Peter Schiff Predicts 'Worse Financial Crisis Than 2008' As Fed Holds Rates: 'The Solution Involves Much Higher Interest Rates' As Years of Easy Money Trigger Stagflation And Investor Exodus

BY Benzinga | ECONOMIC | 06/19/25 04:20 AM EDT

Economist Peter Schiff issued warnings about America’s economic trajectory during Wednesday’s Federal Reserve meeting, predicting the central bank’s decade-long policies will trigger an unavoidable crisis worse than 2008.

What Happened: The Federal Open Market Committee kept interest rates unchanged at 4.25%-4.50% for the fourth consecutive meeting, while projecting two rate cuts in 2025. However, Schiff told Fox Business that Fed Chair Jerome Powell “basically admitted that they have no idea what’s going to happen.”

The Fed’s updated projections show Personal Consumption Expenditures inflation rising to 3.0% in 2025, up from March’s 2.7% forecast, while real GDP growth was downgraded to 1.4% from 1.7%. Unemployment is expected to reach 4.5% in 2025.

Schiff argued these forecasts dramatically underestimate the severity of coming problems. “All of the inflation chickens that the Fed has been releasing for more than a decade are coming home to roost,” he said, attributing inflation pressures to years of artificially low rates rather than tariffs.

The economist predicted stagflation, combining recession with “much higher inflation happening at the same time,” potentially escalating to hyperinflation. He warned of a “global exodus out of U.S. stocks, out of U.S. bonds” as foreign investors retreat from American assets.

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Why It Matters: Schiff’s warnings align with growing economic concerns about America’s economic foundations. Nobel laureate Paul Krugman recently warned of an “emerging-market-type crisis” featuring sudden capital flight, housing crashes, and dollar devaluation.

Concerns about America’s fiscal sustainability are mounting across Wall Street. Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk recently warned the U.S. faces “de facto bankruptcy” as federal debt surpasses $37 trillion, with interest payments consuming 25% of tax revenue. JPMorgan Chase & Co. CEO Jamie Dimon has warned of potential bond market disruption.

The economist insisted that lower rates won’t solve America’s problems because cheap money caused them. “The solution involves much higher interest rates,” Schiff said, acknowledging this would trigger widespread bankruptcies, defaults, and “a protracted recession, probably a much worse financial crisis than 2008.”

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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In general the bond market is volatile, and fixed income securities carry interest rate risk. (As interest rates rise, bond prices usually fall, and vice versa. This effect is usually more pronounced for longer-term securities.) Fixed income securities also carry inflation risk and credit and default risks for both issuers and counterparties. Unlike individual bonds, most bond funds do not have a maturity date, so avoiding losses caused by price volatility by holding them until maturity is not possible.

Lower-quality debt securities generally offer higher yields, but also involve greater risk of default or price changes due to potential changes in the credit quality of the issuer. Any fixed income security sold or redeemed prior to maturity may be subject to loss.

Before investing, consider the funds' investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses. Contact Fidelity for a prospectus or, if available, a summary prospectus containing this information. Read it carefully.

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