Category: Economics & Investing

“Red Hen” sent this bit of global MOAB expansion news: IMF Governors Formally Approve US$250 Billion General SDR Allocation Courtesy of Steve G.: Credit tightening threatens China’s ‘giant Ponzi scheme’ The Treacherous Path for Housing – 42 Percent of California Mortgages with Negative Equity: $1 Trillion in Mortgages Submerged Underwater in California. $3 Trillion in U.S. Mortgages Underwater and Risking Foreclosure. From DD: Lowe’s Profit Plunges as Consumers Stay Away JS spotted this: The “Zimdollar:” Dead, but still used for bus fare. (It sounds like something out a of a novel: $3,000,000,000,000 for one bus fare, and goats for barter!) …

The dip in silver that you’ve been waiting for has arrived. Take advantage of it. Come November, you’ll be patting yourself on the back for your foresight. Steve G. sent us the latest from Mish Shedlock: As of Friday August 14, 2009, FDIC is Bankrupt. Don’t worry, be happy. Uncle Tim and Uncle Ben have a plan: Just add linen paper and ink! A hilarious interview with The Mogambo Guru (aka Richard Daughty) was posted by The Daily Bell. From Heather H.: Mountain of Debt: Social Security crisis looms. Heather’s comment: “Finally, someone had the guts to call Social Security …

KAF flagged this: Tax Dodgers Scramble for Options Amid U.S. Crackdown [JWR Adds: Given this development, I predict that the offshore banking crowd may soon embrace some heretofore “outlaw” nations. There are lots of folks that are willing to take more risk in exchange for total privacy.] Karen H. forwarded these: Consumer Prices Fall as Shoppers Hold Back With Lobster Prices Low, Things Get Ugly in Maine Recession Chills Sunshine State Tourism Items from The Economatrix: Shifting Sands Bank on Inflation (The Mogambo Guru) Commercial Real Estate, Construction, and Finance Employment: How Commercial Real Estate Will Drag the California Economy …

Farmer John suggested this piece by James Quinn: American Idiots. John’s comment: “This is why the government can do what it wants.” Karen H. kindly sent these items: Regulators Shut Down Colonial BancGroup; Largest U.S. Bank to Fail in 2009. JWR Warns: There are many more bank failures to come! Toxic Loans Topping 5% May Push 150 Banks to Point of No Return Sugar May Advance 80% on Supply Crunch, Coleman says [Have you already stocked up?] U.S. Economy: Consumer Sentiment Falls, Prices Steady Items from The Economatrix: Alabama-based Colonial Bank Fails, Cost is $2.8 Billion BB&T Takes Colonial as …

I wrote the following essay five years ago. Not only are the issues presented below still relevant today, they’re more critical than ever. This is about the end of your financial world as you know it, independent of a terrorist strike Perhaps one of the most alarming observations is that, up until our present generation, Americans were far more aware of the meaning of money and they carried gold and silver coins in their pockets. Today, the people are much too pre-occupied, distracted, or just plain na?Øve, and they don’t possess the outrage about what is happening to their money …

Greg C. flagged this: Retail sales dip unexpectedly, jobless claims rise. Greg’s comment: It is amazing how they still keep trying to spin this [continuing decline] as a “recovery.” Bobbi-Sue sent this Der Spiegel piece: Global Banking Economist Warned of Coming Crisis. Thanks to Heather for sending this: US sugar supplies ‘running out’ US food manufacturers call for an easing of sugar import limits, saying they fear the country may run out of supplies. Items from The Economatrix: The Problem with Sticking it to Your Creditors Panel Warns Smaller Banks Face Whole-Loans Threat “We” Broke The Bank Bleak Sales are …

S.T. spotted this: IMF puts total cost of crisis at £7.1 trillion [Thusfar!] This Forbes piece came from SC: Fed Faces Its Zimbabwe Moment Regular content contributor DD sent us these two articles: Sales dropping for retailers The US-China Ponzi scheme; By unwittingly tying together their fortunes as they pursued their own interests, the two nations have put themselves on an economic path of mutually assured destruction. Items from The Economatrix: Foreclosures Rise 7% in July from June A Pessimist’s Prediction: Hyperinflation A prediction from the ever-cheery Ambrose Evans-Pritchard: Fiscal Ruin of the Western World Beckons Stupidity Without Borders (The …

Hello Jim, I have recently read your article on nickels. It was very interesting! I have been thinking about the $1.00 coins as a weapon against currency revaluation, here is my theory. If they revalue the U.S. dollar–say they take a 0 zero off. (You take a $10 dollar bill to the bank, and they’ll give you one hot off the press $1.00 bill.) If the Feds do not recall the coins, their face value is still $1.00. Am I missing the big picture? Need Help – Kevin in Las Vegas JWR Replies: In terms of their compactness per dollar …

Flagged by KAF: US government to loan Petrobras $10 billion. Note the comments in the article about increasing costs of exploration , and strong competition with China for new oil fields. Also from KAF: Wish you weren’t here: The devastating effects of the new colonialists. Cousin Al sent this: Soaring deficit may defy forecasts. (A quadrupling budget deficit? Yikes!) This Jay Taylor “Turning Hard Times Into Good Times” pod cast was linked from the Total Investor news aggregation site: Will Silver Outperform Gold? Items from The Economatrix: China’s Wen: “The financial crisis is continuing to deepen and spread.” Coming Soon: …

Jim: One of the easiest ways to quickly go through a roll of quarters, dimes, or halves, is to look at the coins edge on. If any do not have the copper color on the edge then it is probably silver. When you look at a clad coin, you’ll notice a bit of copper on the edge. Then take a look at a silver coin and you’ll see that it doesn’t have the copper color on the edge. This is how I quickly go through rolls of coins. Enjoy, – KJ JWR Replies: Thanks for reminding SurvivalBlog readers–especially those of …

Reader DD sent this piece about prospects for hyperinflation: A Pessimist or a Realist? Also from DD: Why Ronald is Smiling From A.W.: Billions in Bad Loans Still Threaten U.S. Banks Items from The Economatrix: BoE Pumps Another 50 Billion Pounds into Economy BMW’s Profits Drop 76% Clunkers Could Spark Auto Sales Crash Later On Chrysler Schedules Factory Overtime on Clunkers Demand Geithner Asks Congress to Boost Federal Debt Limit Consumer, Celebrity Bankruptcies Skyrocket Russian Economy Hitting “Dead End” US Banks Still in Tight Straits Despite Profits Japan Airlines Posts Net Loss of $1 Billion, Plans Cuts The Future Made …

Hello James, I’ve been an avid reader of Survivalblog for two years now. I have also read and passed along “Patriots” when I bought it on Amazon, during the Book Bomb event in April. I also purchased the“Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course a couple of years ago. I’m prepping even as I’m typing this. During this economic downturn starting in the last year or so, the corporation I work for has demanded no more overtime, cut back on the company match for our 401k, and since no one is buying anything, my sales commissions have gone to almost $0. …

From Theo M.: Deficit grew by $181 billion in July Chris H. flagged this: No Longer Jobless, But Still Struggling Frequent contributor Karen H. kindly sent several items: Fed Focusing on Real-Estate Recession “The collapse in commercial real estate is preventing Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke from declaring the economy and financial markets are healed.” (JWR has predicted this for quite some time.) Treasurers’ Fear of Next Credit Freeze Shown in Cash Hoarding “Cash is king,” said Paul Kasriel, the chief economist at Northern Trust Corp. in Chicago. “Businesses are in survival mode right now.” Minneapolis Federal Reserve Inflation …

GG flagged this: Banks still getting sicker; The economy may have turned, but banks will be cleaning up after their lending mistakes for years. Several big banks may already be doomed to fail. Also from GG: Bank of England surprises markets with move to increase ‘printing money’ plan This was linked at the excellent news aggregation blog Total Investor blog: ‘Lost Couple of Decades’ Looming for U.S. Economy: Chart of Day Several SurvivalBloggers sent us this: Obama announces $2.4 billion grant for electric vehicles Items from The Economatrix: Audio Clip: Unemployment Decline “A Little Bit Misleading” Analyst says “people have …