Category: Economics & Investing

Reader Bill V. suggested this: Measuring the yield famine in food. And here is a related article: How the Fed Hurts Retirees.. G.G. found this over at New Scientist: Metal detector knows how much cash is in your wallet Items from The Economatrix: Bernanke’s Words Drive Wall Street Up 1% Doug Casey:  It’s A Dead-Man-Walking Economy America awash in cheap credit and monetization: Rasmussen Consumer Index Reaches Highest Level Since 2008 Gold’s Getting Ready To Go Extreme Bernanke:  Job Market Weak Despite Gains Gold Rises 1.5% On Renewed US Easing Hopes Odds ‘n Sods:

B.B. sent the link to this at The Hill: House liberal budget has trillions more taxes, stimulus than Obama plan A whole raft of new articles over at one of my favorite investing news sites, ETF Daily: Does The SPDR Gold Trust Really Hold Physical Gold, Or Is It A Scam?   Physical Gold & Silver Dividends Offer Investors The Best of Both Worlds   Can Ben Bernanke Break The U.S. Dollar Rally? Why It Matters To The Markets…   Real Estate: The Housing Market’s Biggest Hurdle   Why The Natural Gas Act Is Just Another Washington Boondoggle?   Why …

Spain Starts to Feel the Heat G.G. flagged this: Tungsten-Filled 1 Kilo Gold Bar Found in the UK Memo Reveals: Corzine Did Steal Investor Funds and Perjured Himself Before Congress. (Thanks to B.B. for the link.) Strapped for Cash: New East River Bridges Toll Proposal Goes After Everyone, Including Bicyclists. (A Hat tip to Marcia H. for the link.) Items from The Economatrix: Silver Now Outpacing Gold and Fed Frightened For the Long-Unemployed, Hiring Bias Rears its Head New Homes Sales Slip, Prices at Eight Month High

Jim, I’d like to correct some misconceptions regarding both precious metals and “collectibles”, some of which have been repeated in recent letters from readers.   First, regarding collectibles:  This term has a specific meaning under the Internal Revenue Code.  Its definition is found in 26 U.S.C. Section 408(m)(2), which says:   (2) Collectible defined   For purposes of this subsection, the term “collectible” means—        (A)any work of art,      (B)any rug or antique,      (C)any metal or gem,      (D)any stamp or coin,      (E)any alcoholic beverage, or      (F)any other tangible personal property specified by the Secretary for …

Sue W. recommended: The Seven Rules of Bureaucracy Gary Schilling: The Japan Train Wreck Is Accelerating. (Thanks to Michael W. for the link.) Robert Prechter’s Dire Prediction For 2012 Items from The Economatrix: Home Sales Show Strength, Prices Rise Oil Prices Rise On Unexpected Supply Drop Mish Shedlock: Highest Price Ever of Gasoline in March Signs Of Recovery Grow In US Housing Market. [JWR’s Comment: With so many delayed foreclosures now hitting the market, we are still nowhere near the bottom, folks.]

This hardly comes as news to SurvivalBlog readers: The new black gold: U.S. farmland. (Thanks to R.C. for the link.) Bank of America: Show us your death certificate Doug Casey chimes in, over at Zero Hedge: Its A Dead-Man-Walking Economy Items from The Economatrix: Americans Asleep At The Wheel Driving Into Debt Slavery Bernanke Says Higher Energy Prices Constitute A Threat To The US Economy Existing U.S. Home Sales Hold Near Two-Year High. [But for a dose of reality, read this over at Zero Hedge: New Home Sales Make It 12 Out Of 14 Economic Misses. Thanks to reader Damon …

B.B. sent this: Geithner: My Debt Ceiling Threshold Would Make You Uncomfortable. Commentary from Doug Casey: The Ascendence of Sociopaths in US Governance Items from The Economatrix: IMF Sees $160 Oil Risk Despite Libyan Boost The Truth About Minimum Wage that Will Make You Gasp California Cities Scramble to Avert Insolvency Why 3.5 Million Job Openings Isn’t Great News

James, The recent article by Gordo on Individual Retirement Accounts was informative.  Another, at the SHTFPlan blog was also quite useful. The video linked in the article urges viewers to get out of their dollar-based tax-deferred retirement accounts. There seem to be two options available for protecting your tax-deferred retirement accounts: 1) Cash out, take the early withdrawal penalty, and pay income tax on the withdrawn amount 2) Create a self-directed IRA entity and transform the account into a hedge against the dollar The IRS will let you acquire specific gold and silver coin and bullion, but you cannot take …

T.L.S. suggested this interview: Greyerz – Gold Will React to the $120 Trillion of Additional Debt Kurt T. sent this: Bernanke says gold standard wouldn’t solve problems. Statists will always oppose any measure that limits their ability to spend beyond what they tax. Worried About $6 Gas Prices? Try $8 U.S. Treasuries: This Is The End? Items from The Economatrix: Gold Up On Central Bank Buying Talk But Outlook Weak Meredith Whitney:  “Tidal Wave” Of Muni-Bond Defaults Still Coming Central Banks Pounce On Falling Gold Dire Finances Leave Detroit Stalled US Stocks Decline as Energy Shares Drop on Profit Concern

Do you have the majority of your savings stashed away in a 401k or IRA?  How many investment choices do you have available to choose from?  The usual scenario is maybe 10 to 20 mutual funds that your company offers in its 401k plan.  Then down the road you change jobs and that 401k plan converts to an IRA.  Most people just keep those funds in the same investment plan and do not even know that they have other options available to them.  If you are here on this forum you most likely have given some thought to protecting your …

Marc Faber: Where to Hide Your Gold Did German Gold Bailout Europe?   Europe’s QE3 Will Boost Gold and Silver Prices   Items from The Economatrix: Consumer Prices in US Rose in February As Gas Prices Rise, No Relief in Sight at the Pumps Gasoline Pushes Up US Inflation, Dents Confidence S&P Within 10% of Record High

Cadet D. sent this: The Four Biggest Downside Risks To The Global Economy: Nouriel Roubini CBO: Exploding debt under Obama policies. The article begins: “The Congressional Budget Office said Friday that President Barack Obama’s tax and spending policies will yield $6.4 trillion in deficits over the next decade, more than double the shortfall in CBO’s own fiscal baseline — even after taking credit for reduced war costs. G.G. suggested this, over at Jesse’s Café Américain: Episodes of Hyperinflation from Diocletian to Bernanke – How It Might Unfold Today The U.S. Economy Is Running On Borrowed Money and On Borrowed Time …

With the stroke of BHO‘s pen on a Friday evening (after most of the newsies went home for the weekend), all pretension of a free civil economy in the U.S. have been discarded. Read this: National Defense Resources Preparedness. In essence, if they want it, they can now take it. Under this executive order, all segments of the economy have been been put on a war footing, and unprecedented Federal power has been established, without the consent of congress. Refer to Section 201 (b), and you will see that the order applies to both emergency and non-emergency conditions. Under the …

Short sales and foreclosures made up 52 percent of all recent Southern California home sales Kurt T. suggested this over at Zero Hedge: Guest Post: Caution – Falling Currencies How many times do I have to mention that there is no proper substitute for taking physical delivery of your precious metals purchases? Here is the latest horror story: Secret Service Raids Upstate Business Atlantic Bullion And Coin Inc. Accused In Alleged Ponzi Scheme. (Thanks to A.L.H. for the link.) Items from The Economatrix: Gold “Vulnerable” As US Treasury Bond Market Sell-off Worsens Europe’s Economic Crisis:  Portugal, Ireland, Spain, Italy, and …