The world’s central banks did something notable in the second quarter of 2026. Even as gold experienced its steepest quarterly price decline in a decade, official buyers accumulated more gold than in any previous Q2 on record. On July 30, the World Gold Council released its Gold Demand Trends Q2 2026 report. The standout figure: … Read more

Gold spot price today: $4,047 per ounce, according to goldsilver.com price charts. In the same quarter, two very different groups of buyers looked at the gold market and made opposite decisions. One group pulled 45 tonnes out. The other added 289 tonnes. That split is the most important finding in the World Gold Council’s Q2 … Read more

Key Takeaways A self-directed IRA (SDIRA) is the only IRS-sanctioned vehicle that lets you hold physical gold and silver inside a tax-advantaged retirement account. Qualifying metals must meet IRS purity minimums: gold at 99.5%, silver at 99.9%, platinum and palladium at 99.95%. American Gold Eagles are a statutory exception. Physical metals must be held by … Read more

The Federal Reserve began its two-day meeting this morning, with a policy decision scheduled for tomorrow at 2:00 PM ET. Ahead of that announcement, five distinct market moves are worth tracking. Each provides a piece of the same puzzle: is Fed Chair Kevin Warsh likely to deliver a rate hike? Does Citadel Securities Know Something … Read more

Gold is trading at $4,030 per ounce this morning, down $46 from yesterday’s open. Silver is at $57.39, down about $1. Both metals slipped as the Federal Reserve’s two-day July meeting opened. The Fed decision is scheduled for tomorrow, July 29, at 2:00 p.m. ET. This pullback is not driven by events in the Middle … Read more

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) announces its rate decision today at 2:00 p.m. ET. Markets currently assign roughly a 70% probability to a rate hold, and gold trading around $4,013 has largely reflected that expectation for weeks. However, the data point that has not been fully priced in — and the one most likely … Read more

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard launched a surprise salvo of ballistic missiles at American forces in the Middle East overnight. U.S. forces reported that every missile was intercepted. The attack triggered a sharp move in energy markets — oil jumped more than 6 percent — while gold slipped. If that sequence seems counterintuitive, this article walks … Read more

Key Takeaways A Class 3 vault is the highest commercial rating under UL Standard 608, issued by Underwriters Laboratories. It means the vault door and wall panels can withstand more than two continuous hours of sustained attack using professional power tools and cutting torches. The UL 608 classification includes four levels: M (15 minutes), 1 … Read more

Key Takeaways The American Gold Eagle is the United States’ official gold bullion coin, authorized by Congress in 1985 and issued by the U.S. Mint since 1986. Each coin is made in 22-karat gold—91.67% gold with 3% silver and 5.33% copper—an intentional alloy that improves durability while preserving the stated gold content. Four sizes are … Read more

Key Takeaways The petrodollar framework emerged in 1974 after a series of diplomatic and financial arrangements that tied global oil trade to the US dollar in exchange for US security and economic cooperation. Petrodollar recycling created a feedback loop: oil revenues converted to dollars flowed into US Treasuries, lowering US borrowing costs and sustaining global … Read more