Sierra Madre Precious Metals

Are you better off than you were four years ago? If you are, you should consider yourself to be extremely fortunate, because the vast majority of the population is not. The U.S. economy has been sliding the wrong direction for a very long time, and now our economic momentum in the wrong direction is accelerating. Retail sales are slowing down, the housing market is in a depressed state, mass layoffs are happening all over the nation, stores are closing at a staggering pace, the cost of living has become extremely painful, and debt levels have soared to unprecedented heights. Continue reading →

Some of these beneficiaries, most of whom were either federal employees or worked for local governments, will also see bigger monthly checks beginning in April.

Millions of Americans who receive Social Security benefits will get a lump-sum amount and see a spike in their monthly payments as part of a new law signed last month, according to the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).

The agency “is immediately beginning to pay retroactive benefits and will increase monthly benefit payments to people whose benefits have been affected by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO),” SSA said in a Feb. 25 statement.

“These provisions reduced or eliminated the Social Security benefits for over 3.2 million people who receive a pension based on work that was not covered by Social Security (a non-covered pension).” Continue reading →

Great Depression photo by Library of Congress

People love to say, “Times are different now.” Sure, technology has advanced, and we’re not waiting in bread lines, but human nature hasn’t changed.

Money mistakes today look a lot like money mistakes back then. People overspend, rack up debt, ignore risks, and assume good times will last forever.

The Great Depression taught a generation the hard way that financial security isn’t guaranteed. Continue reading →

Much attention has been focused on US gold reserves in recent days, especially the stockpile in Fort Knox. While Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent dismissed the possibility of revaluing the stash of gold to market levels, an analyst said that would be bullish for prices, which have already been on a tear. Continue reading →

Apparently our government cannot explain how 4.7 trillion dollars was spent. Are you kidding me? A stack of 4.7 trillion one dollar bills would reach all the way to the Moon and part of the way back. This is yet another example of why we desperately need the Department of Government Efficiency. Continue reading →

Auditing Fort Knox gold reserves is “several decades overdue,” says a sound money advocacy group executive.

Aurick Goldfinger

Tech billionaire Elon Musk indicated that Fort Knox, the Kentucky-based facility famous for storing U.S. gold reserves, could be investigated.

“Looking for the gold at Fort Knox,” Musk wrote on social media platform X on Feb. 18. “Who is confirming that gold wasn’t stolen from Fort Knox? Maybe it’s there, maybe it’s not. This gold is the property of the American people. I sure hope it’s still there!” Continue reading →

An Analysis of the ‘Rare-Coin’ Industry

An expose’ of the Pirates of the precious-metals underworld and how you can truly protect your ass-ets – from them!

Con Bob the Pirate

While there’s no guarantee on any investment, it is clear we have entered a period of great economic uncertainty. In recent economic news, several banks and major financial institutions have filed for bankruptcy leading our country into what is likely a recession period. The US dollar is losing significant value caused in part by monetary inflation, overspending, and fading market confidence. Some economists speculate that the US will consider a centrally controlled, government issued, cryptocurrency as a means to promote Modern Monetary Theory.

Throughout history, as fiat currencies have come gone, gold has stood the test of time again and again, and there’s reason why… Give Gold a Look in These Uncertain Times

Hjalmar Horace Greeley Schacht

Always and again the magic of money presents us with problems. These problems change constantly. Time after time experience teaches us that there is no universally-valid system by means of which monetary problems may be solved. Every new situation demands new deliberations, new measures, new insights, new ideas. Each of these ideas must be informed by and subservient to the sole and single purpose of maintaining the soundness of the currency. ~ Hjalmar Schacht

Seeking out the most efficient and most secure route to owning gold, and converting it into widely-accepted currency, is the next best thing to enjoying gold-backed currency. In a world of central bankers hell-bent on devaluing your savings you need your own private gold standard.
Continue reading →

At its September 2024 meeting, the Fed’s FOMC cut the target federal funds rate by a historically large 50 basis points and then justified this cut on the grounds that “The Committee has gained greater confidence that inflation is moving sustainably toward 2 percent, and judges that the risks to achieving its employment and inflation goals are roughly in balance.”

The FOMC again cut the target rate in November and then again in December. Each time, the FOMC’s official statement said something to the effect of “[price] inflation is headed to two percent. Specifically, the November statement said “[Price inflation] has made progress toward the Committee’s 2 percent objective.” The December statement said exactly the same thing. Continue reading →