Today we have some special insight on natural resources, in the long term. Here are the latest items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. And most of these items reflect the quirky “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of JWR. (SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor):
Precious Metals:
First, some predictions from Frank Holmes, over at Bullion Vault: Just So Bullish for Gold
Commodities Economics:
Looking ahead, there is some interesting reading in this 2013 ODNI/NIC white paper, to which an old friend of mine contributed: Natural Resources in 2020, 2030, and 2040: Implications for the United States
Forex:
On to foreign exchange (Forex) news: USD/CAD Continues Decline
Global Stocks and Bonds:
Moving on to the stock and bond markets, The Wall Street Journal‘s latest numbers.
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Next: Canadian Stocks Are Sinking Despite Solid GDP Report – Canadian Commentary
Derivatives:
On to another primer at Investopedia: Introduction to Counterparty Risk
Big Dang Global Bubble:
Now, on to our regular discussion of debt, worldwide. The mountains of public and private debt that have been accumulated are now nearly impossible to repay. We will likely see a global debt crisis in the next few years, with devastating and manifold effects. The only remaining avenues of escape from the debt balloon seem to be: outright debt repudiation (unlikely), the announcement of a jubilee of debt forgiveness (unlikely), or the Weimaresque political expedient of mass inflation make repayment possible (all too likely.) Plan accordingly. Shelter some of your net worth in tangibles. Productive farm or ranch land in a lightly-populated region should be your top choice. A core holding in silver coins that you keep well-hidden at home is also wise. Diversify your investments to minimize risk. Above all, don’t go along with the herd, or you will probably get trampled.
Global Economy:
This article at Forbes is now a year old, but I suspect that the prediction is still accurate: China’s Economy Will Overtake The U.S. In 2018
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Now, on to a piece at Investing Haven by Taki Tsaklanos: Emerging Markets Will Be Strongly Bullish In 2018
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There has been a recent uptick, but the Baltic Dry Index is still swimming down in the bilge water. Forget all the CNBC Cheering Section hype. It is in these cold statistics where you see the real state of the global economy. I still contend that we are in the opening decade of a multi-decade global depression.
Tangibles Investing:
Finally, I found a quite useful piece at WikiHow: How to Make a List of Personal Assets
JWR’s Comments: It is important to keep lists of serial numbers and detailed descriptions of valuables, such as guns, electronics, cameras, and various optics. My preferred Luddite method for keeping this list is to use 3″ x 5″ index cards, as my assortment of valuables gets swapped around and regularly upgraded. (Hence, a tabular list would quickly get out of date.) To be ready for any possible future insurance claims, it is also important to take several photos of each valuable. These should include an overall view, a close-up showing the serial number, and a “group shot” showing the item along with its accessories.
Provisos:
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News Tips:
Please send your economics and investing news tips to JWR. (Either via e-mail of via our Contact form.) These are often especially relevant, because they come from folks who particularly watch individual markets. And with their diligence and focus, we benefit from fresh “on target” investing news. As a result, SurvivalBlog often “gets the scoop” on economic and investing news that is probably missed (or reported late) in other news sources. Thanks!