Category: Economics & Investing

Does this sound familiar? Iran’s Economic Spiral: Country to Cut ‘4 Zeros’ Off of National Currency. (A hat tip to F.J. for the link.) The same thing could eventually happen here. If it does, anyone holding coinage will reap a huge overnight profit. (Since coinage is usually not part of a currency exchange.) Have you been stocking up on Nickels? Items from The Economatrix: Ireland’s Debt Junked as Euro Crisis Spreads The Beginning of the End of Europe Eurozone Hits The Fan:  Gold Price Surging & Silver Begins to Make a Move A Run on the United States Government Alternative …

James Wesley: When my father passed away a few years back my sisters and I split his meager coin collection. So I had a small amount to start out with. At one point when silver’s price dropped a bit I went to a local pawn shop and bought thirty-two 90% silver quarters for spot price. The melt value has increased roughly 10% so far. Then I went into local banks and asked if they had any fifty cents pieces. Sure enough a teller provided me one 1964 (90% silver) and a couple of the 1965-1970 vintage (40% silver), getting the …

Zero Hedge recently posted this, which should sound familiar to SurvivalBlog readers in general and Redoubt States advocates in particular: The Strategic Advantages Of Community Building Several readers sent this: Ron Paul: “America’s AAA Rating Not Worth Saving” Because “We Are Insolvent” Found at Fierce Finance: SEC commissioner blasts settlement with ex-Morgan Stanley trader   Items from The Economatrix: Echoing Moody’s: S&P Warns It May Downgrade US Credit Rating Ratio Of Insider Selling to Buying on The S&P:  3,700x! Bernanke:  Fed Ready to Act if Economy Worsens Stock Rally Weakens as Hopes Dim for More Stimulus Fitch Downgrades Greece One …

J.B.G. was the first of several readers to mention this: Return of the Gold Standard as world order unravels Over at Fierce Finance: FATCA law is little known–but could be tricky Tina B. suggeted this by Ellen Brown: Why QE2 Failed: The Money All Went Offshore Gary North: On the Road to Government Default. (Thanks to John R. for the link.) Headline from England: Age of austerity to continue for decades, warns OBR Items from The Economatrix: UK:  Suicide Rates Rise as Debt and Cuts Take Their Toll 25 Reasons to Buy Gold and Dump Dollars Italy Contagion Fears Knock …

Bernanke: Fed May Launch New Round of Stimulus. It seems that Helicopter Ben is addicted to “quantitative easing”–the Fed’s euphemism for monetizing Federal debt. If they can repeatedly get away with creating dollars out of thin air, then the end result is inevitable: the wholesale destruction of the U.S. Dollar as a currency unit. Reader John T. liked this piece by Jim Willie: The Silver Platter Opportunity Yohay over at FOREX Crunch posted this provocative article: Captain Ben Can Handle the Debt Ceiling D.S. sent this: Derivatives Rules to Help Swaps Market Grow $40.7 Trillion, Citigroup Says. The market for …

Hi-yo silver! Typically, the precious metals are in their summer doldrums in July and August. but not this year. This coming Autumn could get very interesting, depending on financial developments on the periphery of Europe. All eyes are presently on Greece, but Italy, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, and Iceland will probably soon be in the headlines again. I wouldn’t be surprised if silver gets above $55 per ounce. Its a good thing that most SurvivalBlog readers have been buying on the dips. Reggie Middleton warns, over at Zero Hedge: Eighteen Percent of the EU is Literally Junk, Carried as Risk Free …

F.G. flagged this: How bad is it? Pawn shops, payday lenders are hot At The Daily Bell: Ron Holland on the Inevitability of Societal Chaos, How the Elites Will Try to Maintain Control Hardy’s hearty recommendation: The Decline and Fall of the American Empire John R. liked this piece by Mary Beth White: Stupid Choices Equal Bankruptcy (Usually) Pennsylvania family fights US over rare 1933 gold coins. JWR’s Common Sense Tip of The Day: Don’t ever send anything rare and valuable to a bureaucrat, asking for a determination on its legal status. You’re likely to get: “We’s keepin’ this” for …

B.B. pointed me to this, over at Zero Hedge: Retirement Fund Plunder Update: $206 Billion So Far, $62 Billion Left 30 Reasons To Get Out Of Real Estate and Into REAL Assets. (Thanks to Chris D. for the link.) Reader Jay H. kindly sent this link: Gold is best debt-crises defense — just not yet Naughty, Tim! He didn’t stick to the “Continuing Recovery” party line: Geithner says hard times to continue for many Sue C. forwarded this: Dollar likely lower without debt limit progress John R. sent us several great links: Several Inconvenient Truths About the Debt Ceiling and …

Vrenellis, anyone? Swiss Parliament to Discuss a New Gold Franc. US Taxpayers Just Paid $780 Million to Fund the Latest Greece Bailout Tranche. [JWR Adds: For some perspective, do you remember the uproar the $1.5 billion 1979 Chrysler bailout caused? And that was a loan, not a gift.] ‘The Greeks Would Be Well Advised to Exit the Euro Zone’. (Thanks to J.B.G. for the link.) Yishai flagged this, over at the Jammie Wearing Fool blog: Great News: Friday’s Anemic Jobs Number Are Likely Bogus Items from The Economatrix: Oil & Gasoline Prices on the Rise Again Graph:  What Recovery? US …

Michael Z. Williamson (SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large) sent this: No new $10s, $100s being printed instead Brzezinski: Middle Class Unrest To Hit U.S. (Thanks to S.T. on Philly for the link.) Dennis C. sent us this: World Food Prices Climb on Sugar, Dairy Costs As Plastic Reigns, the Treasury Slows Its Printing Presses Top 10 Most Valuable U.S. Coins Found in Pocket Change Items from The Economatrix: Government Eases Foreclosure Rules For Unemployed Retailers Post Strong June Sales Retail Sales and Jobs Reports Send Stocks Higher Job Outlook Rises as Reports Suggest More Hiring