Economics and Investing:

John R. sent this: US Debt/GDP Hits Post WW2 High 99.5% Following $55 Billion Overnight Debt Increase: Total Debt Now Over $15.1 Trillion Judgment day for housing shadow inventory already here – Foreclosure inventories reach an all-time high. FHA and GSE loans only game in town. G.G. flagged this: Contagion Catastrophe: Europe is closer than you think to bringing down the American—and, therefore, the global—economy. Canadian Eric Sprott Makes His Move of the Comex, Physical to Break from Paper Items from The Economatrix: Gold May Hit $3,000 if US Devalues Dollar American Airlines Files Bankruptcy Two Possible Outcomes For The …




Economics and Investing:

Be sure to listen to this! Jim Pulplava interviews Ann Barnhardt about institutional wickedness by the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and MF Global: The Entire Futures/Options Market Has Been Destroyed by the MF Global Collapse. Barnhardt predicts systemic collapse and hence the need to shift into tangibles including long guns, ammunition, fuel, and precious metals. (Thanks to David W. for the link.) Sometimes “Just In Time” inventory control has a nasty bite: Residents in Alaska city could get $9-a-gallon gas. (BTW, this adds credence to my advice to not choose Alaska as a retreat locale.) Central Banks Augment Currency Swap Capabilities. …




Economics and Investing:

John R. recommended this: Perpetual QE Without the Billboard (Jim Willie) K.T. sent a link to a video of Chris Martenson’s presentation at the Gold & Silver Meeting in Madrid. This is a great lecture and hence a hour well-spent! A key question: Are you living in a state that is a energy exporter or an energy importer? (Think: Geothermal, coal, natural gas, and oil.) Plan ahead, and relocate your family strategically. G.P. suggested: IMF rescue of Italy will spark global uprising Michael A. alerted me to this: US gives money to Eurozone. (And much of it will come out …




A Grandfather’s Advice on How to Survive and Thrive, by M.R.B.

I have managed to learn about two really important things in my lifetime.  I’m not talking about plumbing, math, how to tie my shoes, how to make waffles, and the countless skills I have acquired.  I’m talking about really important things.  The first is understanding money. Think about the game Monopoly?  Each player is given some paper money (ones, fives, tens, etc.) with instructions that this money can be used to buy property and pay fines, rent, and get out of jail.  With our game hats on we enter the world where these pieces of paper are money.  We roll …




Economics and Investing:

MF Global: Proof that the U.S. government is not able or willing to protect investors. (Thanks to Jeff H. for the link.) Karl Smith: The Euro-Crisis is Much Worse Than It Looks Just as if they were cranking up the printing presses: Top central banks move to avoid global liquidity crunch. Meanwhile, overseas: China cuts reserve ratio in move to inject cash. (Thanks to K.A.F. for the link.) Harrisburg: a city at war with itself. (The first major U.S. city to declare bankruptcy. The first of many, I fear.) Items from The Economatrix: Prepare For Riots In Euro Collapse, Foreign …




Economics and Investing:

B.B. mentioned this: Jim Cramer: ‘We Are in DEFCON 3, Two Stages Away from a Financial Collapse So Huge …’ Some charming news, by way of SurvivalBlog’s G.G.: Bond Dealers See Fed Buying $545 Billion of Home-Loan Debt in Third Easing Also from G.G.: John Williams: Hyperinflation Warning, Preserve Value with Gold And another: 10 reasons the crisis isn’t over Yet another: States face bleak economic forecast, report says Items from The Economatrix: Stocks Soar On Big Shopping Weekend, Europe Sales Of New Homes Up In October, But Prices Fall Oil Prices Rise On Holiday Sales, Europe Hopes




Economics and Investing:

John R. suggested a piece by Paul Craig Roberts: Bankers have seized Europe: Goldman Sachs Has Taken Over Euro Meltdown: This One European Country Can Bring Down The Entire EU Courtesy of J.B.G.: Italy Is Closer To Collapse Than Anyone Realized, And So Is The World Also from J.B.G.: Should the Fed save Europe from disaster? Items from The Economatrix: Occupy Wall Street’s Latest Plan: Refuse To Repay Student Debt Hungary’s Debt Downgraded By Moody’s To Junk Europe Bond Yields To Keep Stocks Spellbound Why 2011 May Be A Jolly Year For Holiday Retailers




Letter Re: Lessons From Latvian Bank Runs

James, I recently read an article at Zero Hedge about a bank run in Latvia.  The run was apparently brought on by accusations of embezzlement, document forgery, accounting fraud, and abuse of authority by two shareholders.  (Honestly, this is not about the US Congress emptying the Social Security Trust Fund, or Congressional insider trading)  The information on the bank’s web site refers specifically to Jon Corzine and MF Global!  “Kinda like Jon Corzine, if not by the actual authorities, then by everybody else. And just like in the US where the lack of confidence in the system following the MF filing, so …




Economics and Investing:

J.B.G. suggested this: Pictures From A Latvian Bank Run As MF Global Commingling Comes To Town Also from J.B.G.: Deutsche Bank: If Merkel Doesn’t Budge, ‘Our Investment Advice Is To Dig A Hole In The Ground And Hide’ Clive Maund: Gold To Profit From Economic Uncertainty From Wired: The Rise and Fall of Bitcoin Items from The Economatrix: Coming–Big Austerity Cuts 17 Quotes About The Coming Global Financial Collapse That Will Make Your Hair Stand Up Death of a Currency as Eurogeddon Approaches Update On US Banks And The Euro Area–Things Are Looking Grim




Prepping While Unemployed, by Paul H.

I am writing this because I have talked to so many people who believe that there is little they can do to prepare because they have no job.  There is a difference between having a job and working and although I have not had a real job now for over three years, I continue to work six days a week.  I had already been unemployed for almost a year by the time I started reading your books.  Having moved to this small city for a job in finance, I paid cash for an old mobile home in a trailer park …




Economics and Investing:

SurvivalBlog’s Editor At Large, Michael Z. Williamson sent this: Goldman Sachs predicts that U.S. will be world’s largest producer of oil in 2017 J. in Kabul sent this: Here You Go: It’s Over (by Karl Denninger.) Here is a brief quote: “Oh sure, there will be rallies and there will be selloffs. But there is no longer a market, there is no longer a thing to trade, and there is no longer a reason to believe that superior analysis will lead to profit or even safety.” Warning: Coinage debasement ahead! Steve Rothman says it costs more to make a penny …




Economics and Investing:

Brother, can you spare $2.1 trillion? Eurozone needs a cash infusion “ten times bigger than TARP”. A hat tip to Yishai for the link. Fed Minutes: Bernanke Firmly in Control of FOMC, QE3 Coming A Silver Price Surge Coming? Sprott to Buy $1.5 Billion of Silver Bullion! Items from The Economatrix: Eurozone Unlikely To Survive Intact:  Reuters Poll Rich Fleeing Euro, Says Irish Advisor MF Global Looted Customer Accounts




Economics and Investing:

Reader B.B. sent us this: 25 Bitter And Painful Facts About The Coming Baby Boomer Retirement Crisis That Will Blow Your Mind I warned you about this more than a year ago: Popular Mom-and-pop water purification business shuttered by DEA’s meth-hunting “knotheads” KAK flagged this: License plate readers: A useful tool for police comes with privacy concerns Robert O. suggested this NGC web page: U.S. Silver Coin Melt Values Items from The Economatrix: Wall Street Falls For Sixth Day Eurozone Debt Bomb Reaches Land Down Under — Australian Bonds Head For Implosion? 45% in US Struggle to Make Ends Meet




Economics and Investing:

Nouriel Roubini: Government Gridlock ‘Ensures’ 2012 Recession. (Thanks to M.E.W. fro the link.) Silver Price Forecast: Why Silver For A Monetary Collapse? Part 1 German Auction ‘Disaster’ Stirs Crisis Concern Items from The Economatrix: China Media Says US Sitting on Debt “Time Bomb” Economy Would Suffer If Tax Cut, Jobless Aid End Economy Means Scaled-back Thanksgiving For Many Oil Price Up On Mideast Strife, Europe Debt Plan




Economics and Investing:

AmEx (American Expat) sent this: Risks of global recession mount.   G.G. sent this: China vice premier sees chronic global recession. And speaking of China, consider this from Chris Martenson: The reasons for China’s imminent bust. Panel Set to Fail to Cut Deficit $1.2 Trillion. K.A.F. sent this: Airline Passengers Asked to Pay Extra $31,000 in Cash for Fuel Items from The Economatrix: Rapid Inflation To Become The Next Financial Crisis For America Prospect Of On-Line Sales Tax Grows Rising Age Gap In Economic Well-Being The Run On Europe Begins As Global Investors Head For The Hills Anger Mounts as …