Economics & Investing For Preppers

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. And it bears mention that most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we look at investing in AR Lowers and Pre-1899 guns. (See the Tangibles Investing section.)

Precious Metals:

Jim Cramer: Here’s Why You Should Own Gold.

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Estate stores dealing with rash of fake gold scams

Economy & Finance:

At Wolf Street: In Hilarious IPO Filing, WeWork Dreams of $3 Trillion in Revenue But Has Billions in Losses. Red-Ink Massacre to Come in 2nd Half.

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Mr. Magoo speaks: Ex-Fed boss Greenspan says ‘there is no barrier’ to Treasury yields falling below zero. (Thanks to G.P. for the ink.)

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Fuel for the Next Mortgage Bust?  “Cash-out refi hype is back full-blast. And for the first time since early 2006, people are doing it in large numbers.”

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Negative Interest Rates: Carry an Umbrella at All Times

Commodities:

China Prepares Its “Nuclear Option” In Trade War

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Nick Cunningham: Will We See An Oil Supply Glut In 2020?

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Grain Market: Overall Sentiment To Remain Bearish After Monday’s WASDE Report; Weather And Trade Also A Factor

Taxes:

If you owe the IRS back taxes, you may lose your passport.

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New, confusing W-4 form is coming for 2020: What to do now to get bigger tax refund

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Africa: Tax Avoidance 101

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New 2019 IRS Bitcoin Cryptocurrency Reporting Update

Cryptos:

For those with the LBRY app: Negative interest rates! What bitcoin means for the coming crash.

Tangibles Investing:

With the U.S. Senate scheduled to return from their summer recess on September 8th, all eyes are on them.  At President DJT’s urging, the Senate’s Republican leadership has reportedly “conceded” on the gun rights issue. They are now willing to “compromise” and enact “commonsense gun legislation.” We all know what that means. The chances that they will pass some monumentally unconstitutional laws are quite high. According to mainstream media reports, the top of their list is a ban on intrastate private party gun transfers. (Interstate transfer were already banned, in 1968.)

Prudence dictates stocking up heavily on guns and stripped or complete AR lower receivers. Stack them deep. If you are lucky you might be able to buy a complete AR or an AR lower “private party” if you live in any of the 37 free states without “universal background checks.” And if you live in one of the 13 already gun privacy-deprived states, then you might still be able to buy a pre-1899 antique cartridge gun without any paperwork. (Depending, of  course, on state and local laws.) Any new Federal law will almost surely continue to exempt antique guns. But with passage of a new law banning private party sales of POST-1898 guns, the price of pre-1899s would surely jump up substantially. For purchasing privacy, they will become the only game in town.  Buy low, and sell high.

Provisos:

SurvivalBlog and its Editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos page for our detailed disclaimers.

News Tips:

Please send your economics and investing news tips to JWR. (Either via e-mail of via our Contact form.) These are often especially relevant, because they come from folks who closely watch specific markets. If you spot any news that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers, then please send it in. News from local news outlets that is missed by the news wire services is especially appreciated. And it need not be just about commodities and precious metals. Thanks!




16 Comments

  1. Just getting off the night shift JWR, and I always look forward to reading your thoughts on pending gun legislation (well not really, I would rather there be nothing to read about at all). Advice well take about stocking up on ar lowers. Unfortunately there are only so many private sale guns to be purchased off of Armslist, out of the paper etc. Much of what may need to be done can be done with glocks, ar15’s and ar10’s, all of which we can currently and fortunately purchase in the 80 percent form, and finish without any numbers at all. The things which are unavailable in 80 percent form are stainless steel long range bolt action rifles, 50 bmgs and all of the other wonderful semiauto battle rifles, such as my favorite, the SCAR 17. We all know from watching history where this is going anyway, registration and then confiscation if they have our way. So why not just go the 80 percent route now and leave nothing to be traced anyway? The people that seek to disarm us are well aware of the statistics of more people being killed with bats and knives than semi auto rifles. So why do we seek so earnestly to comply with people that would tie us to stakes and rip our guts out, just as was done to the Russians by the communist bolesheviks?? Endless putrid submission to those who would enslave and murder us?

  2. Re: Negative Interest Rates.

    I see how Central Banks make money off negative interest rates. I see how, with reserve requirements, Central Banks can force Banks to accept negative interest rates. I cannot see how a bank can make money off a negative interest rate mortgage. Can someone enlighten me?

    Re: African Tax Avoidance

    I notice that the author immediately bemoans that the taxes avoided could be going to social welfare programs. In other words wealth redistribution.

    1. They loan out something like 12 dollars for every dollar of deposits. 11 of those dollars are created out of thin air. They could make money in far worse situations than slightly negative rates. To make matters even more profitable, the banks can collect collateral, like a home, if the borrower defaults. So the bank didn’t risk it’s own money and has collateral in the form of the house to ensure profits. They also tend to accumulate government guarantees on loans, so they won’t even lose a dime of the interest that they expect on money created it of thin air, even if the home burns to the ground, they will collect the difference from the tax payers.

      And if the bank gets too reckless, the government will try to bail them out, if it seems politically feasible.

  3. With regards to firearm purchases try estate sales and auctions. I recently attended an auction here in Pennsylvania which included about two dozen firearms. There was no paperwork for long arms for Pennsylvania residents and no sales tax.

  4. Hong Kong Joins Hands Across the Entire City.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZ5z48gG4nw

    Inspiring. We can learn something here. Could this happen to the City of London some day? They may realize that if they loose, it is the Chinese Gulag, or worse. Whether their intent or not, the protesters are holding one of the major financial centers hostage simply by standing up. Eventually, that may be also in front of tanks. Confidence in the global banking system is already low, and confidence is the only thing that is holding it together. What happens in Hong Kong could trigger further loss of what remains of that confidence, that causes a banking crisis that may freeze up credit among, at least the Asian banks. Should it get bloody, any bank anywhere in the world may no longer trust a major bank in HK, that is apart of the global financial hub, and commerce ceases. War between Korea, Japan, and China is possible. And there is the risk of a daisy chain of defaults that goes global. If the China recognizes this, they would tread lightly.

    If a regular guy like myself understands this, then the Powers that Be, may also understand this. But do they understand the risk fully, and care enough to hold back their “dogs of war”?

    1. Something like this has already happened in London. Last year. A group called Extinction Rebellion shut down the city by blocking five bridges.

      My sweet spouse and I attended an introduction last week. I am curious…and skeptical. In the meantime, I’ll seek a link about the London shutdown.

      Carry on

        1. I missed that. Thanks! Once again, I’ve been ‘updated’. The Brits have been ‘organised’ and ‘tighty’ about it so far, but Hong Kong could get out of hand. Tommy Robinson had to go to jail, but the Hong Kong protesters know their fate could be worse than death, and may become unwilling organ donors in the process. I’d say they have little to lose, and everything to gain at this point by ‘giving it their all’, as the Brits might say. Nervous politicians in Hong Kong are urging restraint, hoping to maintaining an stable atmosphere, conducive to business.

        2. Semper Fi there, Once a Marine…I notice on the link that they want carbon zero, i.e., someone to be totally in control over their every carbon emission. No doubt they buy the anthropogenic global warming/climate change dogma hook line and sinker. This is pseudo-science, an un-disprovable globalist hobby-horse more in line with astrology and phrenology. For a refreshing look at the topic, read Marc Morano’s Politically Incorrect Guide to Climate Change. Also, here are a couple of interesting and thoughtful refutations of this globalist religion:

          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gh-DNNIUjKU&t=1338s

          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYhCQv5tNsQ

  5. Re: Brave Browser

    https://brave.com/

    Former Google engineer turned Infowarrior recommends Brave Browser, because it uses Tor, and is therefore untrackable. Fox Fire founder got pushed out, and created Brave Browser using his version of Google Chrome in a new way and againist Google. Download this MP3 and go to 3 hours, 14 minute mark to hear his recommendations. Matt Bracken is up after that interview:

    Alex Jones Show, Thursday, Aug 22, 2019
    http://rss.infowars.com/20190822_Thu_Alex.mp3

  6. What specifically is the common sense gun registration that the Senate agreed to?
    I have read all sorts of things but nothing has happened to date.

    Anyone with a right to carry already has been logged in so to speak to the government.

    Or is this new law the actual first step for gun confiscation by outlawing assault weapons which means every weapon anyone owns since all can kill.

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