Emas Naik Kembali USD 1429

Tak sampai beberapa hari, harga emas naik kembali. begitulah lumrah emas, pantang rendah orang akan beli. Kalau tinggi sama ada orang simpan atau jual. Kenaikan tahunan sekarang ialah 29.54 %.

Harga Emas Jatuh Kembali ke USD 1415

Wah ! Harga emas jatuh kembali disebabkan jualan oleh pelabur untuk menjana keuntungan sewaktu harga tinggi tempohari. Juga disebabkan kenaikan prestasi ekonomi di US dan harga minyak mentah yang menurun. Jika ada yang bercadang membeli emas, waktu  ini agak sesuai kerana jika dibandingkan rekod tertinggi minggu lepas USD 1447, harga sekarang agak murah. Tapi mungkin ia akan menjadi lebih rendah, tiada siapa tahu. Terpulang pada kita membuat keputusan.

Apa pun sukar sekarang ni untuk meperolehi harga pada hujung 2010 lalu iaitu di sekitar USD 1367. Kesimpulannya, membeli dan menyimpan emas tidak pernah rugi. Kalau terus menunggu harga lebih rendah, silap2 ia akan menjadi semakin naik dan naik dan sukar berpatah balik pada harga yang kita harapkan. Jangan lupa perak. Kadar kenaikan perak adalah lebih pantas berbanding emas.

Saya suka melihat prestasi emas dengan jadual Kitco di bawah. Apa pun berlaku, kenaikan tahunan (365 hari yang lalu) untuk emas sentiasa positif iaitu sekitar 25% hingga 30%. Ini menunjukkan harga sekarang adalah 27.93% lebih tinggi daripada harga pada 28 Mac 2010 atau kenaikan sebanyak USD 309 seounce !!!! Kan dah untung besar namanya tu. Jadi, marilah kita menyimpan emas. Tapi jangan lupa bayar zakat ye.. Pasti tidak rugi dan mendapat keberkatan.

Gold Declines on Rally to Record Price, Signs of Improving Economy in U.S.

Gold declined for a third day in London as some investors sold the metal after its rally to a record and on signs the U.S. economy is improving. Silver, platinum and palladium also fell.

The U.S. economy grew at a 3.1 percent annual rate in the fourth quarter, revised up from a 2.8 percent estimate issued last month, data showed March 25. Gold reached a record $1,447.82 an ounce on March 24 as fighting in Libya, the Japanese nuclear crisis and concerns about European debt boosted demand for a protection of wealth.

“The U.S. numbers have not been all that awful,” said Afshin Nabavi, a senior vice president at bullion refiner MKS Finance SA in Geneva. “The market has had a huge move up and the higher we go up, the more chance of a bigger correction.”

Immediate-delivery bullion fell $11.77, or 0.8 percent, to $1,417.97 an ounce by 9:49 a.m. in London. Prices are little changed this quarter after gaining the previous nine quarters. Gold for June delivery was 0.6 percent lower at $1,419.40 an ounce on the Comex in New York.

Consumer spending in the U.S. probably accelerated in February as the labor market improved, economists said before a report today. Policy makers should review whether to complete a second round of quantitative-easing purchases because of strong U.S. economic data, St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank President James Bullard said March 26.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization said yesterday it has taken command of all military operations to ensure the safety of Libyan civilians against forces loyal to leader Muammar Qaddafi. Rebel forces advanced westward with support from NATO air strikes targeting Sirte, the hometown of the country’s leader.

Ada negeri di US ingin beralih pada piawaian emas

Disebabkan keadaan ekonomi tidak menentu dan hilang kepercayaan terhadap keupayaan Fiat Money, ada juga beberapa negeri di US bercadang menukar piawaian kewangan mereka kepada piawaian emas. Walaubagaimanapun ia nyata bertentangan denggan ketetapan dengan US Federal Law. Dalam posting terdahulu, ada dinyatakan Russia juga pernah bercadang beralih arah kepada piawaian emas. Tidak mustahil satu masa nanti sistem kewangan di dunia ini kembali disandarkan kepada piawaian emas seperti sistem dulu-dulu.

FOCUS: Some U.S. States Look At Potential Return To Gold Standard; May Conflict With Federal Law

 (Kitco News) - Uncertain economic times and distrust of fiat currencies have people around the globe flocking to the safety of hard assets, with gold and silver the primary beneficiaries of that discontent.

Some U.S. state legislators are starting to also look at what they can do to protect their local economies and many are wondering how they can enact a gold standard. It’s unlikely, however, that states can go very far without being in conflict with federal law.

Most famously, Congressman Ron Paul (R-Texas) has advocated the abolition of the Federal Reserve and a return to a gold standard.

Lawmakers in several states, including Tennessee, Virginia, New Hampshire and South Carolina, have introduced bills to look into minting their own currencies in the event of a complete breakdown of the U.S. Federal Reserve. In Georgia, a bill to make the state only use gold and silver is in committee.  

Utah has received the most media attention on this subject as the House and Senate have passed HB317, which would recognize gold and silver coins as legal tender and exempt them from certain state tax liability. Although the legislative session for Utah is over, Gov. Gary R. Herbert has until March 30 to veto the bill; if he does not, it automatically becomes law.

Republican Utah Sen. Scott Jenkins, a co-sponsor of the bill, told Kitco News the state would take no action now, but that passage would allow an interim study group to further research whether they could or should establish an alternative form of legal tender.
Republican Utah Rep. Brad Galvez, who introduced the bill, said that the state of the U.S. economy is what spurred the bill.

“This is a step in preparedness, a step in security,” Galvez said, “It allows us to be able to hold up our economy as the dollar continues to shrink.”

Jenkins said he didn’t know what the governor’s view is on the bill, and calls and emails to the Utah governor’s office by Kitco News were not returned.

Galvez said one aspect the committee would examine is how gold and silver coins could be treated.
“If you were to take a gold coin or silver and tender it for a pair of shoes…the face value may be $1 but the spot price may be $36. So what the Revenue Taxation Committee would be responsible for is to study the implementation of it. If you have a tendered coin, you would want to get the value of it not just the face value,” Galvez told Kitco News.
However, the legislation would not force merchants to accept gold and silver coins as payment, Galvez said.

ALL U.S. MINT COINS ARE LEGAL TENDER

All coins struck by the U.S. Mint are legal tender under the 1965 Coinage Act, said David L Ganz, managing partner and principal litigator in the law firm of Ganz & Hollinger, P.C. in New York City. Ganz has edited the book “America’s Coinage Laws (1792-1894)” and is a life fellow of the American Numismatic Society.
“I can take my commemorative coins to the bank or the post office and for my $1 silver coin, which is worth about $32, I will get $1 in stamps or four quarters in change,” Ganz said.

That’s because the term “legal tender” refers to a set price. It doesn’t track the metal inside. “It doesn’t matter how much it weighs. Congress says what the value is,” he said.

Legislators who are seeking a return to the gold standard or to use gold and silver coins according to their weight point to two areas in the U.S. Constitution they believe support their goals. The first is Article 1, Section 8, which deals with Congress’ ability to coin money and regulate its value. The second is the 10th Amendment, which sets up states’ rights. Some of these powers include the ability of the states to look out for the welfare and safety of its citizens.

“All of these proposals and laws are a sign of our times. State and local governments are severely under stress and they’re looking down the road at ways to protect themselves. That’s the practical economic view. The legal view is this is another battle between the 10th amendment and Article 1,” said Albert Navarra, author of “The Elements of Constitutional Law” and a practicing lawyer since 1999.
The 10th amendment is not “a blank check” for states to do what they want, he said, and often that amendment bumps into other laws.

“Under the Constitution, states can’t make their own currency, even if they’re concerned about hyper inflation. That’s when the federal government would step in and say it’s prohibited,” Navarra said, referring to Article 1, Section 10 , prohibiting states from coining money.

He explained that Article 1 of the Constitution creates a common economic market in the U.S. This is why Congress has the power over interstate commerce and can strike down a state law if it interferes with interstate commerce.

CONSTIUTIONALITY OF PAPER MONEY

Both Navarra and Ganz said even though the Constitution says “to coin” and not “to print” money, the Supreme Court’s rulings on the matter are why paper money is recognized as legal tender.
“The Constitution is written in very general terms; it’s up for the Supreme Court to interpret the specifics. For instance, the Constitution doesn’t have anything in there about credit cards or web points,” Navarra said.

Ganz said the issue regarding paper money dates back to 1862 and the Legal Tender Act which was created during the Civil War. There were several cases about the constitutionality of legal tender brought to the Supreme Court, the final being heard in 1884 in a case called Juilliard vs. Greenman, with the court ruling in favor of paper money usage.

Because Congress sets the value of money, states that want to value gold and silver coins by weight rather than the face value could run afoul of federal law. Several of the proposals, such as the one in the Georgia house banking committee, would use the daily fluctuating price of gold and silver. If states were to pursue that, it would be in violation of Article 1, section 8, Navarra said.

Further, Ganz said, calling something “legal tender” is an act of compulsion. “If someone comes to you to pay an obligation, you can decline to accept it, but then you lose any rights to take against the person,” he said.
Ganz also said because values fluctuate daily, accepting gold and silver coins for payment bring up realistic problems. “If you have a silver coin with a face value of $30 with an ounce of pure silver in it and it trades to $34, it’s now competing with itself because of the price of the metal,” he said.

By Debbie Carlson of Kitco News dcarlson@kitco.com
Daniela Cambone of Kitco News dcambone@kitco.com contributed to this article.

Doakan Situasi Di Libya

Di tengah kesibukan kita, marilah kita sama-sama berdoa agar Allah SWT membantu saudara-saudara kita di Libya yang sedang mengalami kesukaran. Walau apa pun, saya amat-amat tidak bersetuju dengan tindakan tentera bersekutu mencabuli kedaulatan negara Libya dengan sesuka hati mengebom negara berkenaan. Atas dasar apa mereka berbuat begitu. Walau bagaimana benci sekalipun dengan tindakan Presiden Gadafi, bagi saya mereka tiada hak untuk berbuat begitu dan kedaulatan negara Libya tidak boleh dicemar sebegitu rupa. Bayangkan sekiranya negara Amerika, UK atau Perancis dibom oleh negara lain, apa perasaan mereka. Kita mesti mengecam sekeras-kerasnya tindakan tentera bersekutu berkenaan. Semoga Allah SWT menggagalkan rancangan jahat tersebut dan membantu saudara-saudara seislam kita. Ameen.