Investing During Political Turmoil and Economic Uncertainty

The financial markets have entered a wild period of extremely high volatility in the final months of 2018. A rare “perfect storm” hit investors as stocks, commodities, and bonds all tumbled in unison  for the first time in decades. The economic picture is confusing, as this downward spiral comes atypically in a time when unemployment… Read More »

A Conversation With Sam Trencher, Principal of SO Accurate

Pease & Curren started our blog, “Karat Chat”, to provide our perspective on issues of concern to the industries we serve, with a focus on precious metals. In our 102 years of operating a refinery, we have learned a few things about the world of precious metals that we think our friends in jewelry, dental,… Read More »

E-Retail: Supreme Court Changes the Rules

Many brick and mortar retailers are noticing a boost this shopping season because of a recent Supreme Court decision closing a tax loophole that had favored online commerce. For many years, the law prohibited states from charging sales taxes to businesses that did not have a physical location in the taxing state. In South Dakota… Read More »

The Republic Bankruptcy: Frequently Asked Questions

News of the bankruptcy of Republic Metals Corp., a large Florida precious metals refinery, and its affiliate, has rocked the precious metals industry. Read Pease & Curren’s initial analysis of the bankruptcy here. Since that first post, a number of our colleagues and customers have been trying to understand what this means for them and… Read More »

News: Republic Metals Corp. and Republic Refining Corp. Files Bankruptcy

The Precious Metals industry has been rocked by news that Republic Metals has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the Southern District of New York as of Friday, November 2, 2018. The bankruptcy filing will give the company protection from its creditors in the immediate term as the company works on restructuring its business… Read More »

Is Gold Forever Tarnished?

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has recently made some major changes to the FTC Jewelry Guides, lowering its standards about what may be sold as “gold jewelry”. Federal law generally prevents marketers from making unfair and deceptive claims about their products. The FTC guides provide instructions to the jewelry industry about what will and will… Read More »

Preparing for the Holidays in the Age of the Robots

With trick-or-treating still on the horizon, it is hard to believe that online retailers like Amazon are already starting to prepare for December’s holiday rush. As witches, vampires, and candied apples are filling the shelves of America’s convenience stores, legions of robots have invaded its warehouses and e-commerce fulfillment centers, the Wall Street Journal reports .… Read More »

Looking for someplace to put your money this Monday: Gold is it

Gold is at a 10 week high this Monday morning. September numbers for retail sales are in and they are disappointing.  In addition, emerging market stocks are getting hammered. The volatility index for GOLD has been at a 10 as of late, but it is now at a 12.  If you are looking for someplace… Read More »