Video News/New Orleans Investment Conference 2026

(Kitco News) - Fed Chair Kevin Warsh wants to be another Paul Volcker, and the tight money that could follow may weigh on gold and silver, according to Mark Skousen, professor of economics at Chapman University. Speaking with Kitco News anchor Jeremy Szafron at the New Orleans Investment Conference, Skousen said real interest rates are rising above inflation, a trend he said is “not good for gold or silver.” He described himself as one of the few people at the conference “who’s rather cautious,” and said he sees a December rate hike as a real possibility. Skousen, who told investors to sell their gold and silver in 1980, said the U.S. has nonetheless entered “an era of permanent inflation,” arguing that price stability is no longer a Fed target. He also warned that the country is headed for a monetary crisis as interest on the national debt keeps climbing.