Shale oil production is now in the headlines. Here are the latest 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 quirky “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of JWR. (SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor):
Precious Metals:
First, over at Gold-Eagle: Arizona Ends Income Taxation On Gold And Silver Coins. So here is JWR‘s Comment: Other States that presently tax bullion coins should follow suit.
o o o
Hubert Moolman just published this commentary: Silver Price Forecast 2018: The US Dollar Breakdown Clears The Way for a 1970s Style Silver Rally
Commodities Economics:
Nick Cunningham reports: Goldman: Oil Glut To Return When OPEC Deal Expires
And over at SRSrocco Report: Shale Oil & Gas Production Costs Spiral Higher As Monstrous Decline Rates Eat Into Cash Flows
Forex:
On to the foreign exchange (Forex) market, here is some commentary by Mikael Latreille: Euro set to shine as dollar wobbles – LCG
Global Stocks and Bonds:
Moving on to the stock and bond markets, The Wall Street Journal‘s latest numbers.
o o o
Next, some commentary by Lior Gantz: The Market Will Tank Hard
Derivatives:
We transition to: Spectre of mass swap unwinds looms ahead of VM deadline
Big Dang Global Bubble:
A Look at the Shocking Student Loan Debt Statistics for 2017. Here are JWR‘s Comments: A whopping $1.44 trillion dollars! Student debt is essentially non-productive and inescapable debt that creates decades of pseudo slavery, I strongly encourage my readers to avoid student loans. Work your way through college. Live frugally. Buy mostly used textbooks. Take five or even six years to get a baccalaureate if you must, but most of all avoid debt. (Most colleges and universities allow you to take multiple breaks of up to a full year, if you explain your financial need.)
o o o
Next, we read: The $US200 trillion global debt mountain – how big a threat is it really & what are the implications
Global Economy:
A link by way of ZeroHedge: German Finance Minister sees deal for Greece in three weeks ‘if all goes well’. Europe’s southern tier countries have mountains of debt and their economic woes are the most likely trigger for dissolution of the Euro standard and perhaps even the entire EC.
o o o
China data sparks concerns of a consumer-led slowdown in world’s second-largest economy
Tangibles Investing:
Finally, there is this: How Can I Tell if This Art’s a Good Investment?
Provisos:
SurvivalBlog and its Editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. So 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 particularly watch individual markets. And with their diligence and focus, we benefit from fresh “on target” investing news. As a result, SurvivalBlog often “gets the scoop” on economic and investing news that is probably missed (or reported late) in other news sources. Thanks!
Don’t “work your way through college”, learn a trade, or just spend a year working, even if you have to stay at home to save on room and board.
Few things REQUIRE a degree, and even without the communist indoctrination the courses usually don’t convey information.
Many courses are on the internet, and even deep tutorials and forums where you could learn everything you need and actually be able to do it.
Even tech. I’d rather hire someone that spent a year reading and doing things for 3d printing, electronics, and software from adafruit.com or sparkfun.com than a baccalaureate from a university, epecially when I could see a portfolio of working projects, opensource contributions, and written documentation (with correct spelling and grammar) MIT has courses online. Most math and science is written up at Infogalactic.com (cloned wikipedia and they need and welcome editors that will fix the lefty spin).
Credentials of all kinds have been inflated – both in price and in meaninglessness.
Being able to show you can actually do something because you’ve already done it is the real gold. Not everywhere, but in the places that will survive. Those with converged HR departements that just look at credentials and purge the productive will eventually go bankrupt.
Do something useful, that others really need and will pay you for, and find opportunities.
You will not only not waste 4 of your most productive years accumulating debt, you will be able to launch and soar and still be around when the facade jobs collapse.
Some fields require a college degree. STEM fields of study, physics, engineering, mathemtics, etc., require the individual to obtain a bachelors degree at a minimum in order to be employed in that field.
I speak from experience, as I have a bachelors degree in engineering physics and a PhD in physics. It doesn’t hurt to study on your own outside of the confines od degree granting institutions, but if one wishes to work in that field a degree is a necessay.
I would agree 100% that one should work their way through school if that is the route they take. Start at a community college first to finish the first 2 years of school, and live at hkme if possible. A career in the STEM fields is very rewarding mentally and financially. One doesnt have to take a full work load (12+ hours) either.