Kerry Lutz's--Financial Survival Network

Summary:
I sit down with John Rubino to discuss the taper-tantrum at hand and what’s happening with the tech stocks. Tech stocks are tanking at the moment, and we see historic trends repeating themselves. This puts the economy in a unique position, because we need to view cryptos as tech stocks; ultimately, these stocks need to tank in order for the Fed to tighten. Tune in for more.

Highlights:
-We’re looking at the taper-tantrum, cryptocurrency, etc.
-The Fed doesn’t have to raise interest rates now—they now just merely talk about it
-Tech stocks are tanking
-Early investors in the ETF stock are down, and a lot of things are being reversed out in a hurry
-Trends are repeating; just as things start to look positive, these stocks begin to go in the opposite direction
-If the higher rates never come, will anyone remember what’s happening now?
-A 25% drop in the NASDAQ could kill other industries
-The Fed should be fighting the 6% inflation, but thus far they have just talked about doing it
-When you shut down the global economy for six months and pour money into people’s pockets to be spent, this is a recipe for inflation
-Cryptos are also not holding up too well; it’s best to thing of them as tech stocks. Bitcoin, for example, is traded like a tech stock
-Tech stocks need to tank in order for the Fed to tighten
-It’s not a great time to be an aggressive tech stock investor
-We have to keep our eyes on the prize, which is Fed capitulation

Useful Links:
Financial Survival Network
Dollar Collapse
“We Need to Be Preparing for Something Dramatic” | John Rubino
Six Major Predictions for 2022 with John Rubino

Summary:
It’s important to look at trends in gold and silver to analyze what is to come and how you can prepare. Here to help us do that is Andy Schectman, and we discus what could possibly happen in 2022 in light of the Fed’s decisions to taper and hike rates. 2020 and 2021 were record years for the precious metals as people become increasingly cautious about leaving their money in the bank and fully relying on the dollar. It’s critical to consider whether the Fed will follow through or not with what they have said, and either way we need to prepare for the outcome; ultimately, buying gold and silver now is the best move. Tune in for more.

Highlights:
-Schectman is here with us to review what has happened and what is going to happen in 2022, specifically with gold demand
-Both 2020 and 2021 were record years
-Gold has lately been reserved for the central and commercial banks, and less for the public
-A lot of people are concerned to leave money in the bank
-The last 24 months have been incredible in terms of demand
-Price is a tool of misdirection; it is used to accumulate gold
-The public is being swayed towards other asset classes, such as cryptocurrency
-The Fed announced that they were going to start to taper, and the market thought this would be a short term situation
-People didn’t think the Fed would follow through, and it seems as if the market was caught off guard
-They discussed 8 rate hikes over the next 2 years
-The market has become addicted to stimulus and money printing
-Some believe that they will cut back completely on their asset purchases in March or April
-If we see rates rise up to 2%, you could theoretically see houses drop by 20% or more over the next 2 years
-There has also been much under-reporting with inflation
-It’s hard to determine whether they want to preserve the markets or the health of the dollar
-In the end, the Fed can’t outwit mathematics or the nature of things
-There are also record deficits taking place
-How serious is the Fed about following through? This is what needs to be considered
-Everyone needs to own gold and silver, because the dollar is at its end stages
-If the Fed follows through with their statements, there will be a massive awakening, and getting product will be nearly impossible
-Ultimately, the place to be is in gold; silver is a pathway to getting more gold
-Those who want to get into gold will be able to increase the amount of gold they buy if they get into silver right now
-The focus ultimately should be on gold because it’s a tier 1 reserve
-When silver corrects, it will probably overshoot

Useful Links:
Financial Survival Network
Miles Franklin
info@milesfranklin.com (Put ‘Financial Survival Network’ in the subject line)
Almost Sold-Out of Silver | Andy Schectman
Andy Schectman: Shortage in Silver Supply Will Cause Prices to Go Higher

Summary:
Do you ever wonder what happened to those that got into cryptocurrency—specifically Bitcoin—around ten years ago? I sit down and chat with Mark Basa, one of the crypto kings that set out to disrupt a centralized system in 2010. His current company (HOKK Finance) seeks to continue this decentralization, replicating a traditional bank that operates off of the innovations of the blockchain. Mark is a visionary who is thinking ahead to imagine the future of the economy in an age of intense digitization and exploration. Tune in to hear more about his current pursuits and ideas.

Highlights:
-Imagine if you had gotten into crypto/Bitcoin 10 years ago (and held onto some of it)
-Mark Basa is one of the crypto kings who no longer has to work and can live off of his crypto winnings
-Back in 2010/2011 when Mark Basa and his friends discovered crypto, they wanted to disrupt a centralized system
-They had a vision of what Bitcoin was going to do, and they pitched to a lot of traditional financial investors
-They are now rebuilding this concept with Ethereum
-There’s a lot of experimentation going on in the blockchain
-We don’t need all of the currencies, but a lot of them will stay because of the nature of people
-There are a few major chains that people are going to build decentralized applications on
-There is a scalability issue because so many people are using it
-Only a handful of chains will survive in the end
-When big tech creates their own coins/tokens, you have to look at what these companies are responsible for
-Blockchain is a cure and a disease to the centralized currency we have today
-Basa’s concern is how power is going to be shifted from centralized banks to blockchain
-At some point, there’s going to be a fall of power
-Bitcoin nodes are coming from a multitude of places, but China owns most of the world’s Bitcoin
-If the government tries to ban any of these currencies, people will find new ways to go about creating them
-HOKK Finance is building decentralized services that replicate a traditional bank
-NFTs are going to start to replace many things; one example is the contract

Useful Links:
Financial Survival Network
HOKK Finance

Summary:
I sit down with Gil Baumgarten to discuss where the market is heading in the coming year, and the ways that you can play it safely to mitigate risk and maximize returns. He contends that energy is probably going to continue to go higher into the new year, especially if demand spikes during the winter. Additionally, we’re seeing a rise in interest rates, threats to traditional real estate, and other drastic changes. Tune in to get the full scope of the future market.

Highlights:
-Where is the market heading in the coming year and years ahead? How can you play it safely to mitigate risk and maximize returns?
-Energy is probably going to continue to go higher
-Oil has advantages in terms of transportability, but you can’t transport Natgas as easily
-During winter, if demand were to spike, energy could go up very dramatically
-Rise in interest rates is putting a lot of pressure on tech stocks
-There has been a shift back towards value that has happened over the last decade
-There’s a lot of smooth sailing with regard to this shift
-Baumgarten in concerned about traditional real estate, and states that the effects of the pandemic will still be visible
-Weakness of office space rents
-If you see something you want on the market, it’s smart to buy it sooner rather than later
-ETFs are more tax efficient, and from an estate-planning standpoint, much more effective than mutual funds
-ETFs are better vehicles all around and have a spectacular tax advantage

Useful Links:
Financial Survival Network
Segment Wealth Management
The Reality of Inflation is Setting in with Gil Baumgarten
The Markets Are in Flux, Will They Crash? with Gil Baumgarten

Summary:
A skillset within corporate America that can greatly enhance chances of success is storytelling. Here to talk about the art of storytelling is Jason Jordan, who realized early in his career that the ability to tell a good story ultimately dictates how people perceive a product or idea in the business world. It is something that requires practice, as well as a keen sense of key takeaways and the emotional connections to be made while storytelling. Jordan gives vital tips for those seeking to improve their communication and marketing skills, so be sure to listen in for more.

Highlights:
-One skillset in corporate America that is lacking and can greatly enhance chances of success is storytelling
-If you can improve your storytelling skills, there’s no limit to what you can do with your career
-Here to talk about the art of storytelling is Jason Jordan
-Jordan was in technical sales for most of his career, and had a revelation early on about storytelling. He was giving a presentation on a new product and wasn’t able to use digital media for his presentation because of a technical difficulty. He resorted to telling stories about the product and why it is valuable, and this resulted in many people being interested in buying the product
-He has also looked at communication between generations, and how to get them to interact more effectively
-Even when you look at company reports, they are essentially telling a story, but with numbers
-If you can refine these skills, you will be at a major advantage
-You become a good storyteller by telling a lot of stories, so consistency and practice are definitely required to improve this skill
-It’s important to be able to share thoughts and ideas extemporaneously in our current world, and this requires practicing storytelling over and over again
-It’s also crucial to be able to formulate important takeaways from a story, and to have a very concise message
-Be sure to share the story or experience that best communicates that message. You need to build up the emotional aspects of the story so that the receiver can experience the story with you
-When you tell a story, many areas of your brain are engaged, and invoking emotion can allow the listener to retain the story long term
-Additionally, you need to take time to explain the answer to the main question presented to the audience
-It’s also helpful to focus on finding the angle of a particular story
-Storytelling personalizes things, breaks down barriers, and creates commonality and connection

Useful Links:
Financial Survival Network
FireStory
Jason Jordan Twitter

Summary:
Tapering is real, but the real question at hand is to what extent the Fed will be able to do this. I sit down and chat with David Scranton to discuss the Federal Reserve’s pursuit to raise rates, and whether or not this can be achieved in a calculated manner to avoid a potential recession. There are many factors at play that are making it more difficult to bring these rates up, and this will dictate how inflation looks in 2022. Tune in for more.

Highlights:
-People forget that inflation comes from an increase of demand and a decrease in supply
-Since it is coming from both sides, the tapering may push the demand down too far, creating a recession
-It’s important to get long term rates to rise before short term rates, but this may or may not work
-They may have to sell some of the bonds off the balance sheet, but this may not be the most viable solution
-All of the money going into assets is going to make it harder for the Fed to raise long term rates
-It’s almost too late to transition to a nation that saves rather than spends because of what is happening with inflation
-China is going through a property debacle in light of the real estate issues
-When we have inflation, currency is getting devalued—but this typically comes with the assumption that this is only happening in a few countries
-If this was happening in every country, it would be a wash
-With lower rates, the economy is reasonably healthy
-A year from now, it’s likely that the market is going to be higher—with the caveat being that the Federal Reserve raises rates too fast
-Another area of responsibility is ensuring the stock market never goes down, which is not feasible

Useful Links:
Financial Survival Network
Sound Income Strategies
What Will the Fed Do Next? with David Scranton
Why You Should Plan to Retire Young and Retire Rich – Robert Kiyosaki and David Scranton

Summary:
As we roll into the new year, we’re curious to see the economic results from 2021. Here to talk about how these may look as well as some predictions for 2022 is Michael Busler, a professor of finance at Stockton University. We’ll probably see an economic growth of about 5.5% with the unemployment rate down 4%. The downside, however, will be inflation, since prices went up about 7.5% in 2021. The Fed thinks that inflation is largely influenced by supply chain disruptions, but Busler talks about 4 other major factors that contribute immensely. You won’t want to miss these key points, so tune in for more.

Highlights:
-Busler is a professor of finance over at Stockton University in New Jersey
-The final numbers will likely show the economic growth of 5.5%, which is good, and the unemployment rate will be down around 4%. On the bad side is the inflation rate, which is likely to show that prices went up about 7.5% in 2021, which is the worst inflation we’ve had since 1980
-We’ll probably see about 4.5% growth this year. Unemployment will probably stay pretty constant. The major problem at hand is definitely inflation, and we’ll probably be looking at 8%
-The Fed thinks inflation will go away on its own around the middle of this year because they claim inflation is caused by supply chain disruptions. Busler believes that the supply chain isn’t significantly contributing to inflation
-Last July, the economy was operating the same as it was before the pandemic

The real causes of inflation:
-The Biden administration has declared war on fossil fuels; there are higher energy prices
-A large portion of the population is not returning to the workforce; 3.6 million have left and are not returning. To bring people back to work, we’ve had to raise wages significantly
-The federal government has been $6 trillion more than they’ve brought in in tax revenue in the last two years
-The federal reserve is allowing all of this to happen. In the past, they have shrunk the money supply and brought interest rates up.

-The true measure of inflation, according to Busler, is the consumer price index
-It’s important to analyze price increases in the goods and services we normally buy
-Once we’re in a wage price spiral, we run into serious problems
-The federal reserve needs to realize that inflation is a a major issue that needs to be resolved
-Rather, the Biden administration is dedicated to resolving real or perceived social injustices
-Normally, the stock market and housing go up in value more than the inflation rate. The stock market will probably do well for most of this year.

Useful Links:
Financial Survival Network
It’s Inflation, Stupid with Michael Busler
Taxing the Rich to Death with Prof. Michael Busler

This is our last Monthly Major Market Review with Mickey Fulp. After 10 years and 118 shows, we’re both tired and pursuing other interests. We will still be doing periodic podcasts on different topics, so stay tuned.

In December stock markets continued making new highs. Dow was up 5.4% 36338, 18.7% for the year. S&P 500 up 4.4% to 4766/26.9% for the year. Nasdaq rose a meager .7%/21.4% for the year. Russell 2000 was up just 2.1%/13.7% for 2021, TSX up 2.7%/21.7% for 2021, and TSX.V was flat for December and up just 7.3% for 2021. VIX settled down to 17.2. The Dollar was off .7% to 95.66 but up 6.4% for 2021. The Euro was up .6% to but down 6.9% for the year. 10 Year yield was flat and up 61.7% for the year. Bitcoin took a hit closing at 46214 down 18.9%, but up 59.7% for the year.

Metals were all down for 2021. Gold was up 3.1% to 1830 but down 3.6% for the year. Silver added 2.0% to 23.30 but was off a major 11.6% for the year. Pt added 2.9% for the month to 963 but was off 9.2%. Pd added 10.2% for the month to 1845 but was off 21% year over year. Copper gained 9.1% to $4.43 but gained an impressive 25.9% in 2021.

Energy was a big winner in 2021. WTI added 13.7% to 75.25 and added 55.1% for the year. Brent followed suit up 12.2% to 79.2 and was up 52.9% for the year. Natgas skidded 18.4% to bring it down to 3.73 but was up 46.9% for the year. Uranium lost 7.3% for the month to 42.25 but was a big winner for the year up 39.5%. Sprott along with other funds are still adding more uranium to their stash.

Ratios:  Au:Ag 78.5, Pt:Au .53, Pt:Pd .52. BRT:WTI 1.05, WTI:HH 20.2, and AU:WTI 24.3.  

Summary:
Are you looking for ways to improve and be happier in 2022? I sit down with behavior psychologist Kurt Nelson to talk about the simple practices you can implement to make your life more enjoyable and fulfilling. There are a multitude of behavioral biases that influence how you think and act and the subsequent emotions that occur, so it is important to arrange your personal environment in a way that allows you to thrive. By focusing on health, gratitude, and more compassionate relationships, you can tackle the year with motivation and positivity.

Highlights:
-Kurt Nelson is a behavioral psychologist and comes on the show to talk about how you can make your life happier in 2022
-There are so many behavior biases that influence how you think/act, and the subsequent emotions that occur
-The ‘fake it until you make it’ phenomenon is actually very true to a certain degree
-Beliefs about ourselves have a large impact on our own abilities
-It is important especially for children, teens, and young adults to have their own sense of self/what they want as they get older
-One thing we can do as we ease into the new year is focusing on what will make us healthier—this can include getting more adequate sleep and eating well. It’s important to set up your environment to help you do this
-We are more motivated when we feel like we have control over our lives and when we see progress
-If you’re feeling unsure/uneasy, it can be helpful to jump right in and start—once you start, it’s easier to keep going
-Keeping a daily gratitude journal can help switch the way that you process your days; your brain starts searching for positivity
-It’s important to approach people and relationships with compassion, because it can re-focus the way that you view them
-Try to be someone that cultivates positivity and brings what you would want to a group
-Take ownership of where you are and why you’re not where you want to be, and think of what you can do to get there
-Set your environment up for success
-Remember that everything starts with attitude

Useful Links:
Financial Survival Network
Behavioral Grooves Podcast

Summary:
Gold and the rest of the precious metals have been fluctuating sporadically over the last few weeks. What do commodities tell us about the year ahead? Here to talk about this is Craig Hemke from TFMetals, and he emphasizes that the metals in particular allude to the intensified price controls we should expect in the future amongst other economic risks. For more information on what’s to come, be sure to tune in to this episode.

Highlights:
-What’s coming for gold in 2022?
-As we exited last week, the daily chart looked pretty good with the shares and the metals were moving up
-This did not carry into this week, and gold has continued to drop and bounce back up a bit
-We already have stealth price controls going on with commodities
-The metals have been the analog for how prices are going to be controlled in the future
-The credit impulse levels have pulled back
-On a long-term historical basis, agricultural commodities have been breaking out
-Food price inflation has also been quite noticeable
-We’re seeing real negative interest rates
-China has bought up more than half the world’s food supply in preparation for harder days ahead

Useful Links:
Financial Survival Network
TF Metals Report
2022 Gold Forecast – “A Heck of a Year Coming Up” | Craig Hemke
Gold & Silver Spike Amid Worst Inflation in 30 Years | Craig Hemke