follow the money

Trump Tries to Deal with the Pension Crisis | Armstrong Economics

Posted on by johnbarleycorn12

Most small businesses do not offer retirement plans because the excessive regulation which drives the costs significantly higher. Trump’s new Executive Order is primarily designed to reduce those costs by streamlining the excessive regulation. The order further makes it clear: “Within 180 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of the Treasury shall consider proposing amendments to regulations or other guidance, consistent with applicable law and the policy…” The biggest problem with retirement plans has been the pretense that they should be “conservative” and that has meant they buy government debt. As the Fed lowered rates to “stimulate” the economy, they have remained well below 8% for more than a decade which has sharply reduced the ability to plan for retirement using bonds. Unless people begin to select more private investment into equities, they stand to lose a fortune and find themselves unable to retire. The sharp decline in the birth rate has also created a dangerous situation. For centuries, you had children to ensure you would be taken care of in your old age. Socialism has destroyed the family unit and taxation with student loans has drastically reduced the earning ability of children to save no less take care of their parents. The entire historical family structure has been undermined and the pension crisis poses a huge social threat in the years ahead.
— Read on www.armstrongeconomics.com/world-news/pension-crisis/trump-tries-to-deal-with-the-pension-crisis/

Currency Inflation That Most Never Noticed | Armstrong Economics

Posted on by johnbarleycorn12

QUESTION: Mr. Armstrong; I find your anecdotes fascinating and very enlightening how you always bought German cars and made money on them. Is currency the primary reason people often think something is a good investment when in fact it is really just currency fluctuations? PVB ANSWER: You are hitting the nail right on the head. The decline in the dollar throughout the 1970s made German cars appear to appreciate and this was attributed to quality. This was the entire reason why the German car industry exploded. I have often stated at WEC conferences that I made the same play with a Ferarri in London. When the British pound dropped to $1.03 in 1985, I ran out and used the currency to make some deals. I bought a 328 Ferarri for about $30,000 when in the US it was a $50,000 car. Because the pound had dropped, Ferarri could not afford to sell them in Britain at that price so they raised it £45,000. As you can see from the chart I provided, the pound bottomed in February 1985 at $1.0345. After Ferrari raised the price and then the pound went to nearly $2, suddenly a car that cost me $30,000 had a replacement cost of almost $100,o00. This is what led to many people buying several Ferraris and garaging them thinking that the car was the investment. Currency Inflation is probably the most misunderstood economic force in the matrix. Probably 99% of economists and investors remain ignorant of such trends because they have never dealt in the international world of finance and focused only domestically. Those of us who have been hedge fund managers and worked internationally understand the fluctuations of currency and its impact. This is a lesson still not taught in school and politicians remain oblivious to the real implications.
— Read on www.armstrongeconomics.com/armstrongeconomics101/economics/currency-inflation-that-most-never-noticed/

Classic cars are often a good investment