The U.S. caused the 1930s deflationary depression and is again the cause of the current contraction. Although similarities exist between the two, the differences between them insure a far more consequential outcome today than in the 1930s. [Indeed, the world] now finds itself on the edge of a growing deflationary sinkhole created by the sequential collapse of two large U.S. bubbles, the dot.com and U.S. real estate bubbles. Words: 1549

If you're in the market, you can't just sit and hope things work out. You have to be proactive and prepare for the worst as well as the best. [I have identified] seven red flags indicating that the next big move in the market may be down so [outline] 4 steps below on how to protect yourself and your portfolio. [Don't delay,] now is the time to take action! Words: 1316

The fundamentals for gold are impeccable, the long term technical picture is exceptional and gold remains very inexpensive when compared to almost every other alternative. [I have 17 reasons why] I expect gold to trade at several multiples of the current price before this bull market breathes its last breath. Words: 2101

Absolutely every currency in the world is going to reach its intrinsic value in the next few years. Basically all the governments are going to wind up destroying their national currencies. That won't be just an academic thing; it will have the consequence of destroying a lot of the middle classes around the world. That will likely create ugly political and sociological fallout. Words: 3299

That gold is in a long-term uptrend is undeniable...but is gold in semi-bubble territory and set for a dramatic decline, or is it ready to continue on to $1,350 and beyond this summer? Words: 978

Will the laws and rules in place to protect individuals in their attempt to set something aside for retirement be safeguarded by the representatives elected to advocate for them in Washington? Will the principles and moral integrity of the political class keep them from appropriating the trillions of dollars held in 401k's and IRA's? I'm not so sure! Words: 1207

If the past 30 years are any indication, gold does not constitute an attractive investment over the long term. Moreover, in times of economic recovery, the return on gold falls well short of the return on the stock market. Read More »

Niall Ferguson's book,The Ascent of Money, is an excellent, just-in-time guide to the history of finance and financial crisis in which he shows how promises and paper have lifted humans from subsistence farmers in Babylon to Masters of the Universe on Wall Street. Words: 975

The Japanese monetary and fiscal anti-deflation reflex in reaction to the crash in the 90´s was very much the same as the recent and currently ongoing global pumping approach. Japan has been running exactly the same "stimulus" as the rest of the world is now employing to fight the downturn. It didn´t work in Japan and I doubt it will work globally. If ever there was an economic illustration of the fact that "stimulus" cannot revive a REAL economy, Japan is that illustration. Words: 861

Highly leveraged economies, particularly those in which continual rollover of short-term debt is sustained only by confidence in relatively illiquid underlying assets, seldom survive forever, particularly if leverage continues to grow unchecked. Words: 1264