jake, try: xaugbp=x

In Deep Risk, W. Berstein states: "Here s the surprising thing about gold: it protects poorly against inflation" and then goes on with various studies as references.

I have to admit I paused for a while when I read that chapter...  Anyone here had a similar reaction?

Zimbabwe.

During the summer I called Scotia to check the spread on CAN bonds.  I insisted on the phone that they tell the bid/ask prices.  The spread was some 0.15%.

I suggest you call your broker to check bid/ask prices.  I would be interested to know what you find if you do so.

I wonder if we could collectively contact her to check if she would agree and under what conditions to have the tapes digitalized.

I am sure we could come up to an agreement.  I expect many people here would like to hear these too.

Does any one have recent information about if/when the Harry Browne Economics of Success and Freedom audio course would be made available?

Apparently his wife has the audio files... it would interesting to listen to.

interesting anecdote about north korea:  the plant grows along the roads, particularly in the northern area close the Chinese border.  I remember having seen bushes that would go for a 100 feet in the ditch along the road and at some places it would reach 10 feet high. I even took a picture of a col...

hi kev, keep it simple. buy from the swiss stock exchange through a swiss online broker (or two). advantages are safer (my opinion) and no witholding tax on bonds and funds income payments. however a 30% on savings axcounts interest payments. stocks: csspx ( fee .2%, trade 10usd plus swiss stamp) or...

should we use a data set of real returns instead of nominal returns? i did an analysis a while back with r-returns for a CA PP and got about 3.5% r-swr the portfolio real value to to decrease. i guess you re at about the same with 5.5% nominal swr.  it did however made me realise that i would get le...

many thanks for answers and the link.

thanks for answers.

interest rates are function of demand/offer and gov has a large control on offer of liquidity, effectively influencing short term rate?

how can we explain existence of bonds with longer maturities? 5years +.

thanks.

hi moda, on an other post you refer to bonds as a tool to set floor interest rates. i am very much interested to understand that mechanism a play.  could you please elaborate a bit on the mechanics of that?  it would really help underrstand why bonds exists, something i currently do not grasp in a f...

For Canada i think you have to be a resident of the country, not just passing by.  Here s what I found. BY BIRTH: Person born on or after February 14, 1977, regardless of the nationalities of the parents. Exceptions to this law include children born to diplomatic personnel and children of parents wh...

"Given solid legal system and low taxes, I think US is an excellent offshore heaven for non-USians."  Well, well. I would strongly object to that.  Given the recent scandals in the US I would lean towards jurisdictions like Switzerland and liechtenstein for non-usians. Much more solid fina...

Arturo, the first one on the list has coupon payments of 3.75% .  However its current yield is some .01%.  So, for a 100EUR bond face value you will have to pay some 101.30EUR these days to buy it.  You will get 3.75% per annum coupon payment at coupon payment date (prorated for the number of days y...

Arturo, Just choose from the list below 3 bonds with the maturity you require. 3 rungs of a 3 year ladder. Once year 1 matures you roll it to a new 3 year maturity. See: http://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/bondladder.asp The issue date and coupon size is not relevant. Just maturity.  Also have a loo...

For EU PP, You could simply consider dividing cash allocation into 3 ladders (one maturing  on March 2014, the other march 2015 and the third march 2016), just choose from the list below (Fälligkeit=maturity in german), take note of ISIN number and call your broker or purchase online: Just make sure...

i run a uspp aside my capp because i forsee that i will need usd during retirement when living outside canada for extended periods.  i also apreciate the diversification.

All things being equal, a passive fund tracking  MSCI USA seems a bit more interesting (604 holdings) than S&P 500.

I am about to increase my exposure to US stock market in my US PP.  I am tempted to switch to using MSCI USA.

Any thoughts? 

Is anyone else horrified that an ongoing Orwellian nightmare literally exists?  It is no longer in the realm of the theoretical, or something that can be swept under the rug.  We all like to worry apathetically about encroaching tyranny here in the West, but it sure seems like ridiculous infantalis...

is there any reason why not to buy german bond 2044?  i never quite understand why people favor funds or etf s.  mind bogling, no offence.

Hi tripleB,

Would you have the link to the radio show you refer to? thanks.

I ve used www.silvermountain.nl on two occasions in past. Good service.

Dualstow, What would be the argument for "heavily taxed"?  Where I come from, the provincial government has the monopoly on distribution and sale of most alcohols and it is heavily taxed.  To accompany that, there are laws prohibiting people to distill their own stuff so government monopol...

"'I would posit that the situation you're referring to only works when the subjugated population has a frame of reference to compare it to.  Free people will fight very hard to throw off imposed shackles.  However, when an entire population has been born into subjugation for generations and ha...