Category: Economics & Investing

From the UK: Coins fall prey to spending cuts. JWR’s Comment: Well, actually, this is just a sign of gradual currency inflation by the government. When even base metal coins have a value that exceeds their face value, then it is obvious that the people are being robbed by their government. The same situation exists in the U.S., where a five cent piece (the “Nickel”) costs seven cents to produce, and has a melt value of more than six cents. Currency inflation is robbery, in slow motion. The government is the perpetrator, and you are the victim. Destroying the purchasing …

From The Daily Bell in Switzerland: The West’s Pending Paper Money Implosion M.B. sent this: Here Are The Next Countries to Announce a Currency Intervention Also from M.B.: The Real Underemployment Figure is 22.5% Why California is About to Fall Off Into an Ocean of Unpayable Debt Items from The Economatrix: Martin Weiss: G-20 Heads Up: Losing Battle To Stem Currency Wars Tab For Fannie, Freddie Could Soar to $259 Billion Jobless Claims Fall to 452,000, But Remain Elevated Mortgage Rates Rise to 4.21% From Decades Low Natural Gas Prices Tumble as Supplies Grow America’s Bright Future After US Treasury …

J.B.G. sent this: Officials hint Fed on the verge of more easing. Thanks to S.M. for sending this bit of confirmation to an earlier report: China Said to Widen Its Embargo of [Rare Earth] Minerals Sue C. sent: 11 state pension funds that may run of out money Items from The Economatrix: Gerald Celente: “We Are Living On Borrowed Time” Reaching For Yield In The Bond Market (The Mogambo Guru) Dollar Declines for Fifth Straight Week on Prospects of More Monetary Easing By Fed Say Good-bye To Traditional Free Checking Silver On The Move Silver Shipments From China, Biggest Exporter, …

KAF flagged this: Pimco sells US Treasuries ahead of QE2 Siggy sent this: Fed Needs to Pump Trillions More Into Economy: Analyst Foreclosure Mess: The Price Tag for Big Banks Banks listing foreclosures at 30 percent off peak prices. From a $1.5 million home to $630,000. Items from The Economatrix: Not So Golden Years: Rise In Capital Gains And Dividends Would Hit Seniors Hard Martin Weiss: Gutting The Dollar Is Now Official Money Printing Set To Devalue Every Dollar You Own Martin Weiss: Two Game-Changing Decisions Bank Stocks Push Market Broadly Higher; Dow Up 81 Industrial Production Falls 0.2% In …

Wal-Mart Jacking Up Prices Worldwide Hyperinflation Race Soaring prices threaten new food crisis. Shocking Corn Prices–The Other Rising Gold Market and Cotton prices surge to 140-year high and Copper price up sharply… and these are just the “C”s! Industrial Metals Price Tally Up, up, up!

James: On September 25, 2008, you posted some economic collapse indicators to watch for. I am interested to learn if you have any updates/changes/additions to these indicators. Thank you. – D. in Arizona. JWR Replies: I don’t have any significant changes to that list. Ominously, one of the last items on my list ,”The Treasury starts to extensively monetize debt” has recently been announced, under the euphemism “Quantitative Easing”. Speaking of which, several readers sent us this article from Forbes: magazine: QE2 actions will lower dollar and raise gold. That, dear readers, is massive monetization, by any other name! Be …

John Williams Warns of “Severe and Violent Sell-Off in Stocks” (Thanks to G.G. for the link.) Desperate for revenue: Local Property Taxes Soaring in New York. The Daily Bell editors ask: As Goes Iceland, so Goes the EU? N.I.M. flagged this item in the New York Times: Bernanke Weighs Risks of New Action. Any attempts are injecting new liquidity are futile. The U.S. Dollar will be wrecked by the Fed’s policies. My advice: Continue to buy silver on the dips! Items from The Economatrix: 24 Statistics About the US Economy Embarrassing to Admit Global Illusions Stemming From Money Printing Robo-Signing …

Hi Jim, I spent two years as a security technician for a major armored car company. The idea that banks have silver coins in their circulation is quite remote. Banks get most of their coins from a Federal Reserve coin center pre wrapped and counted. All silver coins, Mexican, Canadian and other coins are thoroughly separated. I have been in one of these Federal Reserve centers and believe me they literally had buckets full of foreign coins. Any silver coins found in a bank would have to come from some local citizen spending them in a local store. Returned to …

B.B. mentioned a piece by Charles Hugh Smith: The Coming Collapse of the Real Estate Market Siggy sent: The Case for America’s Future by Gary North SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large Michael Z. Williamson notes that the oft-cited animated recession map was updated again last week. This is really looking grim. More FDIC Friday Follies: Three more banks bit the dust on Friday. This time the announcement was two banks in Missouri and one in Kansas. Items from The Economatrix: K.A.F. flagged this: US Cities Face Half a Trillion Dollars of Pension Deficits Dollar Keeps Falling As Investors Await Fed Action …

From the NIA: Inflation to Make All Americans Billionaires By 2020 Bernanke Sees Case for `Further Action’ With Too-Low Inflation Peter Schiff: “It’s Scary How Clueless Bernanke Is” Veteran economic observer Howard J. Ruff chimes in on inflation.

Susan H. sent this: The Real Horror Story: The U.S. Economic Meltdown Swiss Finish Sets New Standard for Global Bank Regulation Run over by the Grain Train Bernanke sees case for more Fed easing G.G. sent this: Dollar fall sparks stability warnings From K.A.F.: How High Will Corn Prices Go Before Usage is Rationed? Items from The Economatrix: Debt Market Strips US of Triple A Rating No Shock: 85% Angry About The Economy Expiration of Bush Tax Cuts: How Will It Affect You?

K.A.F. sent us this: Financial regulators planning worldwide rules for large firms Jim Rogers advises silver, tractors, and rice. (Thanks to B.B. for the link.) J.D.D. flagged this: Drowning Homeowners Face ‘Tsunami‘ Damon S. forwarded this PDF link: Optometrists encouraged to barter. Items from The Economatrix: How to Prepare for the Bond Market Bust Securitized Mortgage Debt: The Shot That Will Kill Many Financial Entities Currency Wars: The Phantom Financial Menace Gold Versus Treasuries: Which Do You Believe? $5,000 Gold = $100-$350 Silver — Here’s Why The Fed’s Zero-Rate Policy is Destroying America Recession Job Losses Worse Than First Thought

RBS mentioned the Foreclosure Rate Heat Map Gerald W. spotted this piece that confirms what SurvivalBlog readers heard several months ago: Government Prepares To Seize Private Pensions From G.G.: One third of Britons don’t have enough savings to survive just Five Days out of work Items from The Economatrix: Banking Collapse Scenarios Fall/Winter 2010 Why You (Probably) Need More Gold Pay Garnishments Rise as Debtors Fall Behind US Housing Market Faces New Threat from Foreclosure Row World Financial System Not Sustainable Dollar Depreciation and the Higher Cost of Living Earnings Reports Push Stocks Higher, Dow Up 76 Wall Street Begins …

Loyal content contributor Susan H. sent us this: More Bad News: 10 Things You Should Know About The Latest Economic Numbers Paul Craig Roberts: America’s Third World Economy. (Thanks to Siggy for the link.) K.T. sent this: Seven Cities About to Sink. Courtesy of KAF: Fed Undaunted by Uncertain Prospects for Money Printing Also from KAF: China Currency Reserves May Hit $2.5 Trillion, Stoking Tensions. Sue C. highlighted this piece of commentary: Three Weeks That Will Rock Wall Street. Items from The Economatrix: Gold, Get It While You Can US Consumer Debt Deleveraging = Commercial Real Estate Market Collapse No …