Tag Archives: No Random Walks Allowed

Jul 24 2023

The CBDCs Are Coming


Armstrong Economics Blog/Cryptocurrency

Posted Jul 23, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

COMMENT #1: Hi Marty
I forgot to mention the ATMS nearby where I live right now.. I use a Credit Union and their withdrawal limit at the ATM at the branch no less has always been $400 these past couple of years. So I would go to the Wells Fargo ATM nearby down the road where I could withdraw $1000 in cash. The machine would ask you if you wanted a mix of 50s and 20s or all 20s.
Well, this past week I went to the WF ATM where I have not gone for quite some time, many months. To my surprise, the withdrawal limit has been reduced from $1000 to $600.
So there you go they are slowly turning the screws to try to cage us all in.
Best
Alice

REPLY: I opened an account at one of the top 5 just for convenience since it was down the street from me. Since COVID, I noticed they closed that branch and many others.  If you move to CBDCs, then banks no longer need branches for you can deposit a check on your phone, and they want to eliminate safe deposit boxes because they think people hide cash there.

Jul 23 2023

British Banks Close Accounts for Political Views – Wait for CBDC Currency to Appear


Armstrong Economics Blog/Cryptocurrency Re-Posted Jul 23, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

We have a very serious problem. Banks, Media, and Tech Companies seem to be all pushing for the end of all our civil and human rights. The truth has come out now that the Coutts Bank closed down Nigel Farage’s accounts, and it had NOTHING to do with his finances that they told everyone. That seems to be a serious case of slander and libel. If they would do this to Nigel, how many others are finding their accounts closed?

Here in the good old USA, a gold dealer just informed me that his credit line has been terminated – not because he did not pay. The excuse was that they preferred it to go to zero, not back and forth. It seems as though rumbling of this nature in the USA is increasing. Others who have cash businesses like a bar are finding that they are being discriminated against because they take in cash. Even priests are having their accounts shut down for political reasons.

It appears that the bankers are gearing up for the new CBDC system where all cash is eliminated. The government seems likely to let the banks impose a social credit score and claim it is not the government doing that, so it is not unconstitutional. I suppose they intend to prevent people from paying for medicine or buying food if banks shut down their accounts for whatever pretend reason. I guess that will be the new slow-death penalty for disagreeing with the new narrative that COVID was just the trial run for these days.

Jul 23 2023

IRS SWAT Team – Hunt for Taxes


Armstrong Economics Blog/The Hunt for Taxes Re-Posted Jul 23, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

The story about what looked like a SWAT team was a swarm of armed IRS Agents that stormed into a business in Florida has gone viral. Many point to this as see what happens when you give IRS agents lethal power. I think this needs clarification, and everyone knows I am opposed to arming IRS agents. Nevertheless, there is a HUGE distinction between income taxes and payroll taxes.  One you owe personally, but the other is theft if you collected it from employees and did not send it to the IRS, which makes you a TRUSTEE.

Back in the 1970s, I had two armed IRS agents come in with guns and handcuffs. They said I owed payroll taxes. I said wait a minute; my accountant handles all of that. I called him on the phone, and he then said put me on with them. He said he writes the checks on payroll himself and sends them in. It just so happened I was getting refund checks often. One had just come in, and it was on my desk. I said if I owe you, people, money, why do I keep getting refund checks? They looked at the check, and it had some code they recognized that denoted it was a refund for payroll taxes. It turned out to be a computer error on their part, and every time we would send in the payroll taxes, it kept trying to apply it to one month where I owed $2 and something refunded the rest. But they were to me personally, so I had no idea there was any distinction. They left, and I had to pay interest for cashing the checks that I someone should have known was their mistake.

A few years ago, again, I got a refund check and just deposited it. Once more, I was charged interest and penalties this time because I should have known it was an IRS mistake. The third mistake was that they put a lien on my house, and I never even got a bill. Once again, they failed to credit a payment I had sent in the previous year, but it took months to get the lien lifted.

My three encounters with the IRS have always been mistakes on their part. Only the first involving payroll taxes was I confronted by armed IRS agents, and that was simply because payroll taxes puts you in a position as a trustee where you collected the money for the government. I hope that armed IRS agents are confined to this category. I no longer cash refund checks. I have to pay penalties and interest because knowing when the IRS makes a mistake is my burden.

To clarify this armed assault on a business, it was Elite Payroll Solutions. This was not a company that was behind in paying its taxes. This is why the assault was more of a SWAT team; in this case, they were supposed to collect payroll taxes for small businesses and send them to the IRS. That places this in the TRUSTEE category, which is different from simply not paying your income tax.

A word to the Wise – Use only the Big Payroll Companies, not a small one that beats the price.

Jul 20 2023

Freedom Flyers


Armstrong economics Blog/Real Estate Re-Posted Jul 20, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

Have you ever noticed a decorative eagle plaque above a home in America? This was once a popular symbol back in the day to symbolize freedom from mortgage payments. Homeowners would adorn their houses with this symbol to indicate that they were free from the bank and owned their home free and clear. Around 40% of owner-occupied homes have been paid off, further adding to the housing inventory crisis.

The 2022 Federal Housing Finance Agency reported in 2022 that 84% of outstanding mortgages locked in a rate below 5%, while 63% secured a rate at or below 4%. Mortgage rates surpassed 8% last week and those who own are unlikely to sell. While some point to double-digit mortgage rates in the past, it was not difficult for buyers to put down 40% upfront since housing prices were low in comparison to wages. This was also a time when the cost of living supported a traditional lifestyle where only one partner was required to work.

Although COVID and low rates created strong demand, the underlying issue is the Great Reset. Institutions are set to own 40% of all single-family rentals by 2030, precisely on time for Agenda 2030. Regular buyers have been outbid by institutions coming in with cash payments. BlackRock is now the largest landowner in America. This is all by design. They do not want people to afford a home because then there would be no need for 15-minute cities, and forever renters living in ADUs. The inventory issue will not recover because no one can outbid the institutions who do not need to borrow money.

Jul 12 2023

BRICS & The Gold Backed Currency Idea


Armstrong Economics Blog/Gold Re-Posted Jul 12, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

QUESTION: Marty,

Will the Brics launching a gold backed currency be the catalist for bankrupting 3rd world economies? Or is it rising interest rates on their debt?

Tks for all the light u share in a confusing economic landscape.

Cbeers
.baldy

ANSWER: It is unlikely that we are looking at a BRICS single currency like the euro, for that would require a central monetary authority, surrender of sovereignty as in Brussels, end any possibility of QE, etc. We would need to completely collapse the idea of Keynesian Economics insofar as it has evolved, allowing deficit spending.

There is no special magic to gold. It was first restricted to only kings, for it was considered to be the tears from the sun god. As more gold was discovered, it began to be used for the jewelry of wealthy aristocrats. Then it became used as money in its natural form, known as electrum, a natural alloy of gold mixed with silver.

Then they refined the gold electrum and created the first bimetallic coinage around 560 BC. This required a sufficient supply of gold to create a money supply. As the quantity increased, the value of gold declined relative to both silver as well as commodities in general – inflation.

The real argument behind gold as a backing is that its quantity is limited. However, over the centuries, the silver/gold ratio has fluctuated anywhere from 8:1 to 120:1. From this perspective, the real objective here is to prevent the government from creating money at will. Thanks to Keynesian Economics, governments have the power to create money at will, allowing them to retain power and exert it in their endless wars thanks to the Neocons.

The real objective here with the issue of BRICS is that both Russian and China object to the dollar being the reserve currency in the middle of geopolitical tension. Yet the Biden Administration has undermined everything by removing Russia from SWIFT. That set in motion the collapse of globalization, and it has shown to the world that the US now controls the SWIFT system, which renders it no longer politically neutral.

This is where the IMF is trying to desperately move in for the kill to replace the dollar with their electronic digital currency. This is really no better because the IMF will also play political games. Strauss-Kahn was appointed managing director of the IMF on September 28, 2007, with the backing of then–President of France Nicolas Sarkozy. He was set up, and in New York, they came up with a maid in a hotel who claimed he tried to rape her. They wanted to remove him became he was independent. He served in that capacity until he was forced to resign on May 18, 2011. All the charges were later dismissed for the lack of any credibility. Yet, his replacement was Obama’s friend Christine Legard, a board member of the economic terrorist organization, the World Economic Forum. She was installed in the IMF and immediately threatened all the tax havens to turn over all their secret accounts so they would be removed from SWIFT. She also threatened the Vatican.

We are clearly staring into the eyes of a major global sovereign debt default. This is also why they are pushing for war. They plan on holding another Bretton Woods II, and the IMF will make its pitch to rule the world. This is all part of the scheme for this one-world government.

Jul 12 2023

BoC Study: 59% of Canadians Willing to Accept CBDC


Armstrong Economics Blog/Central Banks Re-Posted Jul 12, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

The masses do not realize what CBDC really entails. It is marketed as a convenient and modern way to bank. In truth it is a tool for control, an important tool that governments need to usher in the Great Reset. A recent poll by the Bank of Canada aimed to see how willingly the public would accept a new digital currency. Surprisingly, the majority said they were willing to make the switch without hesitation.

An alarming 59% of respondents said they are willing to switch to CBDC once available. They do not realize that they won’t have a choice in the matter. Around 43% said they were “somewhat willing” to accept CBDC. Then 11% said they were “very willing” and 5% “extremely willing.” Only 25% said they would not make the switch, which again will not be optional. Only 16% admitted that they do not understand the concept.

It appears that the public does not understand the risks involved. Over half (51%) said they were confident the central bank would securely handle their transactions and data. Around 56% said they were concerned about the potential for fraud, cyber attacks (53%), personal data misuse (44%), and lack of anonymity (35%). The central bank, of course, did not ask the real question – Are you comfortable with the government controlling all of your financial transactions?

Eighteen of the G20 countries have already begun developing digital currencies. The real threat here is that CBDC will provide governments will full access to our finances. We see how easily private banks de-bank individuals. Trudeau was able to cancel accounts of protestors and their alleged supporters in an instant.

CBDC would allow government to deny people access to their finances entirely, especially since cash will not be an alternative. The WEF wants to link individual IDs to the banking system and throw in social credit scores for good measure. A WEF spokesman recently said during the Summer Davos that they would like to control what people buy and ban unapproved purchases. Then they will ensure no money goes off the grid as governments want to tax us into oblivion. Now is the time to show resistance to the idea. Once they implement these policies, there is no going back. They will give us a timeframe to convert our cash to a CBDC and then governments will have complete control over our finances.

Jul 10 2023

Gold Back Currency Reality


Armstrong Economics Blog/Gold Re-Posted Jul 8, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

QUESTION: Do you think the BRICS would create a gold-back currency as proposed by Russia?

SJ

ANSWER: The Neocon has directed the Biden administration to remove Russia from SWIFT. Their single-minded goal is destroying the world economy, but they do not care. They think they will conquer Russia and China and dominate the world so they will worry about the monetary system afterward.

You have to understand that if the BRICS followed that directive and created a single gold-back currency, they would have to end any idea of international trade. This proposal is understandable given the hostility of the United States from the Neocons, who are now in charge. Congress is oblivious to what is happening, and the American public is arguing over Transgender destroying the family unit.

This is not some simple one-dimensional idea that we create a limited-backed currency. That will be DEFLATIONARY and, at the same time, promote civil war in the United States. Politicians cannot run for office, promising endless gifts, forgiving student loans, etc. You cannot have deficits. This would NECESSITATE the end of Marxism once and for all.

This idea of a gold-back currency requires political change on a grand scale.  That is coming. Post-2032 will be a new monetary and political system. Before then, they are pushing CBDC, and they will restrict what you can buy or sell, and this is all to retain power because they KNOW they are losing it. But in the process, they are destroying everything. The people who voted for Biden had no clue that they were voting for a coup and the ultimate destruction of Western civilization as we have known it.

I buy gold, but I also understand the game. I do not want gold-back currency; I prefer gold to remain as a hedge against the government. If they back the currency with gold, this time, they will be knocking down every door to confiscate it all.

These Neocons have already divided the world economy in two. They think they will conquer the world. The enemy is within.

Jul 4 2023

Reinsurance Rates for Catastrophic Coverage Jump as High as 50% to Insurance Companies Effective July 1st


Posted originally on the CTH on July 3, 2023 | Sundance 

As if carrying Homeowners insurance in California and Florida wasn’t already subject to ridiculous increases in premiums, things are about to get a lot worse.

Effective with the July 1st notification, Reinsurance rates, these are companies who insure the insurance companies, are telling their clients there will be up to a 50% increase in cost for underwriting catastrophic coverage.  Perhaps claims in the past few years have been higher; however, I suspect the issue amid the reinsurers is partly connected to the issue that surrounds banks and bond rates.

Back when interest rates were near zero, banks and reinsurers likely scooped up lots of Treasuries and bonds. As the Federal Reserve hikes rates those bonds have declined in value. When interest rates rise, newly issued bonds start paying higher returns to investors, which makes the older bonds with lower rates less attractive/valuable. The result is that most banks, and I suspect big reinsurance houses, have some amount of unrealized losses on their books.

Whatever the reason, the big reinsurance companies are now telling the insurance carriers their catastrophe rates are going up as high as 50%.  Those insurance companies will then pass those rate hikes to the individual policy holders for commercial buildings, residential homes, cars, RV’s etc.  Bottom line, homeowner insurance rates are about to go up again with policy renewals, especially in Florida and California.

LONDON, July 3 (Reuters) – U.S. property catastrophe reinsurance rates rose by as much as 50% at a key July 1 renewal date, broker Gallagher Re said in a report on Monday, with states such as California and Florida increasingly hit by wildfires and hurricanes.

Reinsurers insure insurance companies, and have been raising rates in recent years because of steepening losses, which industry players put down in part to the impact of climate change. Higher reinsurance rates can affect the premiums which insurers charge to their customers.

U.S. reinsurance rates for policies which previously faced claims for natural catastrophes rose 30-50%, Gallagher Re said.

Reinsurance rates for similar policies in Florida rose 30-40%, the broker added.

Some insurance firms have pulled out because of the risk of heavy losses. State Farm said in May it would stop selling new insurance policies to homeowners in California.

In Florida, “all the major carriers (insurers) left and so you ended up with this market which is populated by a large number of very small, very thinly capitalised insurers which is exactly what you don’t want,” James Vickers, chairman international, reinsurance, at Gallagher Re told Reuters. (keep reading)

In Florida specifically, homeowners insurance costs have now generally risen higher than the mortgage payment for a middle-class family.  This is not sustainable.

Not Good !

Jun 12 2023

The True Story of Hyperinflation


Amstrong Economics Blog/Cryptocurrency Re-Posted Jun 12, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

QUESTION: Dear Mr. Armstrong,
could you please explain what happens in technical terms from a capital flow perspective, when confidence is lost and hyperinflation starts to begin?
For example Turkey. When Erdogan was elected i think you wrote that ever since the lira started dropping. So confidence in politics is key. Do you think one day we will see hyperinflation in Turkey?
And another example, is Yugoslavia: what caused the hyperinflation (in technical terms/capital flow perspective)? Are foreign investors getting rid of the dinars? Too many dinars than suddenly rushed back into Yugoslavia causing hyperinflation?
Regards,
Magdalena Š.

ANSWER: The misnomer about hyperinflation is that it is caused by printing money. It is a RESPONSE to the collapse in the confidence of the government.  If we look at the 3rd century, this is where we find the greatest number of hoards of ancient coins. What began this was the capture of Valerian I by the Persians in 260AD.

Valerian was the first Roman Emperor to be captured and Rome was unable to recuse him. That shook the confidence of the Roman people, but it also was a signal to the barbarian tribes in the North that if the Persians could do it, they could as well. Within 10 years, Emperor Aurelian constructed the great wall around Rome. Never before did Romans have such a defensive wall. That had a powerful army.

There was a trend toward debasing the silver coinage which began with Nero to try to fund the rebuilding of Rome after the Great Fire. But that did not undermine the confidence in the Roman Monetary System any more than our perpetual deficit spending since World War II.

However, a spark is ignited and suddenly that trend turns into what I have called a Waterfall event in the purchasing power of the currency. Such an event has taken various forms. However, the end result is the collapse in the confidence of the government and as a result, that is when you get that waterfall event.

In the case of Germany, Yugoslavia, Hungary, etc, there was a 1918 Revolution where communists seized power and the emperor of Germany lost power. In that case, they actually asked Russia to take Germany after their revolution in 1917. This was the beginning of the Weimar Republic.

Germany was saddled with reparation payments demanded by France. First, you had a communist revolution and people with capital began to flee to other places in Europe or certainly move their money out of German banks. It was this drain of wealth that forced the Weimar Republic to print money to try to make their reparation payments. Then in December 1922, they seized 10% of everyone’s assets and handed them a bond.

Here you can see that after that December 1922 confiscation, hyperinflation simply took over. It was NOT the printing of money that caused the hyperinflation it was the collapse of confidence FIRST which then compels the government to expand the money supply lacking taxation revenues etc.

I suspect the spark this time may be the Digital Currency and the proposed cancellation of paper currency. This is why people are moving to anything tangible from real estate, gold, silver, ancient coins, and even equities. With DIGITAL CURRENCY they will have capital controls and prevent you from even moving money outside of your country.

The precise day of the ECM was the announcement of the IMF Digital Currency which they intend to replace the US dollar as the reserve currency. This may be timed with the turning point in 2024. It is unlikely that they would cancel paper currencies before the 2024 election. This is all being

Jun 8 2023

Gold & the Future


Armstrong Economics Blog/Gold Re-Posted Jun 7, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

QUESTION: Mr. Armstrong, first I want to thank you for your independent analysis. In gold, all they ever say is buy – buy – buy. It seems if you ever say anything else, they ridicule you. Gold to them is a religion, not an investment.

My question is that you have always said that the fourth challenge to a high is when it breaks out. Do you expect that this year?

Thank you ever so much

WK

PS: Was that you at the Premier of Pandemic3?

ANSWER: We still have a barrier of overhead resistance at the 2160-2180 level and some at 2200. After that, the next resistance is around 2600. Keep in mind that Ukraine is the MOST untrustworthy country on the planet. Already arms provided to Ukraine have been used in the attacks inside Russia. The F16s will be used to attack Crimea. All they will do is spread their hatred and they are deliberately trying to create World War III. They will create a false flag to attack a NATO country and claim it was Russia. They have been desperately trying to capture a Russian missile so they can fire it at Poland.

Our computer shows NOTHING but war ahead, especially from 2025 onward. But for now, expect the volatility to begin to rise again from June into next January. INFLATION will NOT subside. It cannot when we are at war. Biden will spend whatever he is instructed by the Neocons.

Yes, I was at the Premier in Austin, Texas. That is me in the background.