

Got gold?

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Is next week's Jackson Hole meeting where the Fed will seek to create the new cashless system built on negative interest rates?

10:56 AM alan greenspan, cashless society, debt, fed, fomc, jackson hole, negative interest rates 1 Comment

While the world chokes on $15 trillion of debt bound to negative interest rates, the Federal Reserve has suddenly been laying down hints that they too are in preparation for bringing bond yields down below 0.

Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said nothing is stopping the U.S. from getting sucked into the global trend of negative yielding debt, Bloomberg reported Tuesday. 

“There is international arbitrage going on in the bond market that is helping drive long-term Treasury yields lower,” Greenspan said in a phone interview. “There is no barrier for U.S. Treasury yields going below zero. Zero has no meaning, beside being a certain level.” - CNBC

Additionally, Chairman Powell hinted at something during his last FOMC meeting that has for the most part gone completely under the radar.

Part way through delivering a press conference following the Federal Reserve’s first rate cut since December 2008, chairman Jerome Powell let it be known that the central bank was ‘looking carefully‘ at developing a new faster payments system. Unsurprisingly, his words on the subject proved the equivalent of screaming into the face of a force ten gale. Besides a handful of financial outlets, nobody heard him. All that analysts and observers were really interested in was the Fed’s stance on interest rates. – Steven Guinness

So with these two nuggets being dropped leading up to this week's annual Fed meeting in Jackson Hole, WY, the questions that needs to be asked are, is the Fed truly preparing to join the rest of the world in taking the Funds Rate negative, and in doing so, are they also preparing the banking system to go completely cashless in order to keep depositors from taking their money out of the system?

Perhaps the last hint regarding this was CNBC's bringing on stage Larry Summers last week who has long been a staunch advocate of banning cash.

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The latest fraud coming from Buffett's favorite bank is in charging fees on the dead... dead accounts that is

10:37 AM accounts, fees, fraud, warren buffett, wells fargo No Comments

In this Brave New World of digitalization, no one can ever be fully disconnected from something they have once signed up for.  And whether that means agencies such as Facebook, church ministries begging you for money, or a prior bank account you once owned, getting completely away from any of these is a task greater than even what John Wick had to do to 'get out'.

So it should not be surprising to discover that one of the most corrupt banks in the financial system has been charging overdraft fees on accounts that customers supposedly thought they had closed.

Graphic courtesy of Caglecartoons

Xavier Einaudi did not want to wait for Wells Fargo to send him a check. 

The bank informed Mr. Einaudi that it was closing all 13 of the checking accounts it provided his roofing company, CRV Construction, for a reason it called “confidential.” The letter said the accounts would be closed on June 27, and he would be mailed a check for the balance in his accounts. 

Mr. Einaudi went to his branch and collected the money, so he did not have to wait for a check to arrive in the mail. But the accounts did not close on the preset date.
For weeks after the date the bank said the accounts would be closed, it kept some of them active. Payments to his insurer, to Google for online advertising and to a provider of project management software were paid out of the empty accounts in July. Each time, the bank charged Mr. Einaudi a $35 overdraft fee. 

Mr. Einaudi called the bank’s customer service line. He went to his local branch. Nobody could help him. “They told me, ‘The accounts are closed out — we cannot do anything,’” he said. 

By the middle of July, he owed the bank nearly $1,500. 

“I don’t even know what happened,” he said. 

Current and former bank employees said Mr. Einaudi got charged because of the way Wells Fargo’s computer system handles closed accounts: An account the customer believes to be closed can stay open if it has a balance, even one below zero. And each time a transaction is processed for an overdrawn account, Wells Fargo tacks on a fee. - New York Times

To put it into perspective just how corrupt Wells Fargo is, since 2008 alone the bank has been fined or sanctioned 43 times.

Following the 2008 financial crisis and subsequent 'bank reform' act that was passed two years later, holding money in a bank is one of the most riskiest decisions one can make if they want to ensure their money and wealth is protected.  Yet even without the fear of banks using your deposits as a bail-in mechanism, it appears that even just trying to close your account with Warren Buffett's favorite bank can end up costing you thousands of dollars.

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Sunday night begins next attempt for gold to break through $1450 hard resistance level

7:00 PM asia, gold, gold price, resistance, tariff, trading 1 Comment

As Asian markets commence trading on Sunday Evening/Monday Morning of Aug. 4 across the globe, gold prices have surged up in a continuation of Friday's post tariff move.  And as technical charts show, $1450 is the hard resistance level that needs to be breached with earnest if the next leg up in this Bull market is to take place.

The night is still young...

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