Category: Economics & Investing

Fallout in America from Europe’s debt bomb, as a hedge fund perishes: WJB Faced 25% Interest on Debt Ahead of Brokerage Shutdown AmEx (American Expat) sent us this: In Greece’s Sour Economy, Some Shops Are Thriving Cue the dramatic gloom and doom music: Hungarian Yields Soar, CDS Hits Record As Bill Auction Fails Greek Prime Minister warns of March default–Lucas Papademos says Greece may default on its debts in March unless unions accept further cuts to salaries. Items from The Economatrix: Against Euro And Yen, Dollar Defied Reality Peter Schiff:  Now’s A Perfect Time For A Gold Rally What’s In …

Greeks must avert economic collapse, euro exit: leader R.B.S. sent this: GAO 2011 Annual Report Reveals: The United States is Still Broke! Patrick S. suggested this: Signs Point to Retreat in Consumer Spending.   Items from The Economatrix: US Job Market Ends Year In Better Shape Crisis Conditions Grip Eurozone US Factory Growth Shows Jobs Might Be Picking Up Oil Begins 2012 With A Bang, Prices Up 4%

Renewed Investor Interest For Silver In 2012 Sue C. sent this: Becoming Zimbabwe: When Nations Regress The Economy In 2012:  Handle With Care B.B. flagged this: Jim Rogers isn’t too optimistic about stock markets in 2012, sees longer term systemic collapse Items from The Economatrix: Euro Hits 11-Month Low Against The Dollar As Banks Hoard ECB Cash Merkel’s Economic Advisor Won’t Rule Out Eurozone Break-up 30 Statistics that Show that the Middle Class is Dying Right Before Our Eyes as We Enter 2012 Mish Shedlock’s 2012 Predictions; 2011 Year In Review

Michael I. recommended this great article: The Long, Long Depression. Michael’s comment: “This is by a National Review writer who predicts a two decade depression.  He discusses similarities with the 1873 depression.” Reality check: Mt. Washington Parking Space Assessed At Nearly $300,000 Verizon reverses on $2 fee for one-time payments Chinese financial bubble update: China eclipses US as top IPO venue. Four Risky Places To Swipe Your Debit Card Items from The Economatrix: You Thought 2011 Was Tough? NASDAQ Wraps Up 2011 In The Red (But then we read: Gold’s 10 percent gain in 2011 extends run to 11th year.) …

G.G. flagged this bit of confirmation my predictions: Urban Institute: Foreclosure backlog to ‘take decades to complete’ Mortgage Aid Programs Still Have Trouble Helping Homeowners In Distress Foreclosure Free Ride:  Three Years, No Payments Items from The Economatrix: US Mint Says Has Enough Gold, Silver Eagles Coins A Look At Economic Developments Around The Globe Asian Stocks Advance On US Optimism Consumer Comfort In US Receded Last Week

G.G. flagged this: John Williams: The US Has $100 Trillion in Debts & Obligations R.B.S. sent this one: Nation’s largest welfare state makes deep cuts. Over at Alt-Market: New Asian Union Means The Fall Of The Dollar Items from The Economatrix: Signs Of The Times: Metal Thieves Steal 26 Train Wheels Will Gold Deliver Another Glittering Year In 2012? Budget Collapse:  Too Much Free Money The Case For Austerity

Depression in 2013? Jim Rogers: “100% Chance” of Another Financial Crisis That Will Be Worse Than 2008 KAF sent us this: Congress ends corn ethanol subsidy 40 Hard Questions The American People Should Be Asking Italian Bonds Return To 7% / Markets Plummet / Raid On Gold And Silver “There Will Be Violence, Mark My Words” Items from The Economatrix: Economists Make 2012 Predictions China And Japan Plan Direct Currency Exchange Agreement Unrelenting Global Economic Crisis:  A Doomsday View of 2012 Sears to Close Up to 120 Kmart, Sears Stores

B.B. suggested this: It’s the Math, Stupid!: Seven Devastating Facts About 2012 Echoing the statements by Kyle Bass that were quoted in SurvivalBlog: Debt Crisis 2012: Forget Europe, Check Out Japan Items from The Economatrix: Top 10 Companies Hiring This Week Stores See Busy But Not Bang-up Christmas Eve US New Homes Sales Heading For Worse Year Ever Another Face Of US Recession:  Homeless Children US Homes Lose $700 Billion In Value In 2011–And That’s The Good News

Kabuki financial theatre – Congress net worth up 15 percent from 2004 to 2010 while the average American sees their net worth decline by 8 percent in the same timeframe. Welcome to plutocrat USA. (It is good to know that our elected representatives are pure as the driven snow, and that they would never engage in felonious Insider Trading.) B.B. suggested this, over at Zero Hedge: Guest Post: A Run On The Global Banking System – How Close Are We? Items from The Economatrix: If a Global Recession is Not Looming, then Why Are Bailouts Flying Around Like The End …

B.B. recommended this at the Jim Rogers Blog: We Should Take The Pain Now And Not Wait Until The Market Forces The Pain On Us $15 Trillion, and counting: US Government Spiraled Deeper into Debt This Fiscal Year. (And that doesn’t include long term pension and interest obligations!) Yishai and several other readers sent this: Treasury plans for euro failure: The Government is considering plans to restrict the flow of money in and out of Britain to protect the economy in the event of a full-blown euro break-up. Yishai’s noted: “If I were British, I’d be trying to move some …

Kevin K. forwarded this piece by Jim Willie: CME/COMEX Grant JPM Temporary Waiver for Reporting Positions Exceeding Speculative Limits Another nail in the coffin: Yen-Yuan Trade Plan to Cut Dollar Dependence of China, Japan. (Thanks to G.G. for the link.) Callie sent this: MF’s Lagarde warns global economy threatened Also from Callie: Yuan hits all-time high Items from The Economatrix: Worse Than 2008 Mark Faber:  “I Am Convinced The Whole Derivatives Market Will Cease To Exist And Will Go To Zero Gold The Protector As Democracies Move Towards Totalitarianism Investors Lose Faith In Stocks As Billions Pour Out Of Funds

Today we present another entry for Round 38 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 …

Mark Faber: “I Am Convinced the Whole Derivatives Market Will Cease to Exist And Will Go to Zero” Alan D. sent this: Fitch Again Warns US Debt Burden Threatens AAA Rating. K.A.F. flagged this: To Survive, Some Biofuels Companies Give Up on Biofuels Items from The Economatrix: MF Global Customer Money Traced To JPMorgan The Shocking Truth About The Pending EU Collapse Ann Barnhardt: Call for General Market Strike Comex:  The March to Irrelevance

Some End-of-Year Advice from JWR: The wise old saying is: “Buy low, and sell high.” I recommend that any SurvivalBlog readers that are still invested too heavily in equities take advantage of the current market rally, and sell most of your stocks and any remaining municipal bonds. Take the proceeds and buy into current dip in silver. Take physical delivery, and keep your investment silver well-hidden, at home. (Preferably in a concealed vault.) Later, as the bull market in precious metals reaches its peak, and as the real estate market bottoms, take your profits from silver and parlay them into …