Kerry Lutz's--Financial Survival Network

It's always good to be the king, as a wise philosopher one stated. And being the king of currencies is no exception. The US Dollar is rolling along and crushing every currency in its path. But how long can it go on? Looks like there's really life in the mining space once again, with Barrick's acquisition of Randgold. 

By now word is out that Barrick Gold is purchasing Randgold in a transaction valued at $18 billion. Could this be the start of the mining stocks M&A rush? Perhaps, but it certainly sends out a big message to both acquirers and acquirees. Heaven knows it's a target rich environment. China seems to be having issues with it's attempt to levy tariffs on US soy beans. Seems like there's just not enough other production available to replace the US. And then there's a horrible swine flu that's hit all the world except the US. Can you spell leverage? 

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The new jobless claim numbers are the best they've been in 49 years. How much longer can it continue? Sam believes for quite awhile. The tax cuts appear to be kicking in as well, will they keep strengthening the economy? What about the debt, it's gone way way up. When will it start having an impact? And how about those tariffs, when will they start being felt? So far everything is coming up Trump. But for how long?

Ever since Andrew Henderson was a teenager, he had a hankering to travel and live in another country. He started actually do it a while ago and hasn't looked back. He's been in over 100 countries and is currently living in Georgia (the former Soviet Republic). Now he's teaching others how to do it too. From starting businesses in low tax areas, to helping you obtain citizenship, there's so many benefits to globalizing your life. 

What is the purpose of a corporation or business? Do they exist to simply maximize profit, regardless of abiding by a code of ethics or the laws of the land? Or are they here to serve the so-called stakeholders, including shareholders, employees, customers, creditors and the community at large? Obviously a company must turn a profit in order to continue its existence. Every entity, whether natural or man made, first seeks to insure its own survival and for businesses that means turning a profit. When they seek profitability at the cost of everything that we all hold near and dear, then perhaps they've give up the right to perpetual existence or maybe it's time to flush out management. Culture matters and certainly the ideal of an overly altruistic company that puts its public service endeavors above those of the company will eventually fail. What's your opinion? 

Bradley J. Birzer's book "In Defense of Andrew Jackson," does not state that Jackson used the Trumpian term Covfefe, but the two populist presidents certainly share much in common. They both put American First. But there are many differences as well, some of them due to the times in which they lived or are living, and others due to their character. But strength of will and the refusal to take no for an answer are dominant in both. The ability to turn their backs on ridicule and anger is also a common theme. A fascinating look at our 7th president and his life and times. 

Has the negativity in the precious metals markets peaked? Seasonality is turning favorable and traders front running the process, we may see an increase in January. John thinks it may be a good entry point. We also talked about the coming breakthroughs in quantum computing and the threat it may pose to all encryption, even crypto currencies. No one knows when or if it's coming, but it certainly seems likely at some point it will. 

Gerald has been writing for months that the situation in the Mideast. It gets more tense between the US and Russia by the day. Just today a Russian troop transport was shot down in Syria. Why is the US and its allies supporting the alleged terrorists in this action? Do we have any goals being there, and if so what are they? Oil prices are shooting higher and this could lead to major economic problems around the world. US interest rate increases continue on unabated. Will we soon reach a breaking point? 

First they came for Harvey Weinstein, then for Al Franken and Les Moonves and now for Judge Kavanaugh. Is anyone safe from the wrath of the #metoo movement. Can they go back to kindergarten when you dipped the girl's pigtail in the inkwell? Oh that's right that can't happen anymore since we're not teaching the youth to write cursively any longer and inkwells are nearly extinct, but you understand what we're getting at. There's a reason why statutes of limitation exist and the Kavanaugh lynching is a perfect example. 

Karen Kataline was back on talking about the incredible assault on liberty and freedom by the left, as witnessed by the Kavanaugh lynching. Just when you though it was safe to vote on a judicial nomination, the left pulls out all the stops and accuses an exemplary jurist of a high crime from when he as 17 and a mere high school student. No one knew about it for 35 years and then boom, Feinstein blasts it out. Just what you'd expect from this bunch. Perhaps Hillary should be hired to defend him. 

Former NYC Police Commissioner Bernie Kerik has just finished his 3rd book. This one serves as a stark reminder of 9-11 and that it could happen again. Bernie feels that we've all gotten a bit complacent and that makes it fertile ground for another attack. While the Commissioner doesn't see the possibility of another 9-11 style attack using commercial airliners, there's still plenty of possibility for a different variant, which is why we all need to be prepared. 

We also talked about his accomplishments as NYC Corrections Commissioner, the historic crime drops during his tenure as head of the NYPD and how best to handle our current crime ills and the effects of mass homeless as encouraged by the Left. One of our best. 

John Dellaportes noted attorney and expert on cryptos and ponzis, do I repeat myself. Recently two tracker stocks were put on hold by the SEC for at least 10 days. Is this a sign that the SEC is getting more involved in the Crypto Currency space, or is it a fluke. John says because the market is so new, the SEC is playing catch up. While the SEC has some extra-territorial powers, they are limited and their ability to catch manipulators is extremely difficult, if not impossible. What's going to happen in the future? It is truly unknown. 

Nolan Watson, CEO of Sandstorm Gold Royalty (sponsor), joined us for a discussion of the gold mining industry and royalty streaming. For those not in the know, royalty stream companies are part of the mining industry's creative financing arm. Since prices have been depressed and access to capital is greatly limited due to the special risk factors of precious metals mining, companies have emerged to fill the void. A miner needing financing who has a viable project that is highly likely to go into production, will connect with Sandstorm to get a capital injection in exchange for a portion of future production. As Nolan says, "... there is no average deal in this business." Every transaction is different and unique depending upon the needs of the company. Sandstorm is expecting a huge production increase between now and 2022 and isn't greatly concerned about current metals prices. When prices are low, the number of deals goes way up. When prices are high, royalty profits go up greatly. It's basically a win-win situation for the streaming sector and for Sandstorm. A great place to be. 

Dr. Gina Loudon has discovered the CURE for CRAZY!!! Trump Derangement Syndrome has become an official personality disorder, soon to be recognized by the medical profession. But there's hope. 

Dr. Loudon’s psychology expert (with two masters degrees and a doctorate), loving and devoted mother of five, and iconic American patriot with one goal: to shed light on the dirty and manipulative tricks of the crazy Left.

In Dr. Gina’s new book, Mad Politics: Keeping Your Sanity in a World Gone Crazy, she digs deep beneath the surface of politics EXPOSING THE LEFT and OWNING THE LIBS. With a well-equipped road map, Dr. Gina brings us hope and a path back to sanity through personal stories and in-depth political insights.

Anyone who's paid any attention to the crypto currency space sees that it's been making lower lows and lower highs. This isn't the sign of a raging bull market. Sam Shames is a crypto trader who understands the market. The situation in Ethereum is even worse than Bitcoin, with prices perhaps headed back into double digits. The premise is that the crypto markets now mirror the precious metals space. Until one or the other makes a major move, we'll be stuck in sideways declining markets in both cryptos and metals. 

Gordon T. Long joined us today. His theory as to why the stock market keeps going up is two fold. On the one hand, stock buybacks continue to proliferate and on the other, the number of publicly traded US companies has declined by nearly half over the decades (through buy-outs, mergers and taking them private). This means more concentration, more private equity and less publicly traded companies which is bad for the country. Time to put a stop to it all. 

John and I took a number of your questions about finance, economics, the US Dollar and more. It lead to an interesting conversation about governments in the age of chronic out of control deficits. The conclusion is that a desperate government is capable of umpteen ways to loot its citizenry. If only the politicians spent as much time trying to solve profligate spending as they did thinking of new and creative forms of taxation, we wouldn't be seen as mere milk cows. More fun lays ahead. 

Critics of President Trump and other so-called “foreign policy experts” would beg to differ. In the new book, America First: Understanding the Trump Doctrine 22-year State Department veteran, Danny Toma reveals Trump’s vital position as a true statesman and how he is achieving his mission to restore American principles in the realm of international politics.

America First provides an in-depth insight on the reality of President Trump’s foreign policy successes. In this book, readers will be exposed to a factual account of how President Trump’s foreign policy is finally putting America First and reviving the bold American spirit that our founding fathers intended and we thought we had lost.

According to David Horowitz, we are at war. It isn't taking place on a battlefield but rather in the hearts and minds of US Citizens. Will we prosper and grow or become a socialist utopia? The decision is all ours but the results will affect civilization for the next thousand years. 

Rick Mark of Harvest Gold Corp, isn't phased at all by gold's recent decline. The industry has changed drastically over the past decade. The Majors no longer have the expertise or desire to engage in exploration and discovery. Therefore, they've delegated that function to the Juniors and at the appropriate time they've been known to swoop down and acquire solid candidates. The Majors have been living off their reserves for too long. If they want to stay in the business, they're going to have to step up their pace of acquisitions and companies like Harvest Gold will be among the first to pop up on their radar screens. With a first rate property and Evrim Resources handling the drilling chores, Rick has hit upon a virtually no-lose business model for the future. Overhead is kept to an absolute minimum, so nearly all funds raised can go to drilling. It's a formula that's sure to be emulated by many once word gets out about its potential. 

Since Jason Hartman started his podcast 13 years ago, he has proposed a very simple formula that worked during the Great Recession and has been pumping out double digit returns non-stop. The idea is as simple as it is effective, buy single family homes in low-key landlord friendly states and rent them out to quality tenants. Returns in the first year are often in the 10 percent and then when you factor in future appreciation and rising rents, it makes this strategy a no-brainer. And that's why it's so effective. If you don't overthink it and simply stick to the basics, while buying several homes in different areas, the rest will take care of itself. Join Jason and myself at his Hawaii event. Guaranteed to be fun and life changing. 

With the economy zooming along at 4% plus growth, the natural inclination is to wonder how much longer this can continue. Andrew believes for quite a while. First, the corporate/individual tax cuts are giving a definite boost to the economy. And it's not just stock buybacks. Companies are beginning to reinvest in their core operations, which is good for everyone. Andrew believes that one of the major drivers for next year will be the modified trade deals that the President is working on now. That will lead to more jobs and more tax revenue. There's enough momentum to take the economy ahead for the foreseeable future, nay sayers and haters aside.  

Millennials ages 25-34 have $42,000 in debt, and most of it isn’t from student loans

Over 44 million Americans have student loans, with the average debt hovering around $33,000. And yet that's not the No. 1 source of debt for the average older millennial.

Millennials between the ages of 25 and 34 have an average of $42,000 in debt each, according to Northwestern Mutual's 2018 Planning & Progress Study. The biggest source? Credit card debt.

Credit card balances make up a full fourth of the average older millennials owe, while student debt accounted for about 16 percent, according to Northwestern Mutual. The findings are based on a survey of over 2,000 U.S. adults, including an oversampling of more than 600 millennials.

"As you grow older, your expenses increase. The additional pressures that come onto the pocketbook only grow and your disposable income shrinks in a lot of cases, even if your salary is growing," Emily Holbrook, director of planning for Northwestern Mutual, tells CNBC Make It.

The pressure to start relying on credit cards makes a lot of sense, she says. Millennials also cope with many other financial burdens that other generations haven't had, including those high student loans, as well as self-funded retirement savings and soaring home prices, to name a few.

Across the board in America, debt is on the rise — even though most people have a strong desire to pay it off. According to Northwestern Mutual's findings, the average American has about $38,000 in debt, up $1,000 from a year ago.

Major US stock markets continued their upward trajectory with DJIA up 2.2%, S&P 3.1, NASDAQ 5.7% and Russell 2000 up 4.2% to record levels. Emerging markets were down again 3.0%. TSX down 1% and TSX-V defied gravity going up 2.7%. Bitcoin the always volatile digital currency after going up 21.5% last month was down 5.7%. Gold was down another 2.0% and Silver was off another 6.5% for the month. Pt down 6.2% and Pd was up 5.1%. Copper was down another 3.4%. Energy was up for the month, with WTI up 1.7% and Brent up 4.3%. Natgas canceled last month's loss, up 5.0%. Uranium was up again showing a 2.6% gain after continued producer cutbacks. Currencies saw the Greenback rise .6% and the Euro down .8% for the month. Rate on the 10 year T Bond fell back to 2.86%. Till next month!

With developing nations seeing their currencies collapse and bad stocks markets around the globe in negative territory (except the US) it's beginning to look a lot like 2008. We answer your questions and cover a lot of ground. Best to be prepared and understand how to protect yourself. Remember in 2008 it all started with sub-prime mortgages and spread all over the globe. Could developing country currencies be the sub-prime bubble of yester-year.