Leonard Melman: Are You Prepared for Hyperinflation?

The Gold Report: You recently told a crowd of investors at Prospectors Developer Association of Canada (PDAC) that precious metals are the best place to invest in an inflationary period. Why is that?

Leonard Melman: When prices are going up, you wouldn't want to be in housing stocks or auto financing, but you would certainly want to be in precious metals. You also might want to short the bond market. That is why you have to be aware of the direction of inflation. It is important to the concept of precious metals pricing. If you've been around for a few years, as I've been lucky enough to be, then you can easily recall a time when high inflation was the absolute key ingredient in massive previous bull markets. That is why I thoroughly look at what has led to past inflation and hyperinflation. I use four examples: the Roman Empire, the French Revolution in the late 1700s, the German hyperinflation in the 1920s and the recent catastrophe of hyperinflation in Zimbabwe. I examine whether America and other countries in the world are perhaps following the same paths that led to those previous hyperinflations.

TGR: Do you think investors are going to see hyperinflation in the foreseeable future? Continue reading "Leonard Melman: Are You Prepared for Hyperinflation?"

How Does Gold Fare During Hyperinflationary Periods?

By Jeff Clark, Casey Research

Inflation is a natural consequence of loose government monetary policy. If those policies get too loose, hyperinflation can occur. As gold investors, we'd like to know if the precious metals would keep pace in this extreme scenario.

Hyperinflation is an extremely rapid period of inflation, but when does inflation (which can be manageable) cross the line and become out-of-control hyperinflation? Philip Cagan, one of the very first researchers of this phenomenon, defines hyperinflation as "an inflation rate of 50% or more in a single month," something largely inconceivable to the average investor. Continue reading "How Does Gold Fare During Hyperinflationary Periods?"