By: Axel Merk and Yuan Fang, Merk Investments The concern over rising interest rates has become a primary issue with investors. While few assets are immuneto rising rates the bond market may be particularly vulnerable. The headwinds may be exacerbated by changing fundamentals in the U.S. bond market, specifically growing concentration, extended duration and changing […]
Household Net Worth Hits All Time High Yet 59% of Seniors Have Zero Retirement Assets
September 25, 2013 Leave a Comment
According to the latest data from the Federal Reserve, most Americans should be feeling wealthier as household net worth soared to an all time high of $74.82 trillion. This is a huge improvement from levels reached during the height of the financial crisis when household net worth plunged by almost 20% or $12 billion as […]
Confidence In Central Banks Collapsing – The Next Financial Crisis Could Spin Out Of Control
June 26, 2013 Leave a Comment
In response to the financial crisis, massive debt burdens and slow economic growth since 2008, the world’s central banks have engaged in unprecedented monetary intervention. Short term interest rates have been suppressed by to levels barely above zero and central banks have purchased trillions of dollars of government debt securities to finance governments already staggering […]
Homes Are Illiquid And Ridiculously Costly To Sell
June 20, 2013 Leave a Comment
When home values were soaring during the housing boom, the cost of selling a home didn’t really bother many sellers. The numerous fees involved when selling a home seemed inconsequential as home values soared year after year during those wonderful housing bubble years. That was then and this is now. With housing prices in many […]
The Dow Has Soared 100% Since 2009 – What’s Next?
November 28, 2012 Leave a Comment
Since the depths of the financial crisis in early 2009, the Dow Jones Industrial Average has soared 105%, rising from 6,627 on March 2, 2009 to a recent high of 13,610 on October 1, 2012. At the bottom in early 2009, most investors were contemplating the collapse of the entire U.S. financial system and the […]
The Greater Fool Theory On Presidents and Voters
November 16, 2012 Leave a Comment
The voters have spoken but what have they said? The following view on how the U.S. is viewed by one Czech analyst appeared on Peter Grandich’s website. Never underestimate the power of the American public to vote with their pocketbooks while ignoring the larger fundamental economic issues which ultimately threaten the wealth of all Americans. […]
Will The U.S. Confiscate Gold Again?
October 31, 2012 Leave a Comment
Many precious metals investors are worried that the United States may decide to confiscate gold again, as was done in 1933 when President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 6102. Executive Order 6102 required all persons to deliver on or before May 1, 1933, all but a small amount of gold coin, gold bullion, and gold certificates […]
Allen West On Why Democracies Are Self Destructive – Free Everything Cannot Work
September 20, 2012 Leave a Comment
Mitt Romney raised a firestorm with his comments about the large number of Americans relying on government handouts for survival. Adding to the debate, Congressman Allen West of Florida penned a thoughtful reply which concludes that the country cannot survive unlimited dependency. By Rep. Allen West WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — Gov. Mitt Romney’s comments about the […]
It’s Not Your Imagination – Our Living Standards Are Collapsing
September 4, 2012 1 Comment
No one likes earning less this year than last year. If the weekly paycheck is a scoreboard on how well we are doing – then we are all in deep trouble. The Center for American Progress recently published some shocking charts that portray the American middle class besieged by lower income, higher costs for essential […]
Health Care Rationing Is Inevitable
August 14, 2012 Leave a Comment
How much is a human life worth? Should a huge percentage of precious health care dollars be allocated for end of life care when adequate health care cannot be provided to children due to budgetary constraints? Are we crushing the financial future of our children and grandchildren by expending excessive amounts of resources on patients […]