Gold, Inflation, and Commodities
Market Watch
I do not see a big surge in global demand for commodities coming any time soon.  No doubt demand will increase over a longer period such as five or 10 years, but I just don’t see it in the next year or so.  In terms of inflation, Grannis writes that the threat of deflation is over and higher inflation is on the way.  I believe higher inflation may be coming too, but it is not here now. To me, the threat of higher inflation is the main reason to consider investing in commodities.  Governments of all stripes and persuasions love inflation and they hate deflation, so I have no doubt whatsoever that central bank bureaucrats everywhere are trying to crank up the inflationary pressure.
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New Credit Card Coming for Gold Bugs
PR Newswire
New credit card laws can bring sweeping changes and even “golden opportunities” that could be just what the doctor ordered to perk up an ailing economy. In particular, Public Law 111-24, the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 whose major provisions are effective February 2010, provides new legislation pertaining to credit cards which will make them not only easier to understand, but offer a “golden opportunity” for those who want to have a new credit card backed by gold, rather than dollars. “Those who ‘believe in gold’ can see  the new law reshaping attitudes and conventions about credit cards that will help make this breakthrough collateralized credit card concept a reality in the very near future.
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For Big Gold, 2009 Was a Good Year
Mineweb
For years, gold companies of all sizes have promised, and promised, as gold bullion prices rose and rose. No matter its size, an expectation gap remains, and may be whittled down somewhat during 2010. The eight gold stocks mentioned carry an aggregate market value of USD 117bn, and returned a relatively modest USD 2.5bn in free cash flow for 2009. Combined cash dividends were USD 941m, as noted, giving a dividend yield well below 1%. Could this be a year when gold majors focus on genuine returns to shareholders, rather than drawing attention to a good number of areas that sit on the periphery of underlying investor interest?
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China Advises Citizens to Buy Gold and Silver
Cookeville Times
In fact, China just introduced silver bars for investment.And the state-run China Central Television (CCTV) is running a campaign encouraging the population to invest in gold & silver. Real gold and silver investing has just begun in China. China’s largest bank, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, created a new department to serve investors seeking gold and silver. The bank told Reuters the Chinese have a custom of holding gold as a form of personal wealth and its gold market could soar as people get wealthier.
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African Rainbow Minerals Interested in Zimbabwe Platinum
Sunday News
South African based African Rainbow Minerals has approached the Government to explore ways of investing in platinum projects in Zimbabwe, Mines and Mining Development Minister Obert Mpofu has said. In a telephone interview with the Sunday Business the minister said the ARM owner, Mr Patrice Motsepe, has made enquiries on how his company can venture into mining the mineral. “Patrice Motsepe’s company is a potential investor and they have made some inquiries that we are still looking into,” he said. Minister Mpofu’s remarks reaffirm what Mr Motsepe said during a briefing to investors last week.
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Mugabe: Hands Off Our Platinum
The Sun Daily
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe on Saturday defended new laws that force companies to hand control of their businesses to black Zimbabweans, and warned Western investors to keep their hands off Zimbabwe’s mineral wealth. Mugabe was speaking at celebrations to mark his 86th birthday, which fell on February 21. “They (Western investors) want our gold, platinum, diamonds, uranium, our land, but we say ‘No!’ Zimbabwe is ours, you will not take it,” he said. Zimbabwe would need “partners from outside,” he said, but these would be “partners of our choice, not imposed.” 
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