investment

Jim Rogers Is Buying Gold Coins From North Korea

"Mr. Rogers, who started the Quantum Fund with George Soros in the 1970s, had said in a previous interview: 'Coins and stamps are the only way I can invest in North Korea.' By invest in, Mr. Rogers means he wants to wager against the long-term prospects for the isolated, economically struggling country. He views his purchase as a bet on the collapse of North Korea. 'At some point down the line, North Korea will cease existing as a country. Then the value of the coins will go up,' Mr. Rogers said. The Journal reports that a total of 13 one-ounce coins were purchased by an assistant of Mr. Rogers at a coin fair in Singapore. The price was around $2,014 a piece." Continue reading →

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David Stockman: There are Bubbles All Over, Hide in Cash

"Stocks seem like a pretty good place to be? 'That’s what they told me in late 2007 and early 2008,' Stockman says in response. 'About seven months later people had lost 45% to 70% of their net worth. If you were in the Russell 2000, which is where Bernanke wants you, you were crushed – it dropped by 60% within 15 trading days.' As for his advice to hide in cash he says, 'I would rather have capital preservation, be safe. I don’t think another two, four, 10 percent is worth losing 50, 60, 70 percent when the crash comes.'" Continue reading →

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Risks Across All Markets Necessitate Careful Asset Allocation

"It’s obvious to everyone by now that the global rally has been primarily driven by central bank money printing, creating an artificial financial environment. The world’s biggest central banks have added an astounding $8.7 trillion of liquidity since 2008, while slashing interest rates well below the rate of inflation. This massive amount of liquidity has found its way into the markets. At some point, all this quantitative easing will end. The resulting worldwide deleveraging will create massive problems for the equity markets. There’s no telling when this sea change will happen, so it’s imperative that you develop an exit strategy now." Continue reading →

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Marc Faber: What Happened In Cyprus Will Happen Everywhere

"'It will happen everywhere in the world, in Western democracies,' Faber said. 'I think you have to be prepared to lose 20 to 30%. I think you're lucky if you don't lose your life.' 'If you look at what happened in Cyprus, basically people with money will lose part of their wealth, either through expropriation or higher taxation. The problem is that 92% of financial wealth is owned by 5% of the population. The majority of people don't benefit from a rise in the stock market. They are being hurt by a rising cost of living and we all know that the real incomes of median households has been going down for the last few years,' he said." Continue reading →

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Jim Rogers: ‘Run for the Hills’ Now, I’m Doing It

"The EU/IMF raiding bank accounts in Cyprus to bail out the country's financial system sets a dangerous precedent and investors should 'run for the hills' said investor Jim Rogers, chairman of Rogers Holdings. Rogers said that with Cyprus, politicians are saying that this is a special case and urging people not to worry, but that is exactly why investors should be concerned. 'If you're going to listen to government, you're going to go bankrupt very quickly,' he added. 'I, for one, am making sure I don't have too much money in any one specific bank account anywhere in the world, because now there is a precedent,' he said." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingJim Rogers: ‘Run for the Hills’ Now, I’m Doing It

Another Warning Sign – NY Times Columnist Favors Capital Controls

"Krugman doesn't see irresponsible government spending and the resulting debt as the core cause of recent crises in Europe and around the world. Instead, he blames inflows of money by undefined foreigners. He even says that the US, too, is victimized by inflows of foreign money when he claims, 'It's not just Europe. In the last decade America, too, experienced a huge housing bubble fed by foreign money.' According to Krugman, it's not the fault of the Federal Reserve's artificially low interest rates for blowing up the housing bubble, nor the proliferate spending habits of European welfare states for causing the debt crisis." Continue reading →

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Is it Time to Give Up on Gold?

"There’s no question everyone hates gold right now. But this is actually a good thing for the metal. This extremely negative sentiment could set up the stage for the next move higher. When nearly everyone hates an asset, it means most investors have already sold it. So the downside may be limited. In March 2009, the survey of futures traders I mentioned above also registered the same low reading of 3% for stocks. In other words, when U.S. stocks bottomed after the crash, only 3% of future traders were bullish. Since then, the S&P 500 Index has rallied 130%. If sentiment towards gold changes, we could see an explosive move in the metal." Continue reading →

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Bank of Cyprus savers could lose up to 60%

"Big savers in Cyprus’s largest bank face losses of up to 60 percent, far greater than originally feared under the island’s controversial EU-led bailout plan, officials said on Saturday. Cyprus meanwhile launched an investigation into a list published in Greek newspapers of Cypriot politicians who allegedly had loans written off by two banks at the heart of the financial meltdown. Officials said Bank of Cyprus savers will see at least 37.5 percent of funds over 100,000 euros ($128,000) turned into shares, but a further 22.5 percent will be held until authorities know they can satisfy the terms of the bailout." Continue reading →

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Casascius Physical Bitcoin: Orders now accepted by invitation only

"On April 1, 2013, I stopped accepting orders for Casascius Coins from the public. I switched my website so orders can only be placed by resellers with prior invitation. I recommend and encourage sales of Casascius Coins by resellers. Over the last month, Bitcoin has become a lot more interesting to the world. Bitcoin prices have skyrocketed. Interest in Casascius Coins has increased substantially for multiple reasons that are seemingly working as a 'force multiplier'. While I’m very excited to see this has happened, for me to be able to satisfy the market demand for Casascius Coins, I will have to make some major changes to the way they are made and shipped." Continue reading →

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Western Union Eyes Digital Currency Services

"The company, once known for telegrams, is now investigating new types of digital transactions and investing in analytics to help the company adjust pricing for its electronic money transfer services. The company is looking at the use of digital currencies like Bitcoin as well as the role Western Union can play in other online transactions, from Internet telephony to video gaming–a far cry from its current business offerings of money transfer, bill pay and prepaid cards." Continue reading →

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