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MoneyMan ·Financial News & Discussion ·4 months ago
Why Gold Often Falls Before Its Biggest Advances

Why Gold Often Falls Before Its Biggest Advances

Recent weakness in gold has caused some investors to question whether the bull market is over. According to Egon von Greyerz and his team, that conclusion misses the bigger picture.

The key is understanding the difference between short-term price movements and long-term trends.

Gold has nearly doubled over the past two years and has risen dramatically over the past several decades. Against that backdrop, the recent pullback is relatively modest. Corrections are a normal part of every major bull market, even when the long-term outlook remains positive.

Bull Markets Never Move in Straight Lines

Despite the recent decline, gold remains only modestly below its level at the end of last year. Markets often experience sharp corrections even during powerful long-term advances.

History provides an important example.

During the inflationary 1970s—a period many analysts compare to today's economic environment—gold experienced five separate corrections of more than 20 percent. The most dramatic occurred between 1974 and 1976, when gold fell roughly 50 percent, declining from around $200 per ounce to approximately $100.

Many investors assumed the bull market was over.

Instead, from late 1976 through 1980, gold rose approximately eightfold.

The lesson is simple: major advances are frequently interrupted by painful corrections that shake out impatient investors before the next leg higher begins.

Looking at the Bigger Picture

Many analysts believe the current environment shares several characteristics with the 1970s, including persistent inflation, slowing economic growth, and increasing financial uncertainty.

If those historical comparisons prove accurate, today's correction may represent another pause within a larger long-term trend rather than the end of it.

That said, history never repeats itself exactly. While inflation certainly supported gold during the 1970s, geopolitical events also played a significant role. The final surge toward gold's 1980 peak was accelerated by growing international tensions, including the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

Understanding those historical details provides a more complete picture than simply attributing every move in gold to inflation alone.

The Biggest Investing Mistake

One of the most common mistakes investors make is waiting until everyone agrees.

By the time headlines are celebrating an investment opportunity, much of the upside has often already occurred.

Markets reward anticipation, not confirmation.

Whether or not governments eventually make major changes involving gold is impossible to predict. However, investors who already own gold are positioned before those events occur, rather than trying to react after prices have already adjusted.

Today's environment is attracting renewed attention to gold for several reasons:

  • Central banks continue adding to their gold reserves.

  • Governments are openly discussing monetary reform.

  • Questions surrounding sovereign debt continue to grow.

  • Confidence in existing monetary systems is increasingly being debated.

None of these developments guarantee higher prices, but they explain why gold has returned to the center of economic discussions.

Looking Beyond Gold

The presentation also highlighted developments in India.

As the Indian rupee strengthens and capital returns to Indian financial markets, restrictions on precious metals could eventually be relaxed. Because gold and silver occupy an important cultural and financial role in India, easing those restrictions could significantly increase domestic demand.

Political incentives may also encourage governments to support stronger economic conditions ahead of elections, adding further liquidity to financial markets.

Will China Replace the U.S. Dollar?

Another topic explored was the future of the global reserve currency.

While many assume China will eventually replace the U.S. dollar, the argument presented suggests otherwise.

Three major obstacles were identified.

First, reserve currencies require unrestricted global movement. China's capital controls limit the free movement of money across its borders, making the yuan difficult to use as a true global reserve currency.

Second, countries that issue reserve currencies typically supply large amounts of their currency to the rest of the world, often by running persistent trade deficits. China has built its economic model around trade surpluses, making a transition to reserve-currency status structurally difficult.

Third, China's demographics present long-term challenges. Its aging population and shrinking workforce may limit its ability to assume the financial responsibilities historically associated with reserve-currency nations.

Why a BRICS Currency Faces Challenges

The discussion also questioned the likelihood of a common BRICS currency.

History shows that successful monetary unions generally require deep political integration and mutual trust.

Previous monetary unions—including the Latin Monetary Union and the Scandinavian Monetary Union—eventually dissolved despite involving neighboring countries with relatively similar cultures and institutions.

The BRICS nations face even greater obstacles.

India and China remain strategic competitors. The member nations operate under different legal systems, political structures, and economic priorities. Without a shared central bank, common fiscal policy, or long-term political union, creating a stable shared currency would be extraordinarily difficult.

Trade cooperation is one thing.

A shared reserve currency is something entirely different.

Gold as the Interim Reserve Asset

If neither the dollar nor another national currency immediately replaces the existing system, what fills the gap?

The presentation argues that central banks are already answering that question through their actions.

Across the world, central banks have been increasing their gold holdings.

The reasoning is straightforward.

Governments may question the long-term outlook for the current monetary system, but no universally accepted replacement exists today. Until one emerges, gold serves as a politically neutral reserve asset that carries no dependence on another nation's currency.

In that sense, gold functions as a bridge between today's monetary system and whatever eventually follows.

The Bottom Line

The recent decline in gold should be viewed within the context of its much larger long-term trend.

History demonstrates that powerful bull markets often include sharp and unsettling corrections.

At the same time, the broader discussion extends beyond the price of gold itself. It encompasses growing concerns about sovereign debt, reserve currencies, geopolitical uncertainty, and the future architecture of the global monetary system.

Whether one agrees with every conclusion or not, understanding these forces provides valuable context for evaluating gold's role in today's financial landscape.

5 replies 492 Read more →
MoneyMan ·Extended Studies ·4 months ago
Central Banks and Socialism Are Forever Linked Together
Extended Learning
Central Banking: The Most Successful Form of Socialism
Research Paper • Advanced • 11 Minute Read

It is well known that socialism is a shortage economy. It is the economy of inefficiency and corruption, of indifferent workers and of bigwigs, of lacking spare parts, of lacking funds, of failure, of permanent reform needs and of constantly unsuccessful reforms. This concerns in particular total socialism, as it was realized in the Soviet Union or under National Socialism. But it is no less evident in the numerous partial socialisms that are featured in the real existing welfare state, in its numerous state “systems.”

Budget deficits year in, year out despite high contributions—that is the reality in the state pension system and in the state health system. The state education system is similar: declining student performance and growing illiteracy despite sky-rocketing expenditure. No private entrepreneur could afford to let the costs get out of hand in such a way. Anyone who is in competition has to keep improving. Only those who have a legal monopoly and can make use of taxpayers’ money if necessary do not need it.

Only those who possess a legal monopoly and access to taxpayer resources can continually fail without being replaced by competitors.
❦

The Exception That Appears to Succeed

Now there is one partial socialism that stands out from the usual array of failures. Here we see gains instead of losses. Here we often find all the other signs of a successfully run company, from the private legal form to the pinstripe-filled boardroom. We are talking about central banking.

The term “central bank” actually refers quite clearly to a centrally planned economy. But when people talk about the Fed, the ECB or other central banks today, hardly anyone thinks that they are talking about an offspring of the socialist spirit. On the contrary, central banks are typically viewed as particularly “capitalist.” After all, what would be more capitalist than money? And what would be more closely related to money than a bank?

Upon closer inspection, however, it appears that this connotation may not be entirely correct. In the unbridled market economy, private property and competition prevail. Central banks, on the other hand, are usually state institutions. Even those central banks that are private-law organizations (as in the United States, Japan, and Switzerland) are subject to special laws and their directors are appointed by national governments.

In addition, central banks always and everywhere enjoy a legal monopoly. Their banknotes and their deposit money are largely withdrawn from free competition. The market participants are compelled to use the money of the central banks.

Key Observation

A defining characteristic of a free market is competition. Central banking, by design, operates through legal monopoly rather than open competition.

❦

The Power to Create Money

This money is one of a kind. Indeed, it can basically be produced in unlimited quantities. The production of money by the private commercial banks is limited by their equity capital and also by the cash deposits of their customers. But central banks do not need equity or cash deposits. It is they who create cash.

They can generate cash out of nothing and practically for free. Certain legal limits are set for them, but in times of crisis, as in 2008–09 and in 2020–21, these limits can be relaxed quickly and dramatically. If necessary, they can also be abolished entirely.

Central banks therefore have potentially tremendous power. If only let loose, they can control all of the economy and society. There is almost no limit to the number of new loans they can issue. They can provide these loans to some and deny them to others.

And by implication they can also control the use of all available resources. After all, labour usually moves where it is best paid. Raw materials and capital goods are typically sold to those who offer the highest prices. If you control the printing press, you can also let the real resources flow exactly where you think it is right.

Whether this use of funds is also profitable plays a rather subordinate role for central banks (unlike commercial banks). You do not have to work hard and invest well to cover losses. One push of a button is enough.

❦

Central Banks Are Made for Do-Gooders

Central banks are therefore made for do-gooders. He who runs a central bank does not need to do painstaking educational work in order to bring about any social change. The humanist with the printing press can finance all changes he wishes for at the push of a button. He can just pay other people to do what he wants.

He does not need any savings or capital for this. He does not need a democratic majority either. As long as he has the printing press under control, he could by and large give a damn about what other people think or wish.

The humanist with the printing press can finance all changes he wishes for at the push of a button.
❦

The Socialist Connection

This momentous fact has not escaped the attention of socialist theorists. The Saint-Simonians in France had already grasped it at the beginning of the nineteenth century. They understood that the economy of a country could be controlled particularly easily and safely with the help of the printing press.

A few years later, the demand for the “centralization of credit in the hands of the state through a national bank with state capital and an exclusive monopoly” soon also held center stage in the 1848 Communist Manifesto by Marx and Engels.

Historical Reference

The demand for a centralized banking system with an exclusive monopoly appears as one of the measures proposed in the Communist Manifesto (1848) by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels.

❦

Financing Political Transformation

Unsurprisingly, the enormous possibilities of creating money from nothing have been used again and again to finance state industrial policy and socialist experiments. In the 1970s, British historian Antony Sutton reported that some of New York’s Wall Street banks had financed the radical transformation of traditional European societies.

They supported Lenin and Stalin as well as Adolf Hitler with billions of dollars. That would not have been possible without the refinancing from the American central bank.

In our day, too, the historical connection between the central banking system and political utopias is being brought back to life. This time it appears in the form of a “green” and egalitarian transformation of the economy and society.

The directors of the ECB [European Central Bank] and the Fed have already officially committed to this.

❦

The New Humanists with the Printing Press

The new humanists with the printing press are undoubtedly a great danger to humanity. They threaten everyone’s prosperity by channeling scarce resources into unprofitable (and therefore unsustainable) uses. But they also threaten the free social order as a whole, in that they are preparing to disempower the open competition of all social forces.

They want to replace this competition with the rule of a nonelected leadership caste.

If control over the printing press is concentrated in the hands of a few, economic decisions increasingly become political decisions.
❦

Why Central Banks Cannot Be Reformed

However, green central bank policy is not to be condemned primarily because it supposedly pursues ecological goals, but because a central bank comes into its own here. Central banks are by their very nature destructive. Even if they are not led by self-proclaimed ecologists and socialists, they favor the cousin, favoritism and the bigwig economy.

The economists of the Vienna school have shown, among other things, that central banks always and everywhere weaken economic growth by undermining the propensity to save; that they are destabilizing the economy by fueling a debt economy; that they incite greed and avarice; and that they create blatant inequalities in income and wealth.

Central banks cannot be reformed, they must be abolished.

❦
Final Thought

This article presents the argument that central banking represents a legally protected monopoly over money creation and that this monopoly enables economic planning on a scale unavailable in competitive markets. Whether one ultimately agrees or disagrees with its conclusions, the essay invites readers to examine the relationship between monetary institutions, political power, and economic incentives through the lens of Austrian economics.

Continue Your Research

Readers interested in exploring these ideas further may wish to continue with The Creature from Jekyll Island, The Case Against the Fed, What Has Government Done to Our Money?, and the Foundation's lessons covering central banking, fiat currency, inflation, and monetary policy.

1 reply 593 Read more →
MoneyMan ·Extended Studies ·5 months ago
How FDR Expanded Executive Power: Martial Law in Mascara
Extended Learning
The Constitution Was Never Suspended—It Was Quietly Bypassed
Research Paper • Advanced • 12 Minute Read

Let’s get this out of the way first. No, the Constitution wasn’t officially suspended in 1933. But it was gagged, blindfolded, and tied to a chair while the federal government handed itself sweeping emergency powers and redefined “freedom” into a kind of bureaucratic improv comedy routine. They didn’t declare martial law on paper because that would have looked bad. Instead, they declared it in practice and gave it a haircut, a press pass, and a desk job. Most Americans never noticed. Most still don’t.

❦

The Banking Emergency

The story begins with a “banking emergency.” On March 6, 1933, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed Executive Order 2039, effectively closing the banks. This wasn’t a request—it was a national lockdown of the financial system. Within days, Congress passed the Emergency Banking Relief Act, which amended the Trading With the Enemy Act of 1917 to allow the president to seize private property and control commerce even in peacetime.

You read that right. The original act was intended for use against foreign enemies during wartime. Roosevelt’s administration simply redefined the term “enemy” to include American citizens. That’s not a conspiracy theory. That’s a matter of historical record. You can read it here and here.

This wasn’t martial law with tanks in the streets. It was something more insidious: the silent transfer of authority from constitutional governance to executive fiat, wrapped in the language of patriotic crisis management.
❦

House Joint Resolution 192

Then came House Joint Resolution 192 in June of that same year. This little piece of legal sorcery declared that debts could no longer be paid in gold. Instead, all gold was to be surrendered to the Federal Reserve, and the American public would now transact in fiat currency—Federal Reserve Notes.

In one move, Roosevelt erased the gold standard domestically, outlawed the most stable form of lawful money, and replaced it with an I.O.U. The people didn’t protest. They complied. It was all for the good of the nation, they were told.

Never mind that their savings were now denominated in debt-backed paper. Never mind that the Constitution says only gold and silver shall be legal tender. Never mind that the American people’s wealth was effectively nationalized with the stroke of a pen.

❦

The Erie Decision

By 1938, the Supreme Court put the nail in the coffin. Erie Railroad Co. v. Tompkins may sound like a mundane case about trains and trespass, but the decision fundamentally altered the legal landscape of America.

Prior to Erie, federal courts operated under general common law principles—those ancient foundations rooted in natural law and the rights of man. After Erie, federal courts were now confined to statutory law.

In other words, judges would interpret the rules written by bureaucrats and legislatures, not derive justice from first principles. The Constitution didn’t vanish overnight. It just became irrelevant in practice. What mattered now was what the statute said.

If Congress wrote a law giving an agency the right to inspect your property, seize your earnings, or regulate your behavior, the courts would uphold it, even if it made a mockery of the Bill of Rights.

❦

A Permanent State of Emergency

So no, martial law was never formally declared. But we’ve been living under a continuous state of emergency ever since. Roosevelt’s national emergency was never truly repealed. Instead, it became the precedent for every president that followed.

As of this writing, there are at least 41 ongoing national emergencies in effect, some of them decades old. You can find the full list here.

The 9/11 emergency is still active. The COVID emergency was extended multiple times before it was quietly phased out. New emergencies are declared regularly over foreign sanctions, trade disruptions, and cyber threats.

Each declaration unlocks a set of executive powers that bypass the normal constitutional process. Congress almost never intervenes to end them. The public barely registers their existence. The result is a legal environment in which emergency governance is the norm, not the exception.

Emergency powers were introduced as temporary measures. The argument presented here is that they have instead become a permanent feature of modern government.
❦

Why It Works

Why does this work? The answer lies in psychology. When people feel threatened, they surrender liberty for safety. The fight-or-flight part of the brain takes over. Critical thinking shuts down.

This is not speculation. It’s basic neuroscience. Governments have long known that fear makes citizens more compliant. Tell them the banks are collapsing, the virus is coming, the terrorists are plotting, or the climate is boiling, and they’ll accept almost anything in the name of protection.

Even the erosion of their most sacred rights. Once that pattern is set, it becomes permanent. Americans have been conditioned to believe that constitutional protections are optional—valid only when convenient and subject to immediate cancellation when the sirens start blaring.

❦

The Legal Sleight of Hand

Now let’s talk about the legal sleight of hand. Most Americans assume they live under the jurisdiction of the Constitution. But the courts increasingly operate under a hybrid system of statutory and administrative law, often enforced through what is functionally maritime law.

Don’t believe me? Take a look at the gold-fringed flag in most courtrooms. That’s not just decoration. It’s a symbol of admiralty jurisdiction, meaning you’re not in a constitutional court. You’re in a corporate tribunal.

And speaking of corporations, the United States is defined in 28 U.S. Code § 3002(15)(A) as a federal corporation.

Key Assertion

According to the argument presented here, modern legal institutions increasingly function through statutory and administrative frameworks rather than constitutional principles, fundamentally changing the relationship between the individual and the state.

You are not a sovereign individual under natural law. You are a legal entity—an asset tracked by a Social Security number and collateralized against the national debt.

❦

From Roosevelt to Biden

From Roosevelt to Biden, every president has expanded these powers. Truman declared emergency powers during the Korean War. Reagan authorized secret continuity of government plans. Bush signed the Patriot Act. Obama embedded indefinite detention into the NDAA. Trump launched Operation Warp Speed and accelerated the surveillance state through Palantir and FISA. Biden renewed and expanded nearly every emergency he inherited.

The mechanisms of control don’t change. Only the branding does.

The argument presented in this article is that while administrations change, the emergency powers accumulated by the executive branch continue to expand rather than contract.
❦

The Constitution Today

And here we are. The Constitution is still there, printed in pocket-sized booklets and waved around at rallies. But in most courtrooms, classrooms, and government buildings, it has all the force of a museum artifact.

They didn’t suspend it. They just bypassed it.

They didn’t tear it up. They just buried it under 90,000 pages of federal regulations.

And when someone like you or me points this out, we’re called extremists, radicals, or conspiracy theorists. That’s fine. History is full of people who were slandered for telling the truth too early.

❦

Conclusion

But the Constitution doesn’t give you rights.

It recognizes the rights you already have.

The paper is not the source.

You are.

And no act of Congress, no executive order, no foreign or domestic emergency can erase what God has written into your being.

They can only convince you to forget it.

Until you remember.
❦
Final Thought

This article argues that emergency powers, executive authority, and statutory law have gradually displaced constitutional governance over the course of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Readers are encouraged to examine the historical events, legislation, court decisions, and primary source documents referenced throughout and draw their own conclusions about the relationship between constitutional government and modern administrative power.

Continue Your Research

To explore these topics further, continue with The Creature from Jekyll Island, Tower of Basel, The Great Taking, and the Foundation's lessons on central banking, the Federal Reserve, constitutional money, and the evolution of the modern monetary system.

https://amgreatness.com/2025/06/24/martial-law-in-mascara-how-fdr-hijacked-the-constitution-and-no-one-told-you/
3 replies 656 Read more →
MoneyMan ·Financial News & Discussion ·5 months ago
Dalio Warns AI Bubble Will Burst Like Dot-Com, But Tech Will Endure

Bridgewater Associates founder Ray Dalio appeared on Bloomberg TV today and delivered a measured yet cautionary assessment of the artificial intelligence investment frenzy. He highlighted classic bubble dynamics - sky-high valuations, rampant speculation, and "paper wealth" vastly outpacing actual cash flows - while drawing direct parallels to the 2000 dot-com era.

"All great technology changes produce bubbles," Dalio said in the Wednesday Bloomberg Television interview. "Nobody can get it exactly right. You have to either spend a ton of money to capture your market share and don't worry about whether it's too much or not, or you don't spend enough money and you lose your market share."

Dalio explained the mechanism of how such a bubble eventually bursts: "The pricking is the converting of wealth into money." He noted that today's AI-driven market is "following that kind of path, even though it is a wonderful technology."

⚠️ Ray Dalio on timing the top of an AI bubble:

The pricking is converting wealth into money because I need money, so I have to sell some of the wealth in order to get the money. pic.twitter.com/lWtT8eOHou

— LuxAlgo (@LuxAlgo) June 3, 2026

AI Will Survive - Many Companies May Not

Dalio also hit on the law of the jungle; a lot of companies simply disappear during massive technological upheaval - as competition sorts out the winners and losers - which is separate of the technology's lasting impact. In short, the underlying innovations in AI will continue transforming economies and societies, much as the internet did after its own bubble deflated.

Meanwhile, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang just touted "insane" returns for investors willing to bet on the AI boom - with chipmakers notably having been the hottest stocks on Wall Street of late - driven by demand for high-bandwidth chips used in AI data centers and taking the market to record heights.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/pricking-coming-dalio-warns-ai-bubble-will-burst-dot-com-tech-will-endure

6 replies 706 Read more →
MoneyMan ·Economic Roundtable ·5 months ago
Transactional Gold

Transactional Gold

View Link

Transactional gold and silver legislation should allow any citizen, business, or legal entity to utilize an official Bullion Depository to buy, sell, or store their own gold and silver.

By using existing debit card technology, users can seamlessly make everyday purchases or pay bills with gold or silver. 

Participation is optional. It is just another safe, secure way to pay!

5 replies 541 Read more →
MoneyMan ·Financial News & Discussion ·4 months ago
Gold & Silver Prices Fell.....The Fundamentals Didn't

Silver is still being massively used and gold is projected to be 10k by 2030.

Gold and silver have spent months correcting from their January highs, testing the conviction of investors and shaking out speculative positions.

Today we examine why several experienced market analysts believe this correction has improved—not weakened—the long-term outlook for precious metals.

One of the biggest structural drivers is industrial demand for silver. Data centres alone are projected to consume around 350 million ounces of silver annually, representing a substantial share of global mine production. Because much of this demand is linked to government-backed spending on digital infrastructure, defence and electricity grids, it may prove relatively insensitive to price.

We also review the outlook from Gareth Soloway, whose analysis anticipated much of the recent correction and who continues to see substantially higher long-term gold prices once the speculative excess has been removed.

Finally, we compare this technical perspective with Andy Schectman's assessment of the underlying fundamentals driving the precious metals market.

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MoneyMan ·Financial News & Discussion ·4 months ago
Alan Greenspan dies at 100

Alan Greenspan, the former Federal Reserve chairman who led the central bank from 1987 to 2006, under four presidents, died at 100 from complications of Parkinson's disease, NBC News reported.

"Alan passed away at our home this morning at the age of 100 from complications of Parkinson's disease," stated his wife of 29 years, Andrea Mitchell, who is the chief Washington correspondent and chief foreign affairs correspondent for NBC News.

Mitchell said, "He was a giant of a man who helped shape the U.S. economy for decades under presidents of both parties, but was always honest in acknowledging his mistakes."

"To me he was my husband, who shaped my life from our very first date in 1984. He had 'irrational exuberance' for baseball, the Washington Commanders, tennis, golf and music, especially jazz," Mitchell continued, adding, "He will be remembered for his brilliance and his kindness. Being his life partner was the joy of my life."

Greenspan's legacy came into question in the final years of his term. The maestro was reluctant to confront asset bubbles, and his hands-off approach to the mortgage and derivatives markets helped inflate the housing bubble leading up to the financial crisis of 2008.

Wow, he had a long life. My condolences to his family.

6 replies 545 Read more →
MoneyMan ·Questions & Feedback ·4 months ago
Start Here: Questions & Guidance
Member Support

Questions & Guidance

Ask for help navigating the Foundation, following the curriculum, finding resources, or deciding where your question belongs.

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A Place to Ask, Clarify, and Continue

Questions are a natural and necessary part of learning.

Monetary education introduces unfamiliar terminology, institutions, historical events, and financial relationships. If you are uncertain about where to begin, what to study next, or where to find something, this forum is here to help.

You may also ask for clarification about a concept when you are unsure which lesson or discussion is most appropriate. Members and Foundation staff can help direct you toward the right explanation, resource, or area of study.

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This forum provides practical assistance for students and members using the Foundation. It is the right place to ask how the curriculum is organized, where a subject is covered, how an educational tool works, or what to explore next.

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J Ja sa bong ·Economic Roundtable ·4 months ago
Does money really buy happiness?

There have been so many different opinions on if truly money can buy happiness or make someone truly happy.

If you ask me, money can literally buy everything that can make someone happy much can be bought. It depends on what or where someone's happiness is.

Can money buy you happiness?

320 Read more →
J Ja sa bong ·Economic Roundtable ·4 months ago
What will your finance look like in 20 years?

The thing about someone's finance is that when they're doing well, it's very obvious because they don't need to ask. The same thing is applicable when they are not doing well.

Looking at your finances now, what do you think it's going to be like in the next 10 to 20 years?

367 Read more →
R Ravenfreak ·Economic Roundtable ·5 months ago
Should employers pay their employees more to cover the cost of living?

I think the obvious answer would be yes since we're all slaves to the system, but of course companies don't want to lose money so they aren't going to give their employees a reasonable raise even when the cost of living continues to increase. I think it's fair to give out bigger raises to people willing to put more effort into their work, but at the same time depending on the job the people putting more effort will eventually get tired and start slacking off once they realize they're just a slave.

5 replies 716 Read more →
H Heatman ·Introductions ·4 months ago
Heatman says hello 👋

Hello everyone, I'm Heatman. I'm very happy to join this community. Knowing more about money and financial management is never too much. I'm looking forward to picking up more valuable information on finance in this community.

5 replies 478 Read more →
MoneyMan ·Documentary & Video ·5 months ago
Stop it! The Great Taking

🎬 Before You Watch

Documentary Snapshot

  • Length: 1 hour, 46 minutes, 17 seconds
  • Difficulty: ★★★★☆ Advanced
  • Recommended After: Completing the Securities lesson, You Don't Own Stocks the Way You Think You Do.
  • Purpose: Examine the legal structure of modern securities ownership, the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), and proposals aimed at strengthening investor property rights.

STOP IT: The Great Taking examines how securities ownership is structured within today's financial system and argues that existing legal frameworks governing brokerage accounts and financial intermediaries expose investors to risks that many do not realize exist. The documentary also discusses proposed legislative reforms intended to strengthen investors' property rights.

The documentary focuses heavily on the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), indirect securities ownership, financial intermediaries, and the legal treatment of customer assets during periods of financial distress. As with all materials in this Academy, students are encouraged to examine the evidence presented, consult additional legal and historical sources, and thoughtfully evaluate the documentary's conclusions.

📚 Concepts Reinforced

Property Rights Security Entitlements Beneficial Ownership Uniform Commercial Code Brokerage Accounts Counterparty Risk Custody of Securities Financial System Risk Investor Protection

🔍 Key Questions to Consider

As you watch, compare the documentary's discussion with what you learned in the Securities lesson. Consider how legal ownership differs from beneficial ownership and how financial intermediaries operate during periods of market stress.

  • What is the difference between beneficial ownership and direct legal ownership of securities?
  • How does the Uniform Commercial Code affect investor property rights?
  • What role do brokers, clearinghouses, and custodians play within the modern securities system?
  • How does the documentary explain counterparty risk during financial crises?
  • What legislative reforms are proposed, and what problems are they intended to address?
  • How does this documentary expand upon the concepts introduced in the Securities lesson?
  • Which legal or historical claims would you like to investigate further?

💬 After Watching: Reflection & Discussion

This documentary explores the legal framework governing modern securities ownership and raises important questions about investor property rights. Take a few moments to reflect before joining the discussion below.

Reflection Questions

  • What aspect of the modern securities system surprised you the most?
  • Did the documentary change your understanding of what it means to "own" stocks or bonds?
  • How did the documentary build upon the Securities lesson in this Academy?
  • Which legal arguments or historical examples did you find most persuasive?
  • What additional questions or concerns would you like to research further?

Join the Discussion

Share your thoughts below. Discuss the documentary's legal arguments, the evidence presented, and how it relates to the Securities section of the Academy. Respectful, evidence-based discussion is encouraged.

Remember: A well-informed investor understands not only how markets function, but also the legal framework governing ownership, custody, and property rights. Financial literacy includes understanding both investment principles and the rules that determine who ultimately controls financial assets during periods of market stress.
3 replies 552 Read more →
H Heatman ·Economic Roundtable ·4 months ago
Is saving or investing more important today?

Which one do you think is better between saving and investing money today? There's risk associated with either saving money or investing in a project but which one do you think is a lot better to choose?

4 replies 353 Read more →
J Ja sa bong ·Introductions ·4 months ago
Ja sa bong Joins

My name is Ja sa bong. I'm very happy to join this forum. From glancing through the board, I can tell there's so much to learn in this space and I'm pumped for it.

4 replies 368 Read more →
rockfleece ·Financial News & Discussion ·4 months ago
Ron Paul Liberty Report - With Guest G. Edward Griffin

Celebrated opponent of the Fed, G. Edward Griffin, joins the Liberty Report for the first time to take a look at the new Fed Chairman, the war on sound money, and the tightening grip of the swamp monsters on our freedom.

1 reply 357 Read more →
rockfleece ·Financial News & Discussion ·4 months ago
Uh-Oh Silver!

One year ago, silver was trading at around $36 per ounce.

Today the price is around $60. Normally, that’d be considered a win.

But over those 12 months, we silver bugs have been on a wild ride.

Simply incredible price action. From $36 to $119 in about 8 months. And now back down to $66.

I believe the silver bull market still has years to run. Maybe even another decade.

Today, let’s explore why.

+$16 Since 1980?

Silver first reached $50 way back in 1980.

Of course, silver’s miraculous 1971-1980 run wasn’t totally natural. The famous Hunt brothers had cornered a big chunk of the silver market, controlling roughly 9% of investable silver through physical ownership and futures contracts.

But silver would have done well during the 1970s even without the Hunt Brothers. That year inflation peaked at around 14.8%.

Investors sought refuge from stagflation in precious metals. And gold and silver were the star sector of the 1970s.

It’s wild that silver is still only $16 above the 1980 peak.

This Isn’t 1980

1980 represented a peak for gold and silver that would last decades.

Some precious metal investors may be concerned that we’re seeing a similar peak today.

But what caused the 1980 peak? Two factors dominated.

In 1971, Nixon ended the last remnants of the gold standard. The U.S. dollar was no longer bound by a fixed relationship to gold.

The 1970s gold and silver bull market was primarily driven by this massive shift to purely fiat money. It was a classic devaluation of hard money into fiat.

By 1980, the Petrodollar arrangement, in which oil producers agreed to only sell oil in dollars, had restored demand for U.S. dollars on the global stage.

Additionally, Fed Chairman Paul Volcker finally resolved to kill persistent inflation by hiking interest rates to nearly 20%. These sky-high rates finally tamed inflation.

By 1980, the U.S. had eliminated the inflationary threat, and set itself up for a period of strong growth.

In 1980, stocks were dirt cheap and poised to outperform precious metals for some time to come.

A Different World

Looking back at the 1970s can be helpful at times. It was one of the greatest hard asset bull markets in history.

But it was a different kind of crisis compared to the issues we face today.

For decades the world has been on an unprecedented debt binge. Governments, corporations, and individuals have all run up huge tabs.

The U.S. debt-to-GDP ratio today is over 125%. From 1970-1980, it never surpassed 40%.

Having so much debt limits the policy options of central banks like the Federal Reserve. You can’t exactly jack rates up much higher than they are today, or soon we’ll be spending a majority of tax revenue just paying the interest on our debt. Much of the world is in a similar situation.

So I continue to believe that eventually the Fed and Treasury Department will be forced to use extreme measures. Money printing and debt monetization on a scale never seen before.

That’s a primary reason I believe the precious metals bull isn’t over. Not even close.

Finding Its New Range

Silver has fallen significantly from its 2026 highs. But the long-term trend remains up.

Silver only broke through the historic $50/oz resistance wall late last year.

Breaking the $50 level, and staying above it, was a huge milestone. And silver continues to find its new range.

Silver demand remains strong, with 2026 deficits estimated to be significantly above the 2025 shortfall.

Silver being in “deficit” simply means that more is being consumed than produced. And as you can tell, we’ve been in a serious silver deficit since 2021.

Now, it’s important to note that earlier estimates had predicted a significantly smaller silver deficit in 2026. But strong demand for coins and bars, especially in Asia, made the difference.

Inventories at major exchanges like the COMEX have fallen below 100 million ounces, from a high of 300 million in 2020.

Industrial and investment demand for silver remain strong. I expect both to stay robust for years to come.

Silver production from mines remains essentially flat. Recycling is up, which is one of the reasons for this correction. Millions took advantage of the price spike to sell the family silver.

But the global debt bubble is still inflating. Massive amounts of money will need to be printed to patch holes in it.

So I’m holding. Silver is destined to hit $200 within the next few years. We’ve never had this much industrial demand, and savvy investors will buy the dip. I even expect that more global governments will begin stockpiling the metal, as both the U.S. and China have recognized silver as a critical strategic metal.

Silver remains an excellent way to hedge against inflation. It’s also a critical metal for bleeding-edge tech.

“Poor man’s gold” will remain highly volatile, but as long as you can stomach that, I say buy the dip. Cautious investors may want to consider spreading their buys out over time (dollar-cost averaging), in case we haven’t bottomed quite yet.

https://dailyreckoning.com/uh-oh-silver/

7 replies 443 Read more →
R Ravenfreak ·Economic Roundtable ·4 months ago
Do you still write checks?

With everything being digital I'm assuming people might not write out checks anymore, but you'd be surprised how many people still pay their credit card bills via check. I've also noticed that with companies like Care Credit, they either want you to assign a checking account to your account or you have to send them checks in the mail, there's no option to just use a debit card to pay off the loan. Do you still write checks?

3 replies 437 Read more →
Nomad ·Economic Roundtable ·5 months ago
How often do you invest?

Do you invest on a regular basis like using certain percent of your income to buy assets? Or do you invest only when you have managed to build investment funds? What is your favorite investment strategy, investing from your monthly income or investing by building savings?

2 replies 422 Read more →
MoneyMan ·Off-Topic ·4 months ago
Do you take any food supplements?

Food supplements are drugs taken to add extra boost to what we eat in providing more nutrients and vitamins we couldn't get from our food.

What kind of food supplements have you been taking? How effective would you rate such supplements?

4 replies 346 Read more →
D DavidB ·Off-Topic ·5 months ago
Favorite vacation spots?

Woohoo, got my OT diploma. 😆

What are some areas you like to vacation? For me it's a state beach by the ocean. We go every summer for a week and just relax.

11 replies 492 Read more →
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