Wed, 28 July 2021
We had the honor of sitting down with the newly "semi-retired" Rick Rule to get his latest takes on the economy, technology, and of course the mining sector. He sees the state of the real economy as showing surprising underlying strength, some of it false and much of it due to technology, which effectively reduces capital requirements. The pace of technological change and implementation keeps increasing. Bond market and consumer spending are two areas that are largely artificial. However, the underlying strength in frontier markets, such as Africa, is leading the way. But it's not all rainbows and unicorns. Rick thinks we’re overdue for a day of reckoning, or just a reversion to mean. He suspects that the economy's growth since 2008 is more due to stimulus than real economic growth factors. What will happen if the US Treasury reverts to mean? 6% rates would have a devastating impact upon the Pandemic Recovery - real or imagined. Why in this environment aren't metals going through the roof? Rick believes that people are extremely complacent and believe that things will only get better. Can we really stick-handle our way through any rough spots? Perhaps not. Rick thinks the precious metals markets are just going through their normal gyrations, especially when compared to prior bull markets. The current malaise was triggered by the Fed backing off yield management, but that appears to be over, for now anyway. Stock prices in the mining sector look very weak, is this a major buying opportunity? Rick reviews the Barrons Gold Mining Index and advises that it’s very instructive and there’s nothing surprising going on here. Of 2000 junior mining companies, only 300 are viable. Keep your portfolio in the sector down to a manageable risk. The mid-market on an npv value is the biggest buy now. The fundamentals behind higher metal prices are in tact and the gold price will go higher, and he doesn’t see any reason to change that opinion. PM bull markets are decade long affairs. Gold could go to 5000-6000 per ounce, it’s certainly possible. In addition, a bull-market in base metals is baked in the cake. You need to prepare yourself for what is inevitable. The industry has brought on many of its own problems, politically, enironmentally and financially. Investors have taken a hike. It’s always going to be messy. |
Wed, 28 July 2021
Heather Dreves is the Director of Funding at Secured Investment Corp and a fund manager that oversees the management of the Secured Investment High Yield Fund II LLC and the Circle of Wealth Fund III LLC,Secured Investment Corp is one of the fastest growing real estate lenders and fund managers in the US. Risks are held extremely low, by limiting loan-to-value ratios to 70 percent of property value. Their market are developers, rehabbers and flippers among others. But requiring a high level of skin in the game, Secured has seen default levels of less than 2 percent annually, with very minimal loan losses. Passive investors get higher returns and real estate investors get quick, competitive loans to use to purchase and rehab those properties that traditional lenders will not touch. Heather enjoys lending money to self-employed entrepreneurs and their families. Watching people succeed in their business motivates her, and that’s why she and her lending team focus on transparency, mentorship, and making sure their people make their money back. She learned early on that focusing on the bottom line was not enough to sustain a business, and after foreclosures and property taxes caught up with many of her clients, she decided to change her approach. Now, seminars, classes, and success and accountability programs are all ways Heather and Secured Investment Corp are ensuring that their clients earn all their money back (and then some). |
