My wife Jo has her wedding ring inspected as part of their warranty program. The jeweler was examining her ring when a group of young folks came into the store. They were part of a church youth group on a modern-day scavenger hunt. They politely asked permission to take a photo of the most expensive piece of jewelry in the store.

I tagged along. Despite dozens of items in the showcase, this particular one sparkled brightly and was easily spotted. I mentioned it to the clerk and she said the new LED lights can really make gold, silver, and platinum look very attractive.

That sounded familiar. I recently interviewed good friend Chuck Butler about rising interest rates and their potential for inflation. Chuck also highlighted the shiny metals, recommending investors increase their holdings to 20-25%. Chuck’s interview was followed by this article where Fed chairman Jerome Powell reinforces the premise. Central banks worldwide are unloading debt and interest rates are expected to rapidly rise. Metals should be back in the spotlight.

Some positive news about metals

Goldcore.com recently reported, “Gold Bullion Price Suppression to End? Bullion Bank Traders Arrested For Manipulating Market”.

Deutsche Bank, UBS, and HSBC all admitted to price manipulation in the futures markets. Not only were they fined, the traders may also be facing criminal charges.

There’s been a tremendous amount of evidence presented over the years alleging that the gold and silver markets were being manipulated, but this is the first time I recall anyone actually facing serious consequences.

My go-to expert on these issues is Ed Steer. Each day he publishes his Gold and Silver Digest – one of my “must read” publications. When it comes to precious metals, and the issue of manipulated markets, Ed is a true expert.

Ed is a member of the Gold Anti-Trust Action Committee (GATA). For good reason, they have been educating the public and hammering the government with some damning evidence of anti-trust violations. I’ve known Ed from his days when he wrote a daily column for Casey Research. He is a straight-shooter who tells it like it is. Ed was kind enough to set aside some time for an interview.

DENNIS: On behalf of our readers, Ed thanks for your time. Let’s get right to it.

When I first started writing for Casey Research, GATA was supplying a preponderance of evidence of price manipulation in the gold and silver market. Many made light of the accusations. To all of your credit, you were not deterred, despite the criticism.