Swiss America: Gold Standard News Daily

6.19.26 - Will Social Security Be Depleted by 2032?

Gold last traded at $4,156 an ounce. Silver at $65.10 an ounce.

EDITOR'S NOTE: In today's economic climate, our priority is not simply growing wealth; we also have to focus on how to protect it. As debt climbs, confidence in long-term benefit programs is questioned, and traditional paper assets face increasing pressure, now is the time to strengthen retirement savings with a strategic allocation in precious metals. Gold and silver act as a powerful diversification tool designed to preserve purchasing power when it matters most.

Government Officials Say Social Security Will Be Depleted by 2032 As National Debt Explodes $338,607,369,000 in One Month -The Daily Hodl

by Mark Emem

Social Security reserves are set to run out in less than a decade amid changing demographics, the 2026 annual report of the Old-Age & Survivors Insurance (OASI) Trust Fund says.

According to Social Security trustees, who include four cabinet-level officials and two public trustees, Social Security benefits will have to fall significantly over the coming years to meet obligations.

“The OASI Trust Fund is projected to become depleted in the fourth quarter of 2032, one quarter earlier than projected in last year’s report. Upon reserve depletion in 2032, projected income is sufficient to pay 78 percent of scheduled benefits. This percentage declines gradually to 62 percent by 2100.”

In a letter to lawmakers, the Social Security trustees say various steps need to be taken to remedy the situation.

“Congress must take prompt action to strengthen the actuarial status of the OASI Trust Fund. Lawmakers could choose to increase revenues to the trust fund, reduce cost through modification of the OASI program benefit levels or eligibility requirements, or use a combination of methods to strengthen the trust fund’s financial condition.

The Board recommends that lawmakers quickly enact legislation to make the necessary adjustments for the OASI program.” READ MORE

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6.18.26 - CIA Official Arrested With $40 Million In Gold Bars

Gold last traded at $4,217 an ounce. Silver at $65.87 an ounce.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Just when it seemed the Fort Knox audit discussion had finally faded, it appears to be back in focus. What's interesting is that only last year there were modest assurances and a level of confidence expressed that the gold was accounted for; yet here we are revisiting the same questions.

The solution seems straightforward: assemble a team, conduct a comprehensive audit, and publish the findings. In markets where trust and transparency matter, verification should never be viewed as controversial.

Trump Wants Fort Knox Audited After CIA Official Arrested With$40 Million In Gold Bars -King World News

Gerald Celente: President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social last month that there needs to be a physical audit of Fort Knox after a news report said a former CIA official was arrested with $40 million in gold bars inside his home.

Trump made the post on 31 May and linked out to a New York Post report that David Rush, 49, the former CIA official allegedly got the agency to send him gold bars while he worked on the Pentagon’s “most highly classified nuclear sub programs.”

This is not the first time that Trump mentioned an audit at the facility.

Trump told reporters in February 2025 that his administration will investigate the “fabled” Fort Knox in Kentucky to make sure the roughly 147.3 million troy ounces of gold is inside the facility. Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that he wants to make sure the gold is there and if it isn’t, “we’re going to be very upset.”

“We hope everything is fine with Fort Knox,” he said at the time. “We’re going to go to the fabled Fort Knox and make sure the gold is there. If the gold isn’t there, we’re going to be very upset.”

CNBC noted that Scott Bessent told a local station that all “all the gold is present and accounted for.” READ MORE

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6.17.26 - Gold, gold, and more gold

Gold last traded at $4,259 an ounce. Silver at $67.90 an ounce.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Gold, gold, and more gold. That is the message of the day.

This is not a drill, ladies and gentlemen—the time to own gold is now. I’ve been writing about this for years, and increasingly the banks appear to understand what many investors are beginning to recognize: in a world of fractured fiat currencies and growing financial uncertainty, physical gold has historically been viewed as one of the most durable stores of value during major monetary transitions.

If you haven’t already contacted our office to learn how physical precious metals may fit into your diversification strategy, I encourage you to do so today.

And while supplies last, call to take advantage of our attractively priced, limited-time offer featuring one of the most iconic and storied coins in American history — the $5 Indian Gold Half Eagle.

-Dean

This Will Cause The Price Of Gold To Surge For The Next 12 Months -King World News

Peter Boockvar: Yesterday was not a reopening of the Strait relief rally. It was just an excuse to renew the GenAI momentum trade that has not been impacted negatively at all since the conflict began. I say this because the stocks that should have rallied with a deal and lower energy prices did not and if they did, barely.

For example, XRT, the equal weight retail ETF closed red yesterday. Walmart, Costco, Target, to name a few all closed down even though gasoline prices should continue to fall in the coming weeks. If there was one sector that I would have bet would have rallied, it would have been retail stocks. Airlines rallied with lower jet fuel prices but consumer staples/ product companies whose costs have gone up notably did not. ITB, the home builders etf, rose all of .1% even though they should get raw material price relief. Toy makers use a lot of plastic and any relief in the price of resins and petrochemicals would be welcome but Mattel traded down with just Hasbro up, by 1.3%.

Bond yields too didn’t react much with longer term yields little changed on the day. I could go on but you get the point, it was a weird trading day under the hood. READ MORE

De-Dollarization Continues as Central Banks See Rising Gold Demand -Watcher.Guru

by Vinod Dsouza

The latest report from the World Gold Council (WGC) sheds light on the fact that central banks will continue their de-dollarization process by accumulating more of the precious metal into their reserves and diversifying their holdings. The move indicates a gradual shift away from the US dollar, as gold is becoming an alternative investment.

Several developing countries have already made billions in profit, as the accumulation spree began in 2022. The Spot XAU/USD index has risen close to 140% since then, doubling its investments in five years. Holding the US dollar comes at a cost of rising national debt and inflation. De-dollarization of their reserves is the only option to safeguard their economy from being severely affected by America’s decisions.

The WGC’s survey involved officials from 76 banks, and 84% of the officials said that gold accumulation will keep increasing. Also, 74% of the respondents anticipate the share of the US dollar to decline in the central bank reserves. The development highlights that de-dollarization is rising, with the US dollar being given less importance over gold.

Apart from concerns about debt stability, emerging economies are also worried about the independence of the Federal Reserve. US President Donald Trump is embroiling the Federal Reserve in politics, removing its independent shield. Trump has also been an opponent of de-dollarization, warning countries of serious consequences if they ditch the US dollar.

“All those factors might be on the minds of central bankers as they think about the composition of the reserve assets going forward,” Shaokai Fan, global head of central banks and head of the Asia-Pacific at the World Gold Council, told Nikkei Asia. De-dollarization might enter full speed after Trump’s tenure comes to an end in January 2029. Their gold investment might have paid off further in the next three years. READ MORE

Central Banks Are Pulling Gold From the US and UK: Here’s Where It’s Heading -CCN

By Dr. Guneet Kaur / Edited by Ryan James

For decades, storing gold at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York or the Bank of England was considered standard operating procedure for central banks worldwide.

The logic was simple: deep liquidity, trusted custody, and proximity to the global gold trading market. That logic is now being actively reconsidered by governments that previously had no reason to question it.

The shift began in emerging markets. Poland, Turkey, Nigeria, and Serbia have all moved substantial gold reserves back to domestic vaults in recent years. In July 2025, Serbia returned its entire gold stock, valued at roughly $6 billion, to domestic storage. The pattern has since spread to Western Europe, most prominently in France and, in political, if not yet operational, terms, in Germany.

The driving factor is explicit in the language central banks and their governments use. Physical gold held in a domestic vault cannot be frozen by executive order in Washington. READ MORE

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6.16.26 - Central Bank Gold Purchases Up 500%

Gold last traded at $4,341 an ounce. Silver at $70.33 an ounce.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Central banks have increased gold purchases by roughly 500% since 2022, signaling that some of the world’s largest financial players are continuing to move capital into hard assets rather than relying solely on traditional reserve holdings. The takeaway here is simple: when institutions with long investment horizons are aggressively accumulating, it reinforces the case that gold is being viewed as a strategic asset for preserving purchasing power and navigating economic uncertainty.

Central Bank Gold Purchases Have Increased 500% Since 2022! -King World News

Central bank gold purchases have increased a staggering 500% since 2022! In case anyone is wondering how the price of gold and silver corrected so aggressively in that environment, well, let’s just say the powers that be love to use psychological warfare against anyone invested in the gold sector. But at the end of the day, gold will always win.

Matthew Piepenburg, partner at VON GREYERZ: Gold. It began the year with galvanic headlines and endless coverage.

Now, midway through that same year, having lost more than 25% from its January high of $5600, many are wondering if peak gold is behind us in the wake of just another broken asset bubble.

Such concerns are understandable, even expected – especially during a shakeout.

Between 1971 and 1980, for example, when gold climbed from $35 to $850, many who loved it in 1980 had been shaken out in 1975 when gold’s paper price plummeted midway through an historical bull run.

As for those defending gold, especially from the desks of precious metal enterprises, they can often seem like apologists at best or salesmen at worst.

This too is understandable. This too is expected. READ MORE

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6.15.26 - The Instability of Inflation Policy

Gold last traded at $4,320 an ounce. Silver at $70.08 an ounce.

EDITOR'S NOTE: When describing economic forces nearing a breaking point, analysts tend to lean on the pressure cooker analogy: pressure builds quietly until something finally gives. This author uses a far spicier comparison, but the message remains the same; the buildup may be reaching its limit. Inflation is the pressure point and its bursting will have consequences investors can't afford to ignore.

The Inflation Sh*t Is Hitting The Fan

Submitted by QTR's Fringe Finance

This week was proof that the inflation story that markets desperately want to go away refuses to cooperate. It also adds to the case that new Fed chair Kevin Warsh could have his hands tied — and may ultimately need to redefine inflation to untie them.

This week the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported another really ugly wholesale inflation print, adding to a growing pile of evidence that inflation pressures are proving far more persistent than policymakers, economists, and investors had hoped.

The Producer Price Index rose 1.1% in May, well above economist expectations of 0.7%. On a year-over-year basis, wholesale inflation accelerated to 6.5%, the highest reading since November 2022.

Even though core PPI, which excludes food and energy, came in slightly below expectations at 0.4% versus estimates of 0.5%, that distinction shouldn’t provide much comfort. The headline figure remains extraordinarily elevated, and businesses are still dealing with rising costs that eventually work their way through supply chains and into consumer prices. READ MORE

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6.12.26 - Buffett's favorite market indicator is screaming sell

Gold last traded at $4,229 an ounce. Silver at $68.17 an ounce.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Warren Buffett may have stepped down recently, but the signals behind his investing philosophy are still impossible to ignore. And right now, they're not whispering, they're flashing warning signs that a market correction could be getting closer. This isn't a new concern; analysts and indicators have been raising red flags for some time. The question isn't who's sounding the alarm, it’s who's prepared if they turn out to be right.

Warren Buffett's favorite stock market indicator is screaming sell -Yahoo! Finance

by Brian Sozzi

It may be worthwhile to pay closer attention to OG investor Warren Buffett's favorite stock market indicator.

Because it's now flashing a major warning sign amid the AI stock frenzy.

The so-called Buffett Indicator stands at about 232.5% — up a sharp 13% from the March 30 lows, per data from GuruFocus. The indicator has never been higher, going back to the earliest GuruFocus data in 1970.

At current levels, the indicator is in the "significantly overvalued" zone — with stocks potentially on a collision course for modest negative returns over the next year.

The Buffett Indicator takes the Wilshire 5000 Index (viewed as the total stock market) and divides it by the annual US GDP. It rose to fame following a 2001 Fortune magazine article written by Buffett and longtime Fortune writer and Buffett insider Carol Loomis. VIEW CHARTS AND READ MORE

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6.11.26 - Water, US Treasuries and the Dollar

Gold last traded at $4,212 an ounce. Silver at $67.36 an ounce.

EDITOR'S NOTE: What do water, U.S. Treasuries, and the dollar have in common? On the surface, it may seem like very little, yet all three share a troubling characteristic: growing concern that something could be fundamentally wrong.

The issue isn’t necessarily their current condition, but rather the long-standing problems beneath the surface that have continued to build over time. The question now is whether these challenges can still be fixed or if they have reached a point where the damage may be beyond repair.

Hopefully, that’s not the case. For now, all we can do is watch closely, and hope for the best.

The Ogallala Aquifer Is Dying – As The Largest Supply Of Groundwater In The United States Vanishes, Farmers Are Deeply Concerned About What Is Next -The Economic Collapse

Gigantic underground aquifers are being rapidly depleted all over the world, and once that water is gone it will take a very long time for it to come back. In fact, in some areas of the United States the recharge rate is less than an inch per year. That is a major problem, because more than half of the water that U.S. farmers use for irrigation comes from underground aquifers. What in the world are our farmers going to do once that water is gone?

The largest underground aquifer in the United States is known as the Ogallala Aquifer. It covers a vast area under portions of eight different states, and it accounts for approximately 30 percent of all groundwater that is used for irrigation in our nation…

The Ogallala Aquifer is a shallow water table aquifer surrounded by sand, silt, clay, and gravel located beneath the Great Plains in the United States. READ MORE

Treasury Market Is Telling Kevin Warsh Rates Need to Be Higher -Yahoo! Finance

by Michael MacKenzie and Greg Ritchie

(Bloomberg) -- The $31 trillion Treasury market has an unequivocal message for Kevin Warsh’s Federal Reserve: Interest rates aren’t high enough.

Yields on policy-sensitive US two-year notes have surged to their highest level in more than a year after a trove of economic data led traders to price in at least one quarter-point rate hike as soon as October. At around 4.15%, the two-year yield trades well above the Fed’s current policy band of 3.5% to 3.75%, a divergence that began in March.

The reset upwards only intensified last week after the latest read on job growth topped all forecasts, reinforcing a growing conviction that rates need to rise in order to rein in inflation pressures and temper the risk of an AI-induced boom overheating the economy. Reports due later this week on consumer and wholesale prices in May are expected to provide further validation of the narrative.

“Show me where rates are being restrictive,” said Jack McIntyre, portfolio manager at Brandywine Global Investment Management. “Treasury yields are going to be biased higher until something breaks.” READ MORE

Vladimir Putin Explains Why BRICS Is Moving Beyond the US Dollar -Watcher.Guru

by Vinod Dsouza

Speaking at the SPIEF plenary session in St. Petersburg, Russian President Vladimir Putin opened up on why BRICS is moving beyond the US dollar. He highlighted several reasons, including aggressive tactics from the West to maintain its financial hegemony. This is proving costly for the US and Europe, as developing countries have realized the dangers of keeping the US dollar in their reserves.

“All countries, without exception (BRICS), now understand that just as Russia can instantaneously lose access to their legitimate assets denominated in the US dollar or euro, they can also lose access to the Western financial and payment infrastructure,” Putin said. This is what makes holding the USD a risky affair, as it could become worthless during sanctions.

Putin stressed that to maintain an economic balance, payments in local currencies protect BRICS members, while the US dollar destroys it. This is the sole reason why alliance members are hesitant to settle payments in the US dollar. “They are transitioning to payments in national currencies. They are making wider use of alternative payment systems, increasing the role of digital financial assets as well as the digital currencies of their central banks,” he said. READ MORE

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6.10.26 - US Banks' Unrealized Losses Surge to $325,100,000,000

Gold last traded at $4,076 an ounce. Silver at $63.59 an ounce.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Since many investors rotated out of technology stocks and into bank stocks last week, the banking sector attracted renewed attention. Whether that proves to be a smart move remains to be seen. One factor worth watching is the large amount of unrealized losses still sitting on bank balance sheets; losses that total hundreds of billions of dollars and could become a significant concern if financial conditions deteriorate.

US Banks’ Unrealized Losses Surge to $325,100,000,000 Amid Rising Mortgage Rates: FDIC

by Mark Emem

Unrealized losses on the balance sheets of US banks rose in the first quarter of 2026, marking the first quarter-on-quarter increase since the fourth quarter of 2024.

According to the latest report on institutions under the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), US banks recorded a rise in unrealized losses of a little over six percent in the first quarter.

“Total unrealized losses increased $19.0 billion, or 6.2 percent, from the prior quarter to $325.1 billion. The 30-year mortgage rate remained relatively flat during the first two months of the quarter but rose in the month of March, decreasing the value of mortgage-backed securities reported by banks and increasing unrealized losses.”

Consequently, the FDIC says the elevated unrealized losses and weakness in certain loan portfolios “remain matters of ongoing supervisory attention.”

Amid the rise in the level of unrealized losses, the FDIC says that the number of financial institutions on the “Problem Bank List” fell in the first quarter.

“The number of banks on the list declined by a net of six in the first quarter to 54 banks. The number of problem banks was 1.3 percent of total banks, which is in the normal range of 1 to 2 percent for non-crisis periods. Three banks opened and one bank failed during the first quarter.” READ MORE

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6.9.26 - Half of US Dollar Purchasing Power Stolen

Gold last traded at $4,258 an ounce. Silver at $65.26 an ounce.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Did the economic damage from the lockdown era ever truly end? Is the U.S. economy weaker than official data suggests and eroding Americans' purchasing power far more than reported? This article argues that the recovery often touted, never really occurred. That's why investors are increasingly looking to protect their wealth with hard assets as hedges against inflation and currency debasement. The appeal of gold and silver is less about chasing returns and more about preserving purchasing power in an uncertain economic environment.

Since Lockdowns, a 12% GDP Loss; Half of US Dollar Purchasing Power Stolen -Brownstone Institute

by Jeffrey A Tucker

Many of us have had the intuition that the economic damage from 2020 – including industrial stoppages, monetary printing, supply-chain disruptions, extended school closures, and general population demoralization – was in fact far greater than official statistics indicate.

What follows will shore up this intuition, using new techniques and numbers from an innovative project called RealityIndex.co.

It’s true that official data is bad enough, showing a 26% loss in purchasing power, slow growth in output, and only marginal improvements in real income. The labor participation rate and worker/population ratio never fully recovered and continue to fall.

Output has been lackluster. It’s supposedly running 2.3% which is about half the postwar norm for US economic performance. It feels like a general downshift. Official data shows a brief recession in 2020 followed by gradual economic recovery overall.

But is this even true? In 2024, Brownstone Institute commissioned a study (by E.J. Antoni and Peter St. Onge) that concluded that we have never really entered recovery after 2022. We’ve been in a technical recession since that time. They got this with some limited adjustments of price data bumped up against output data. That study was met with brutal attacks, with every critic falling back on official data and doubting the supposed extremism of the conclusion. READ MORE

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