Chris Martenson
Continuing our focus on solutions, this week we're joined on the podcast by Jack Spirko. His daily podcast focuses on practical, actionable steps each of us can take to "live a better life, if times get tough or even if they don't" — a mission nicely aligned with the one we pursue here at Peak Prosperity.
In this wide-ranging discussion, Jack and Chris discuss the need for spreading awareness of the Three Es, the professional challenges in doing so, and how individuals can go about pursuing both security and prosperity in the face of the likely disruptive changes to come.
Jack Spirko: The Road To Resilience
Continuing our focus on solutions, this week we're joined on the podcast by Jack Spirko. His daily podcast focuses on practical, actionable steps each of us can take to "live a better life, if times get tough or even if they don't" — a mission nicely aligned with the one we pursue here at Peak Prosperity.
In this wide-ranging discussion, Jack and Chris discuss the need for spreading awareness of the Three Es, the professional challenges in doing so, and how individuals can go about pursuing both security and prosperity in the face of the likely disruptive changes to come.
Given the brutal start to the markets in the first three weeks of 2016, we thought it a good time to check in with the team at New Harbor Financial. We have had them on our podcast periodically over the past years as the market churned to ever new highs, and have always appreciated their skepticism of these liquidity-driven ""markets"" as well as their unwavering commitment to risk management should the party in stocks end suddenly.
So, how is their risk-managed approach faring now that the S&P 500 has suddenly dropped 8% since Christmas? Quite well. Their general portfolio is flat for the year so far — evidence that caution, prudence and hedging can indeed preserve capital during market downdrafts.
We've invited the New Harbor team back on this week to hear their latest assessment on the markets, as well as how they're approaching their portfolio positioning moving forward.
New Harbor: A Time For Staying Out Of Harms Way
Given the brutal start to the markets in the first three weeks of 2016, we thought it a good time to check in with the team at New Harbor Financial. We have had them on our podcast periodically over the past years as the market churned to ever new highs, and have always appreciated their skepticism of these liquidity-driven ""markets"" as well as their unwavering commitment to risk management should the party in stocks end suddenly.
So, how is their risk-managed approach faring now that the S&P 500 has suddenly dropped 8% since Christmas? Quite well. Their general portfolio is flat for the year so far — evidence that caution, prudence and hedging can indeed preserve capital during market downdrafts.
We've invited the New Harbor team back on this week to hear their latest assessment on the markets, as well as how they're approaching their portfolio positioning moving forward.
The deflation monster was evident across the global markets today, and the possibility of a market crash remains as high as ever.
In the overnight session on Tuesday, everything fell apart.
We can now clearly see the tracks of the deflation monster stomping across the world stage. While a retreat into bonds (safety) has happened, that’s just the normal first reaction to such a terrible financial situation. However, those bonds will prove to be roach motels as the next stage of this monster will be massive bond defaults of all varieties.
And…..It’s Gone!
PREVIEWThe deflation monster was evident across the global markets today, and the possibility of a market crash remains as high as ever.
In the overnight session on Tuesday, everything fell apart.
We can now clearly see the tracks of the deflation monster stomping across the world stage. While a retreat into bonds (safety) has happened, that’s just the normal first reaction to such a terrible financial situation. However, those bonds will prove to be roach motels as the next stage of this monster will be massive bond defaults of all varieties.
Precious metals guru David Morgan returns to address the great threat to the global financial/monetary system from derivative risk.
He sees the world at an unprecedented moment in history where the interconnected nature of the global economy makes all players vulnerable to the mind-boggling volume of outstanding derivatives, which makes the sum of all world equity + debt look tiny in comparison (if you haven't seen it yet, look at this visual from The Money Project).
David Morgan: We Are On The Precipice
Precious metals guru David Morgan returns to address the great threat to the global financial/monetary system from derivative risk.
He sees the world at an unprecedented moment in history where the interconnected nature of the global economy makes all players vulnerable to the mind-boggling volume of outstanding derivatives, which makes the sum of all world equity + debt look tiny in comparison (if you haven't seen it yet, look at this visual from The Money Project).
As we’ve been warning for quite a while (too long for my taste): the world’s grand experiment with debt has come to an end. And it’s now unraveling.
Just in the two weeks since the start of 2016, the US equity markets are down almost 10%. Their worst start to the year in history. Many other markets across the world are suffering worse.
If you watched stock prices today, you likely had flashbacks to the financial crisis of 2008. At one point the Dow was down over 500 points, the S&P cracked below key support at 1,900, and the price of oil dropped below $30/barrel. Scared investors are wondering: What the heck is happening? Many are also fearfully asking: Are we re-entering another crisis?
The Deflation Monster Has Arrived
As we’ve been warning for quite a while (too long for my taste): the world’s grand experiment with debt has come to an end. And it’s now unraveling.
Just in the two weeks since the start of 2016, the US equity markets are down almost 10%. Their worst start to the year in history. Many other markets across the world are suffering worse.
If you watched stock prices today, you likely had flashbacks to the financial crisis of 2008. At one point the Dow was down over 500 points, the S&P cracked below key support at 1,900, and the price of oil dropped below $30/barrel. Scared investors are wondering: What the heck is happening? Many are also fearfully asking: Are we re-entering another crisis?
Executive Summary
- There are too many signs of deflation to deny it's winning the day
- Why China's weakening will accelerate the global economy's decent
- Why this next crisis will be worse than 2008
- What will it look like if things really get out of control (how bad could things get?)
- The best investments to be making now, before the rout
If you have not yet read The Deflation Monster Has Arrived, available free to all readers, please click here to read it first.
Too Many Warning Signs To Talk About
The deflationary monster is here and there are almost too many warning signs to list, let alone fully describe.
So I’ll just list and link them…you can follow up on the details if you want, it’s the ‘general vibe’ I want to get across.
Here are the signs of a weak economy that we are dealing with:
- Oil in the $20’s (!!)
- Copper under $2
- Baltic Dry Shipping Index at the lowest ever at 383 and down ~50% in the past year.
- Wal-Mart closing 269 stores, 154 in the US.
- Business inventories to sales at new cycle highs
- U.S. freight volume falls for first time in almost three years
- US retail sales fall 0.1% in December
- Empire State index weakens to recession lows.
- South African rand hits new all-time lows in 2016
- Brazil’s Real Falls Sharply Against Dollar
- Brazil Unemployment Rate Rises to 9%
- Canadian Dollar Hits 13 Year Low Against US Dollar
- U.S. Energy Junk Bond Spreads At Record Width
- Nigeria’s Currency Plummets On Open Market
- Mexico’s Peso Hits New All-Time Low
- Chinese Stocks Enter Bear Market (again)
- European Stocks Enter Bear Market
The pattern here is one of rapidly slowing economic activity and mounting pain starting “from the outside in” as emerging markets and the poor people within the core countries bear the brunt at first. Things always get rolling to the downside starting with the weakest, peripheral elements first.
Copper and oil are providing very clear signs that economic activity is not just slow, but in rapid retreat. Wal-Mart tells us that its shoppers are having trouble. The fresh all-time lows in a variety of currencies, plus massive weakness in others, is telling us that the virtuous portion of the liquidity cycle that the Fed, et al., unleashed on the world has entered the vicious part of the cycle.
The pain will spread to the center with increasing speed. The main question is if the authorities can stop that before the momentum becomes too great to halt? And what will happen if they cannot?
The answer to that is…
Why This Next Crisis Will Be Worse Than 2008
PREVIEWExecutive Summary
- There are too many signs of deflation to deny it's winning the day
- Why China's weakening will accelerate the global economy's decent
- Why this next crisis will be worse than 2008
- What will it look like if things really get out of control (how bad could things get?)
- The best investments to be making now, before the rout
If you have not yet read The Deflation Monster Has Arrived, available free to all readers, please click here to read it first.
Too Many Warning Signs To Talk About
The deflationary monster is here and there are almost too many warning signs to list, let alone fully describe.
So I’ll just list and link them…you can follow up on the details if you want, it’s the ‘general vibe’ I want to get across.
Here are the signs of a weak economy that we are dealing with:
- Oil in the $20’s (!!)
- Copper under $2
- Baltic Dry Shipping Index at the lowest ever at 383 and down ~50% in the past year.
- Wal-Mart closing 269 stores, 154 in the US.
- Business inventories to sales at new cycle highs
- U.S. freight volume falls for first time in almost three years
- US retail sales fall 0.1% in December
- Empire State index weakens to recession lows.
- South African rand hits new all-time lows in 2016
- Brazil’s Real Falls Sharply Against Dollar
- Brazil Unemployment Rate Rises to 9%
- Canadian Dollar Hits 13 Year Low Against US Dollar
- U.S. Energy Junk Bond Spreads At Record Width
- Nigeria’s Currency Plummets On Open Market
- Mexico’s Peso Hits New All-Time Low
- Chinese Stocks Enter Bear Market (again)
- European Stocks Enter Bear Market
The pattern here is one of rapidly slowing economic activity and mounting pain starting “from the outside in” as emerging markets and the poor people within the core countries bear the brunt at first. Things always get rolling to the downside starting with the weakest, peripheral elements first.
Copper and oil are providing very clear signs that economic activity is not just slow, but in rapid retreat. Wal-Mart tells us that its shoppers are having trouble. The fresh all-time lows in a variety of currencies, plus massive weakness in others, is telling us that the virtuous portion of the liquidity cycle that the Fed, et al., unleashed on the world has entered the vicious part of the cycle.
The pain will spread to the center with increasing speed. The main question is if the authorities can stop that before the momentum becomes too great to halt? And what will happen if they cannot?
The answer to that is…
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