Advocates of “civil liberties” are concerned because Reuters reported that the Obama administration is planning to give U.S. spy agencies full access to financial data about U.S. bank accounts. The problem with these concerns is that the spy agencies already have access to that data. All the administration is trying to do is make it official. As it so often happens, civil liberties advocates are ignoring massive holes in the Constitutional protections on privacy in the United States. No Privacy for Foreign Transactions The first is that the protections of the U.S. Constitution do not
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The answer to the above question is yes, both economists and the media are definitely lying to us about the economy. The recovery they keep promising us has turned out to be limited, and if you live in the real world, nonexistent. The interesting thing is that there are some economists and people in the media that tell the truth. The problem is that we rarely hear what they say; editors and producers cherry-pick the information they put out. That is, they put out the news that people most want to see. There are several
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Precious metals such as gold and silver have been in high demand ever since the real estate bubble began to negatively affect the stock market in October 2007. The metals offer investors something tangible and real that ordinary folks feel they can quantify. Ever since the gold standard was eliminated in 1971, precious metals are thought to be more of an investment and not directly linked to a currency. When the real estate bubbled popped, it resulted in a tremendous amount of uncertainty in the global financial markets, as many believed the system was going
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Even after you close your bank account, it can ruin your credit. Accounts at certain banks have a way of coming back to life and dinging you with overdraft fees, late charges, and penalties. The resulting negative balances get turned over to collection agencies, ruining your credit before you even know what’s hit you. Known as “zombie” bank accounts, these monster accounts can reopen long after you think they’re closed and easily take on a life of their own. The Anatomy of a Zombie Bank Account Zombie bank accounts are made possible by bank policies
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October 15, 2012 Silver coins that back up my money in case of a economic collapse…. Previous Video

Almost everyone has experienced a temporary financial shortfall at one time or another. When facing a money crisis caused by a sudden emergency, the loss of a job, or higher- than-expected expenses, the common course of action has always been to tighten your belt, find a way to save wherever you can, maybe sell something of value that you own, and, as a last resort, perhaps borrow some money from friends or family members if there is no other way to get out of trouble. But we live in an age where easy money has
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The numbers tell us America is in decline… if not outright collapse. I say “the numbers tell us” because I’ve become very sensitive to the impact this kind of statement has on people. When I warned about the impending bankruptcy of General Motors in 2006 and 2007, readers actually blamed me for the company’s problems – as if my warnings to the public were the real problem, rather than GM’s $400 billion in debt. The claim was absurd. But the resentment my work engendered was real. So please… before you read this issue, which makes
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The Occupy Wall Street movement started without much fanfare.  Early on, protesters were more or less mocked as a giant joke.  Who were these yahoos sitting out in Zuccotti Park thinking they were going to change the way this worked? Nearly two months later, the questions are much less mocking.  The Occupy Wall Street movement has spread worldwide.  Demonstrations are taking place not just in New York but in Rome, Hong Kong, and Mexico City.  Protesters share a dislike for global fat cats and major financial conglomerates, and from a batch of ne’er do wells
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How would you rate your financial health? Most of us would like to have more money, but we don’t necessarily think of ourselves as financially fragile. Yet the harsh reality is that faced with a financial challenge, many American families simply can’t come up with the cash that they need. The ability of the average American family to rise to the challenge of an unexpected financial need was tested by a study performed by the National Bureau of Economic Research. The study took the form of a survey which asked, “If you were to face
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In the traditional way of things on Wall Street, firms invest in stocks, bonds, and real estate.  Commodities play a certain role, but they are certainly not the focus.  Neither are precious metals.  After all, who on Wall Street wants to be one of those nutty gold bugs? Anyone who wants to make money, it
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