Kerry Lutz's--Financial Survival Network

Interest rates are going up and this could mean that stocks, housing and economies could be going down. Debt keeps going up and how much longer can the world continue on? The world cannot take higher rates. The party is ending. In February markets starting going down and it was attributed to rising wages. However, when we look behind the headlines we see that supervisory wages were up most and regular laborers saw smaller increases. Housing is taking a hit. Sales are down and inventories are at normal levels. Any decrease will immediately be affected in lower prices. 

Safeguard tariffs imposed by President Trump on imported solar cells and panels have been in effect for just over a week, but already we’re seeing moves to boost U.S. solar production in response. No fewer than nine solar manufacturing companies are planning to launch or expand solar manufacturing in the U.S., according to our latest information. This is great news for the U.S. solar industry, because it shows that tariffs can produce the intended effect of boosting a U.S. industry, and, with it, jobs, research and development. It further suggests the U.S. has the opportunity to regain its leadership position in this critical industry.

Major Scott A. Huesing came on to share his harrowing experiences in the Middle East as described in his book, Echo in Ramadi: The Firsthand Story of U.S. Marines in Iraq’s Deadliest City.

His gripping and deeply personal account of modern urban combat  of leading 250 men through Ramadi, Iraq, from 2006-2007. He and his group of Marines from Echo Company fought daily in dangerous, dense city streets during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Bound together by brotherhood, honor, and the horror they faced, Echo’s Marines battled on the frontline of a totally different kind of war – one without rules. Huesing brings these resilient, resolute young men to life and shows how the savagery of urban combat left indelible scars on their bodies, psyches, and souls.

Transparently told by the man who endured them, Echo in Ramadi includes action-packed and heart-wrenching stories of:

- The chaotic skirmishes where the frontline was everywhere, and their enemy wore no uniform

- His recurring agony over the deaths of his Marines, and the heart-wrenching phone calls he had to make to their families

- The selfless love of Gold Star families toward their son’s surviving comrades

- His battle to overcome PTS in the years following his service
Major Huesing is the executive director of Save the Brave – a non-profit organization that supports veterans dealing with PTS. A portion of the Echo in Ramadi’s proceeds will be donated to STB.

We all know that the government wastes tremendous sums of money on useless programs that do no good whatsoever. But the real crime according to John and the Austrian School of Economics is the lost opportunity cost of the misspent money to society. Every dollar spent by government is one dollar that cannot be profitably invested in the private economy. This isn't a new problem. George Washington bemoaned the fact that government always got ripped off by military vendors. The more things change... But where would we be if government spending were just half of what it is today? By some estimates our economy would be nearly triple its size if we had skipped Johnson's Great Society programs. 

While it might be more personally satisfying and will always strengthen your integrity, let's face the facts, lying is more profitable than telling the truth. The dishonesty is rampant at all levels of society, whether it's Democrats assuring voters that Social Security isn't really bankrupt or a car dealer leasing you a vehicle that you can't afford to buy. Imagine if Aaron started telling his a**hole consulting clients lies, he'd have them lined up around the block. But alas, eventually the truth will win out and then where will you find yourself? 

It's no secret that the US debt has gone exponential, much like the stock market. While Donald Trump may be an expert in corporate bankruptcy, he's never taken a country through Chapter 11 before. But it sure looks like he's going to get his chance, sooner rather than later. Which is why precious metals are still a good idea, especially because of the apathetic response they're currently receiving.

Bill Tatro joined us to talk about common investment fallacies. A major one is that if you're behind on your investment goals you should try to catch up by placing bets in safe exotic derivatives. Bill recounts the story of a fellow party-goer who just lost his shirt shorting the VIX. The Volatility Index is much like NATGAS futures, it's a widow maker. Which confirms that old Wall Street saw, "Bulls make money, bears make money, pigs get slaughtered." 

Fed chairmen/chairwomen will come and go but the Fed is the Fed. That's why the real underlying policy has not changed with Yellen's replacement by Powell. And it won't change. The small stick is getting ever smaller, namely interest rate manipulation and money printing. The bubbles will keep on coming, whether it's Bitcoin or the stock market. Promises that were made cannot be kept, whether it's pensions or social security or medicare. A surefire prescription for chaos. 

As expected, the Fed has announced that it's going to be more lenient towards the inflation rate. We're not too surprised about this turn of affairs. In fact, we've been expecting it for some time. That means a slow down in rate hikes and probably a weakening dollar and lower rates than the market has been anticipating. But that's how the system works. 

And finally, China is abolishing term limits for the president. Where have we heard that one before? 

When it comes to investing, the rich truly are different than you and I. One of the ways they excel, while the rest achieve mediocre returns, is through their informal high net worth investment networks. These are groups of successful wealthy people who connect with similar people, allowing them access to special high yielding low risk deals. Buck has figured out how to do it himself and he shows you how to do it too. Once you really start thinking about your investment choices, things will never be the same. 

Eric joined us to give his views on market action. Gold followed according to expectations, rallying the end of the year and into February. He's expecting it to go lower heading into March and then reassert the bullish trend through November. Oil went higher and then corrected slightly, probably in anticipation of higher prices later in the year. The dollar had a bounce and is likely to head lower later in the year. And stock markets are showing much more volatility and getting ready lower prices. 2950-2980 in the Stoxx 50 index is the important level to watch. They could be heading to their 2016 lows, which would trigger some liquidation in markets around the globe. Finally, when Bitcoin saw its final surge into December it was indicator of things to come in other markets. As a result gold saw a surge from anti-dollar money flowing into it. It's got a few more months to go before it goes into the next uptrend. 

We're doomed! So says our good friend Steve St. Angelo. The return on energy invested (eroi) is going down to crisis levels. This will result in a future crisis and this is what assures the ultimate value of gold and silver. That's why there's so much debt holding up the edifice of the economy. Once the debt goes, everything goes with it. 

Noted author and activist David Horowitz joined us to talk about the real racism in America today. As a practical matter, institutionalized racism against African-Americans is all but gone. But racism against whites is all the rage and perfectly acceptable. David believes that President Trump is a beacon of light on the subject. He doesn't kow-tow to political correctness and calls it the way he sees, such as when he called Liddle Adam Schiff a liar. David believes that we all need to speak out now before it's too late. 

The market has been going up and was heading towards overvaluation, but its recent pullback made things a bit more fairly valued. While this bull is getting long of tooth, that doesn't mean it can't continue to increase and reach new heights. Nobody knows what the future economy is going to look like next week, let alone next month next year. So what's an investor to do? Jeff says it all depends upon your timeframe. If you can stay in for 5 years or more, you have a 75% chance of recovering from any decline. Less time than that and you're taking a big risk. So let's see what happens next. 

Unemployment at all time lows, consumer confidence at all time highs, what could possibly go wrong, go wrong, go wrong? Well according to Charles Nenner, a lot. These are actually contrary indicators that show the economy is close to a peak. If he's right, and there's every reason to believe he is, then there's rough sledding ahead. We may be getting close to a recession. He sees the dollar heading higher shortly, the VIX Index bottoming and higher oil prices ahead. Gold/silver will be turning the corner after the summer. Check out his twitter feed @NennerResearch.

Business schools teach that the most important prerequisite for starting a business is a business plan. Nonsense, says Carl Schramm in Burn the Business Plan, who for a decade headed the most important foundation devoted to entrepreneurship in this country. Microsoft, Apple, Facebook, and Google are just a few of the companies that began without one.

Schramm explains that the importance of a business plan is only one of the many misconceptions about starting a company. Another is the myth of the kid genius—that all entrepreneurs are young software prodigies. In fact, the average entrepreneur is thirty-nine years old and has worked in corporate America for at least a decade. Schramm discusses why people with work experience in corporate America have an advantage as entrepreneurs. For one thing, they often have important contacts in the business world who may be customers for their new service or product. For another, they often have the opportunity to strategize with knowledgeable people and get valuable advice.

Burn the Business Plan tells stories of successful entrepreneurs in a variety of fields. It shows how knowledge, passion, determination, and a willingness to experiment and innovate are vastly more important than financial skill. This is an important, motivating look at true success that dispels the myths and offers invaluable real-world advice on how to achieve your dreams.

George Matheis has branched out. He's now training dogs for personal protection. Whether it's a German Shepherd or a Chihuahua, a dog can be an invaluable layer of protection in your home or your life. Since they can perceive danger, hear far off potential intruders and defend their master to the end, they're better than any alarm or other self-defense tool. 

As John sees it, the latest tax cut has merely cleared the way for even more stock buybacks. This does nothing to help the employees or the economy, but the management will profit handsomely. And therein lies the problem. While the employees are getting modest bonuses and raises, upper management is scoring big time. This will eventually lead to unrest and rebellion. Let's see if he's right or if the tax cuts benefit the economy bigly. 

Nick Santiago called the market almost perfectly the last time we spoke with him. Markets, while not crashing, would start to become far more volatile and this would present amazing opportunities. According to Nick, we're no longer in a "buy and hold" market. Rather, to make money now, you need to be a market technician and watch for the signs. But there's hope, this is exactly what Nick's been doing for over a decade. And he's looking forward to capitalizing on these hidden opportunities to build wealth. The good news is Nick doesn't see a bear market for many years. The Trump Train has left the station. 

Andrew Z believes that the economy, especially the job market, is looking highly favorable. As a result, wage inflation is happening and therefore the Fed is more likely to raise rates than to leave them unchanged. Spending is going up and so are real wages for the first time in decades. Therefore, the market was overtaken by fears of higher rates and less spending. However, these fears might have been overblown. In any event, it's not over yet. Volatility is the byword. 

This wasn’t supposed to happen. As this article is written, Bitcoin is trading around $8300. It’s up from breaking the $6000 barrier, but this could well be a dead cat bounce. That’s down from nearly $20,000 in mid December. After all, everyone knows that Bitcoin only goes up. Just like the stock market and housing prices. What gives? What’s happened in cryptocurrencies was completely predictable. In fact, I wrote an article about this very scenario back on December 25, 2017.

Of course no one listened, because when you’re under the influence of dopamine (a powerful neurotransmitter) you’re unable to listen to reason and act accordingly. Effortlessly making money in a bubble is quite gratifying and euphoria inducing. No one wants to come down from the high, you want it to keep going forever. But nothing lasts forever, especially financial driven manias. Just ask the tulip farmers in Holland.

What's up with Memo-gate, Q Anon and the coming storm surge in Washington DC. One thing is for certain, things will never be the same in our nation's capitol. 

There were many weather related stories in 2016 and tragedies they controlled our newsfeed. What were the most severe of the year?

A survey shows millennials are missing out on practical skills such as map reading or fishing, compared to other generations. When asked to perform some simple tasks such as forming a single knot or swimming a short distance, more than half were unable to accommodate.

Researchers also found that most people under the age of 44 prefer to use Google Maps and Satellite Navigation to get around, but half of over-55s stick to a paper street map. On top of that, just a third of the 2,000 surveyed knew how to spark a flame by natural means. How will these people ever be ready for survival?

Disaster Preparation Authority and Author Anthony Kovic is properly versed in the area of preparation and uses the info in his books to help people cope with the fear of impending severe weather.

Anthony Kovic can discuss this by answering the following:
* Why are millennials so out of touch?
* Why is the weather becoming more severe and what can be done to prepare for it?
* What are some of the impacts of severe winter weather?
* What the steps to take to be ready for an Emergency?
* How long should your survival kit be built to last?
* Why is it important to be ready for an unexpected disaster?

The market finally had a pullback. Was it just a 3 day event or is this just the beginning? Paper profits aren't real money until you sell or liquidate. It's always better to sell before the crash, but why are so few unable to execute? It's all tied into the human psyche. Dopamine is so good, we want the good times to keep rolling along. But they don't and you need to be prepared. Otherwise, you'll be left taking out usurious payday loans and that's a losing strategy. 

What a great combination, Amazon, JP Morgan-Chase and Berkshire Hathaway are teaming up to provide healthcare. In big business we trust, or do we? Dr. George believes that nothing good can come of such a combination. They will further shift the system away from the patient and towards the payers. Imagine Amazon telling you where to buy drugs or Berkshire tells you what doctor you can see. While this is taking place, the free market is giving patients greater choices than ever. Find out how you can opt out of the system. Dr. George makes it easy. 

Ned Schmidt believes that investing will be quite easy this year and next, sell stocks and buy gold. He believes it will crash down to 16,000 for 2019. US Stocks are dead for the next few years. This run-up was debt financed with substantial increases in margin debt. Every parabolic move ends with a crash and this one is no different. So get ready.