- According to the latest projections by the Congressional Budget Office, the Federal government will shell out $5,000,000,000,000.00 ($5 Trillion) over the next decade in interest on the nation's $15.4 trillion public debt. No wonder they want the Fed to keep interest rates low! Will hate to see the bill when (not if) interest rates go up.
Like Exchange Traded Funds? Here's a list of the five best performing ETF's so far in 2012…
5) Vanguard MSCI Emerging Markets (VWO) +15.8%
4) iShares MSCI Germany Index Fund (EWG) +18.3%
3) Market Vectors Junior Gold Miners ETF (GDXJ) +19.3%
2) iShares MSCI Brazil Index Fund (EWZ) +19.8%
1) iShares Silver Trust (SLV) +24.1%
- Rush Limbaugh advertisers fleeing after "slut" remark…
- For the first time in decades, not a single new bank was launched as a start-up in 2011. Reason: Some say that buying failed banks is easier than launching a new one. Speaking of failures, 92 banks failed and 198 were absorbed through mergers in 2011, according to the FDIC.
- Amy Strand and her 9-month-old daughter Eva were accosted by a TSA goon at the Lihue Airport in Hawaii after they asked her to prove that her breast pump was real. She was then told that she could not board the airplane with the breast pump. The TSA continues to violate the the American public's 4th Amendment rights by conducting illegal search and seizures of law-abiding citizens without probable cause. America needs to end the TSA now.
- It's now official… According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Carlos Slim, the billionaire from Mexico, is now officially the richest man on earth. #2 Bill Gates; #3 Warren Buffett
VIDEOS
Pentagon Admits More 9/11 Remains Dumped in Landfill
httpv://youtu.be/-2t9PK-Kato
Ron Paul Interview On CNN State Of The Union
httpv://youtu.be/2PlUhNZeySI
Ron Paul on Face the Nation – CBS
It looks as though our predictions about China are starting to unfold into reality.
In today’s piece, I recall the moment that I realized the difference between consumers and producers.
Instead of seeing a world full of “haves” and “have-nots,” I tend to see a world that is full of “producers” and “consumers.” Over the next several days, I am going to confront this issue of the “consumer” mindset vs. the “producer” mindset. It is here that I believe many people can be set free from the “rat race.”
My basic thesis is that the U.S. is an empire in decline. In the past, it has made some brilliant moves that secured its place as the supreme economic, political, and military leader of the globe. But in its twilight years, America has fallen prey to the common trappings of empire: military overreach, an entitlement mindset, and currency depreciation.
Here’s a brief timeline that summarizes America’s petrodollar system…
In typical fashion, Republicans and Democrats are using the debt ceiling debate to get the upper hand politically in today’s headlines. While “Rome” burns, the lipstick is carefully being applied to the pig.
One of the greatest – and most imminent – challenges looming on America’s economic horizon is the threat of global peak oil production. You may have heard of the phrase “peak oil” from television, newspapers or other media sources. But what exactly does the phrase “peak oil” mean? Well, just like everything else, there is a simple answer and a more complex answer.
Today, our entire global economic infrastructure — not just America’s — has been built and designed around petroleum-based products. In fact, our entire way of life today would be virtually impossible without the amazing properties that we find within petroleum. Oil has become largely irreplaceable in today’s exploding global economy.
Last week, my wife and I traveled to a town near Philadelphia to present a three-day financial seminar explaining the roots of the economic crisis, along with real steps that individuals can take to ensure their own financial security. We had a great time but it’s great to be back at our office in Houston.
In 2008, our country went through a major financial meltdown. I stood there and watched 17 years of savings diminish. Half of my 401k was gone and my retirement plans went out the window. In September of 2008, I stopped my 401k contributions. I realized that some other plan was needed. As long as people in Washington are salivating over my retirement accounts, I will not contribute one more dime! I would rather buy silver, gold, and other commodities. I would rather be in control of my own retirement. The last thing I want to do is to depend on the government for anything.
Investing in a foreign currency can protect you from the falling dollar and there are several currencies that provide great investment opportunities. The real question is, “Which currencies are safe?” There are pros and cons to any currency investment. Whether you invest to protect your wealth or to make a profit, it is important to remember that investing in foreign currency can be a high-risk venture. You could make a lot of money – or you could lose a lot of money.
(Editor’s Note: Jerry Robinson will be traveling to speak on the economic crisis until early next week. He will return with his daily column on Tuesday, May 3. In Jerry’s absence, FTMDaily.com friend, Marcus Curtis, will fill in with his personal financial insights. Marcus has been a student of our Five Levels of Financial Freedom [...]
Here’s a list of some of my financial predictions that I said would occur sometime between 2009 – 2013. These economic predictions were written in the Fall of 2008.
With silver prices soaring, many people have no idea that they may be holding some of the popular metal in their everyday pocket change. Here’s a quick guide to some common U.S. coins that are worth more than you may think.
In this article, I give four examples of stable foreign currencies that have outperformed the U.S. Dollar over the last several years. I also explain three easy ways to buy foreign currencies using your local bank, CD’s, and ETF’s.
In this article, I will introduce the concept of using foreign currencies for savings diversification and will discuss nine currencies that have outperformed the U.S. Dollar.
With the price of precious metals making new highs, many people are wondering where they can buy gold and silver. In this article, I explain how and where you can gain exposure to gold, including physical metals, stocks and ETF’s, and the options and futures markets.
Welcome to a new financial teaching series on our DSL™ Savings strategy which will explain the fundamentals of diversifying your savings with U.S. Dollars, precious metals, and foreign currencies. In this first teaching article, I will briefly explain some of the various ways in which you can use our DSL™ Savings strategy to hold one-third of your savings reserve in U.S. dollar denominated assets.
Yesterday, I shared with you a study on our DSL™ Savings strategy, which is short for the Diversified Six-Month Liquid Savings strategy. Today, I will show you exactly how we created the stellar returns using a basket of foreign currencies, precious metals, and U.S. Dollars.
Here’s the results of a study that was done on our DSL (Diversified Six-Month Liquid) Savings strategy measuring total returns for three different time periods. The findings are completely stunning!
Inflation is a constant threat to your financial plan in any modern fiat monetary system. Since the U.S. government can order the Federal Reserve to print money at any time, you better believe that inflation will continue a pose a hazard to our finances. So if you want to dampen the ravaging effects of inflation that cause a loss of purchasing power on your money, diversifying your savings should be a priority.
The only way to win a game is to first understand the rules. Here’s a brief list of four tax strategies used by those who understand “the rules of the game” to create tax-free income and to lower your annual tax bill.
In lieu of our regular daily column, we present this very special and exclusive Q&A session with economist and FTMDaily.com Founder, Jerry Robinson. This Q&A session is an excerpt from the Winter 2011 issue of our FTMQuarterly newsletter released on January 15, 2011.
If you want to protect yourself, your family, and your assets, you need to develop a financial strategy. Remember, when it comes to your money: Think strategy first, and products second.
In March, the U.S. Federal government collected $194 billion in tax revenue but reported $1.1 trillion in expenses. The ponzi scheme continues…
There has been much talk recently about the ever-widening gap between the rich and the poor in America today. This gap exists for a reason. Let me explain.
by Jerry Robinson | FTMDaily Editor-in-Chief HOUSTON, Apr 1 Scare Tactics at the Fed… Almost three years after Bloomberg LP requested details on the emergency bank loans given out by the Federal Reserve at the height of the economic crisis, the records are finally being delivered. The records, which contain the names of financial institutions [...]
by Jerry Robinson | FTMDaily Editor-in-Chief HOUSTON, Mar 31 Wal-Mart CEO: ‘Serious’ Inflation is On the Way… Wal-Mart CEO, Bill Simon, is sounding the alarm of what he is calling a coming wave of “serious” inflation that he says will strike U.S. consumers in the coming months. On Wednesday, in an interview with USA Today, [...]
by Jerry Robinson The Year of Black Gold… 2011 is turning out to be a boom year for OPEC. If oil can stay consistently above $100 until December, the cartel is projected to reap $1 trillion in oil revenues by year’s end. This would be OPEC’s most profitable year on record. In 2008, OPEC fell [...]
by Jerry Robinson Russia Rules 2011 BRIC Returns 2011 YTD Returns… RUSSIA 15% CHINA: 5% BRAZIL: -2% INDIA: -10% Ten years after Goldman Sachs first coined the term “BRIC” nations in one of its papers, the collective group has soared in value. Investors have taken note and much money has been made by those who [...]
by Jerry Robinson Good-Bye “Cheap” Chinese Goods… When my daughter was younger, I used to offer her 25 cents for every item that she could find in our local Wal-Mart store that was not “made in China,” or some other Asian nation. Needless to say, she rarely walked out of the store with any money. [...]
by Jerry Robinson Market Update… Silver hits 31 year high… Gold closes at record high… Oil closes above $105 per barrel… U.S. stocks staged an afternoon rally after a relatively flat week. After trading in negative territory in the morning, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed the session up 67 points at 12,086. The S&P [...]
by Jerry Robinson Iran Cutting Dollar Exposure, Buying Gold… According to a Wikileaks cable reported on by the Financial Times, Iran has been cutting its exposure to the U.S. dollar and has been secretly making large gold purchases. Iran is thought to be one of the biggest buyers of gold over the last decade and [...]
by Jerry Robinson Market Update… On Monday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed back above the 12,000 level in intra-day trading, for the first time in a week, on news that AT&T would buy T-Mobile for $39 billion. The merger would make AT&T the nation’s largest wireless carrier. Oil is also making news today. Crude [...]
by Jerry Robinson Japanese Markets Calm… On Wednesday, Japan’s central bankers continued flooding the country with a fresh infusion of cash in an attempt to stop the financial bleeding after that nation’s worst earthquake on record. So far this week, the central bank has increased the nation’s money supply by 55 trillion yen ($688 billion.) [...]
by Jerry Robinson Global Uncertainty Spreads… The global financial markets continue their tailspin today in the wake of the devastating quake and tsunami which struck the world’s third largest economy last week. On Tuesday, Japan’s Nikkei average closed the session down 10.6% marking its third worst one-day plunge in its history. Over the last two [...]
by Jerry Robinson Absolute Devastation in Japan… The unbelievable devastation in Japan dominated the 24-news cycle. And a shocking new video emerges from the moment the tsunami struck the nation… The human toll: New estimates are placing the eventual death toll at over 10,000. On Monday, 2,000 bodies have washed up on the coastlines. Crematoriums [...]
by Jerry Robinson Bad News Weighs on the Financial Markets… Bad economic reports from China, Spain, and the U.S., sent stocks tumbling on Thursday to their biggest one day point drop since in five months. First, U.S. investors did not quite know how to respond to a surprise Chinese trade deficit from the month of [...]
by Jerry Robinson Is the Next Big Market Crash Just Around the Corner?… Two years ago this week, America was tightly held in the grip of the worst financial crisis in recent memory. On March 9, 2009 the S&P 500 stood at 676.53, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average had dropped to 6547.05. The CBOE [...]
by Jerry Robinson The Slow Death of the Dollar… In section C of yesterday’s Wall Street Journal, the paper spent several pages on the topic of global currencies. There were several good articles but it was the opener that is making its rounds on the web today. The piece is called, Why The Dollar’s Reign [...]
by Jerry Robinson Good morning friends! In the news this morning: A new GAO report shows massive overlap in government spending, more Mideast news, and more… The Big Government Bloat… While Congress wrings its hands over where and how to cut Federal spending, a new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) should give them [...]
by Jerry Robinson Good morning friends! In the news this morning: The unfolding energy crisis, new protests in the Middle East, and more… What Addiction to Foreign Oil?… Prices at the pump are squeezing consumers after rising 4% last week. New national average: $3.29/gallon. The highest level ever for this time of year. It’s time [...]
by Jerry Robinson Good morning friends! Just a brief update today at the end of the week. All Eyes on the Middle East… And Oil… New reports of Gaddafi’s militia opening fire on unarmed protesters in the streets of Libya. Despite the imminent threat of death, thousands of protesters continue to publicly demand the ouster [...]
by Jerry Robinson Good morning friends! In the news today: Rising food and oil prices could complicate U.S. “recovery” efforts, the Libyan “Butcher” stands defiant, and more… Oil Price Shock + Food Price Shock = End of America’s “Jobless” Recovery… Rising oil prices coupled with the dramatic rise in global food prices could threaten to [...]
by Jerry Robinson Good morning friends! In the news today: Brutal conflicts in Libya and fears over Saudi Arabia drive oil prices higher, how to play rising oil prices, the 401k generation falls short, and more… Uncertainty Reigns in Markets… The descent of Libya into brutal violence shook the global financial markets on Tuesday. Gaddafi [...]
by Jerry Robinson Good morning friends! In the news today: The showdown between the unions vs. taxpayers continues in Wisconsin, tensions continue to flare in the Middle East, and more… In Wisconsin: Unions vs. The Taxpayer… The “cut government spending, just not my government benefits” protests continue in Wisconsin… At stake: 1) Government benefits for [...]
by Jerry Robinson Good morning friends! In the news this morning: Silver prices explode to the upside, U.S. austerity measures enflame the unions, U.S. foreclosures up, and much more… Silver Price Set to Explode… Silver is shining brightly as investment demand for the metal shot up this week, driving the price to a new 31 [...]
