Earlier today Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell made the surprising 
announcement of the return to the gold standard saying, “The safest way for the economy to proceed is through a new system that holds more accountability for the U.S. dollar and its value in the global markets.”
…[Powell has concluded] that the reason the U.S. slipped into such a rough patch was because of the lack of money supply in the economy…[but] after pumping trillions into the system…he has decided that a bold and abrupt change is needed if the U.S. wants to continue on the path to prosperity.
The Gold Standard
In something of a mea culpa moment, [Powell] admitted that while the increased money supply has done well to prop up markets for the time being, it is not a sustainable solution. The reversion to the gold standard, he hopes, will allow the economy to march forward in a more stable manner. “The flexibility of a fiat currency has guided the U.S. through the toughest era since the Great Depression, but the time has come for a change,” said Powell…
One important thing to note is that the timeline for the return will be relatively drawn out and smooth. The Fed mandates that by 2027 all currency must be backed by at least 30% of its value in gold. That figure will increase to 50% by 2028 and to 100% by 2030. The move brings up a number of big questions, like whether or not the Fed will audit Fort Knox or other institutions that conspiracy theorists have been attacking for years. For now, we will have to wait for more specifics, but investors can already begin preparing.
Prepping for a Gold Standard
With a hard 2-year timeline, investors [should] begin allocating [some of their assets] into gold as this move will surely spark interest in the commodity. Some may choose to utilize stocks and ETFs, but physical bullion will likely be the most popular, as this will likely spark fears of a gold confiscation in order for the Fed to have enough bullion to justify the move. While a confiscation is extremely unlikely, there are those who still fear such a move….
The Bottom Line
With such monumental news coming seemingly out of nowhere, there is something that investors need to keep in mind.
[Happy April Fool’s Day to all. Feel free to “get” your friends and co-workers with this article!]
