"A rush into haven assets that began during the financial crisis is getting a new lease on life from an upsurge in populist politics and a quickening of inflation. Two firms say they’re planning to open vaults in Europe capable of holding more than 100 million euros ($112 million) in gold, offering customers lower costs than exchange-traded products and protection from rising prices." Continue reading →
401(k) deductions are under attack and tax advantages of inherited IRAs are being eliminated, while retirees move to Ecuador to escape outrageous expenses. Continue reading →
The tax-haven U.S. states of Montana and New Hampshire fired first this week ahead of an ominous House hearing. Continue reading →
"The Prime Minister said introducing new rules for cyberspace would 'deprive the extremists of their safe spaces online' and that technology firms were not currently doing enough. The intervention comes after the introduction of the Investigatory Powers Act 2016 – dubbed the 'Snooper’s Charter' – which expands the powers of spying agencies and the Government over the internet." Continue reading →
"Theresa May is planning to introduce huge regulations on the way the internet works, allowing the government to decide what is said online. The government intends to introduce huge restrictions on what people can post, share and publish online. The plans will allow Britain to become 'the global leader in the regulation of the use of personal data and the internet', the manifesto claims. It comes just soon after the Investigatory Powers Act came into law. That legislation allowed the government to force internet companies to keep records on their customers' browsing histories, as well as giving ministers the power to break apps like WhatsApp so that messages can be read." Continue reading →
There are many rules to follow when buying, selling, and transporting precious metals in and out of the US to protect one's privacy and prevent police harassment and/or outright confiscation. Continue reading →
"Steve Cook is a prime example of a mid-twentieth century mindset trapped in an era of evolving understanding of human nature and criminal justice. The AP continues by reporting that, at the behest of Cook, the 'DOJ’s new policy encouraging harsher punishments for criminals is now turning his attention to hate crimes, marijuana and the ways law enforcement seizes suspects’ cash and property'." Continue reading →
"The GOP's dreams have collided with interest-group lobbying and the tax system's reality. Politicians all profess to hate the tax code, but they don't agree on exactly what they hate. Voters gripe about complexity but are wary of losing cherished breaks that are woven into the economy." Continue reading →
"The tit-for-tat row has escalated rapidly after Trump criticized major NATO allies over their military spending and refused to endorse a global climate change accord at back-to-back summits last week. On Monday, Merkel showed how seriously she is concerned about Washington's dependability under Trump by repeating the message she delivered a day earlier that the times when Europe could fully rely on others were 'over to a certain extent'." Continue reading →
"Trump has said he wants to encourage international weapons sales as a way to create jobs in the United States. Saudi Arabia agreed to buy $110 billion of U.S. arms, with options running as high as $350 billion over 10 years. The lawmakers aim to block about $500 million of the sale, the portion including precision-guided munitions and other offensive weapons. 'Given Saudi Arabia's past support of terror, poor human rights record, and questionable tactics in its war in Yemen, Congress must carefully consider and thoroughly debate if selling them billions of dollars of arms is in our best national security interest at this time,' Paul said in a statement." Continue reading →