• The US central bank confirmed market expectations by raising the main interest rate by 0.25%.
• US Federal Reserve funds rate is now 0.25%-0.50%.
• This might be the first of at least four further rate rises this year, and more in 2023.
• Borrowing costs for everything from credit cards to mortgages are headed higher.
In the past 12 months, the annual inflation rate in the US has moved from an official 2.62% to 7.9% – a 40-year high. Jerome Powell, chairman of the US Federal Reserve, and Janet Yellen, US Treasury Secretary, have shifted their narrative about inflation. A year ago they called it ‘transitory’. Yellen warned last week that Americans will probably see another year of what she called “uncomfortably high inflation”.
Putting up interest rates is a central bank’s main tool when it comes to trying to prevent inflation from spiraling beyond control. But this inflation is largely imported and probably beyond the control of anything the US Fed can do. The fall-out from the war in Ukraine has pushed energy and grains prices to record levels; China’s zero-Covid policy continues to disrupt supply chains. The risk is that making borrowing more expensive could throw the US economic recovery off-course, while failing to cool red-hot prices. According to a note to clients from Bank of America, for the US “economic growth and profit expectations are recessionary”. Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has Tweeted that the “entire global economy will feel the economic ‘ripple effects’ of the war in Ukraine, with slower growth and faster inflation”.
It’s commonly held that rising US interest rates are bearish for gold, but in fact there is little correlation between interest rates and the gold price; the 1980s saw declining interest rates and a bear market in gold, while in much of the 1970s gold prices rose, in tandem with rising interest rates. According to the World Gold Council, there is usually a negative correlation between gold and interest rates. Higher interest rates are thought to push gold lower because of increased competition from higher-yielding investments.
Gold has traditionally been regarded as a safe haven asset at times of intense uncertainty and anxiety, such as now. The Dollar price hit $2,070 after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine; Goldman Sachs has raised its price forecast for gold to $2,500 over the next six months, $450 higher than previously. Glint, the global gold-based payments platform makes gold easier: simpler to access, simpler to share and for the first time ever, a viable option to spend.
While we strongly believe that gold is the fairest and most reliable currency on the planet, we must point out that it isn’t 100% risk free. We have seen a steady increase over time but the value of gold can fall, which means the purchasing power of the customer can also fall.
Jason Cozens, Founder & CEO of Glint, says: “The markets have long been expecting this interest rate rise by the US Federal Reserve. This rate rise is probably just the first in a sequence that will push the US base rate to 2%, which historically is still a very low level. The Fed is in a very uncomfortable place. If it tightens credit and the money supply the US might face a severe recession; if it doesn’t, it may be criticized for failing to address inflation – even though the causes of this inflation lay beyond its shores”.
“We are living through deeply troubling and uncertain times. The Dollar’s status as the international reserve currency has been further chipped away by the news that Saudi Arabia may price some of the oil it sells to China in Yuan”.
“Gold will become increasingly important as an alternative to fiat currencies; the turbulence of today merely reinforces that. Glint has a vision of a global, gold-based alternative to banking, payments and money. We have the capacity and opportunity to build a significantly scalable financial eco-system, connected to, but outside of the existing banking and cryptocurrency systems”.
ENDS
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About Glint
At a time of extraordinary monetary policy and when trust in currencies, banks and existing payment systems has been eroded, Glint helps us move to a more stable global economy. Glint is bringing reliability, independence, choice, and control to clients, by reintroducing the most universally trusted form of money, Gold.
Glint Pay Ltd. (glintpay.com) is a fintech company, based in London, Boulder (US) and Tokyo, that uses gold as an alternative global currency to enable its clients instantly to buy, sell, save, spend, and send their physical gold and other currencies, through the Glint Mastercard® and Glint App.
Glint offers no credit facilities, it allows users to transfer, receive and save real gold, which is secured in Brink’s vaults in Switzerland.
Glint is able to issue cards to clients around the world and can open accounts in over 200 countries. With more than 90,000 registered users, Glint has completed over $300million worth of transactions to date.
Glint is authorised and regulated by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority which has given permission for Glint to issue electronic money (e-money) and provide payment services (FRN 900657).
Gold is not regulated by the FCA. However, Glint’s clients know their gold is secured in a Brinks Vault in Switzerland, insured by Brinks with Lloyds of London and their policy covers the replacement value of Glint client’s Gold as held in their vault.
The Glint card is issued in the UK by Glint Pay Services Ltd pursuant to licence by Mastercard International Inc.
Glint is a U.S.-based authorized Card Program Manager. Funds are held at Sutton Bank, Member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), in an FDIC-insured account.
Glint Pay Inc. employs effective Anti-Money Laundering (AML), Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT), and fraud prevention systems and controls to mitigate and combat risks.
Whilst we strongly believe that gold is the fairest and most reliable currency on the planet, we obviously need to point out that it isn’t 100% risk free. Whilst we have seen a steady increase over time, the value of gold can fall, which means the purchasing power of the customer can also fall.
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