The Ten Trillion Dollar Milestone

A milestone on the road to economic ruin was reached last week. Total Foreign Exchange Reserves topped $10 trillion. That means central banks have created the equivalent of $10 trillion of fiat money that they have used to buy the currencies of other countries.

That figure does not include the money central banks have created and used to buy assets denominated in their own currencies, such as the $2 trillion the Fed created during the first two rounds of Quantitative Easing.

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How Japan and Switzerland Could Reshape the Currency Markets

Japan and Switzerland are facing the same threat to their economic health. And so far, every step they've taken to make things better has only made them worse.

But there is one way they could conceivably get out of this mess. And even though no one is talking about it yet, a mere hint of the possibility could send China-sized shockwaves throughout the global currency markets.

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Russia’s Central Bank Could Boost the Australian and Canadian Dollars

The world's third-largest foreign exchange reserve is about to become even more diversified.

First Deputy Chairman Alexei Ulyukayev of the Russian central bank said it is looking to move into other currencies in the near term. The biggest beneficiaries are likely to be Australian and Canadian dollars – opening a door for long-term appreciation for both.

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China Downplays Role of Gold in its Forex Holdings

This past week China’s State Administration of Foreign Exchange, or SAFE, indicated that it will “improve its diversification strategy on investing its foreign-exchange reserves–which at nearly $2.5 trillion is the world’s largest–but gave no details,” according to The Wall Street Journal.

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Greece, Hat in Hand, Turns to China for Cash

China has quickly become the go-to country for nations in need. With a $2.4 trillion stash of foreign exchange reserves it’s hard for debt-laden countries to not consider asking it for a helping hand. The US relies on China’s Treasury purchases, and it’s no wonder that Greece is now turning there as well.

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