While the US$3000 figure is wildly above most forecasts, which are mostly flat at the current level, UBS global commodity analyst Tom Price said these flat forecasts are based less on informed analysis than on the fact that "people just don't know what's going on."

5 years into the official economic “recovery” the labor participation rate is still lower than when the recession was declared over in June 2009 by almost a percentage point. It is still over 4 percentage points lower than when the recession officially began. The Federal Reserve chart of employment as a percentage of working age adults proves the point that sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words - sometimes much more. Words: 388; Charts: 1

This summer we are nearing a possible inflection point in terms of Fed actions. The mere suggestion from the Fed that something is going to change is enough to supercharge markets, either up or down....Will markets go to 20,000 or to 5,000? That depends upon the Fed and how much they debauch the currency.......Stay tuned, this story has hardly begun.

Charts speak the loudest...and they never lie...[because they are] the true record of all buy and sell decisions executed, coming from the most informed to the least informed. Most of the problems lie with those who form an opinion, and how they choose to impose it onto what any given chart “says.” My understanding of what the quarterly monthly, weekly and daily charts are conveying about the price action of silver is, simply,] "Silver stackers, these lower prices are a gift you should keep on taking. Stay tuned."

The financial markets were in distress lately because of Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke's suggestion that the Fed might taper off its quantitative easing programs starting at the end of this year and ending in 2015. Here are five reasons why markets shouldn't worry too much about the Fed leaving the stage:

Below are the four most important factors that influence the price of gold indicators....If you understand and correctly interpret these four indicators, I guarantee you'll make more intelligent buy/sell decisions. More importantly, you'll make more profitable ones as well.

The damage has already been done. Junior mining companies have already dropped 80%. Rather than wallow in the injustice of the apparent gold market manipulation, I believe it is better to apply the wisdom, "if you can't beat them, join them."

If you want to make rabbit stew, first, you have to catch the rabbit so hopefully, first, we'll see some concrete signs that a bottom is in before the regurgitation of “Gold is going to $10,000!” starts showing up in a host of new articles pandering for attention. The best way is to decide for yourself...so let us go to the most reliable source, the market, and see what the prices of gold and silver have to say about what everyone else has been saying about them. People have been known to exaggerate, even lie in their “opinions,” but the market never does either.

The Canadian dollar is at its lowest level versus the American greenback in nearly two years and that’s good news for the Canadian economy. Here's why.

Many analysts believe they have insights that enable them to predict the future. They forecast gold going anywhere from $2,600 to $5,000 before the end of 2012 or by the end of 2013 at the latest. Unfortunately, the reading public quickly forgot their prognostications and continue to put credence in their latest crystal ball predictions. This site has decided to call their number. Below is a list of those bold enough to forecast the price of gold reaching a particular price by a specific date and missing the mark.