No different than any other tangible asset of value, really. Could as easily redeem for land. Or widgets. But land and other widgets, such as pork bellies, are not as compact, durable, transportable or as liquid as gold. As proof of this, FDR did not confiscate land or pork bellies, only gold. I ju...

Welcome back, Gumby! My faith in (terrestrial) resurrection has been restored. I have to confess I don't know much about nutrition and health, but I hope you will contribute more to the  finance-related threads here on the PP board, as I think you are one of the best-informed folks around. Good fina...

I can't count on the gold as the japanese historical example have shown gold doesn't act as a hedge against the stock market.... t Good luck, Lord M, but is the Japanese model necessarily relevant to what might happen in other countries? For example (and correct me if I am wrong), Japanese investor...

Gooooold!  ;D You can say that again, Tyler. I rolled over most of my stake  into the PP in early 2013, not long before the yellow stuff took its first stomach-turning dive. The past three years (except for 2014)have not been terribly encouraging, until now. Yeah, baby! It's days like this that tel...

Craig,  MT, Treasury Direct may be easier but, as was said about TLT being a bunch of "1"s and "0"s recently, not the safest route. Personally, I have had no problems with TD, but other people have. But I do worry about some hackers in Russia, China or  ______  breaking into the...

The old Budd is no more! He was kicked to the curb in late 2015 and never to return. I am at peace with my investments and especially the PP. Budd, Budd, don't you know your not supposed to smoke that Mongolian dope? It's bad stuff, it gives you headaches!! (Just kidding, I am paraphrasing an old S...

What's the difference between a negative savings rate and inflation? In either case, the purcashing power of your savings is being taken -- in one case in nominal terms (likely in real as well), in the other in real terms. As  Rev. Goodasgold never tires of preaching, think I-bonds, I-bonds, and MO...

Coming soon to a country very near to you? It's about time major Western governments clamped down on those pesky consumers who think they have a right to control their own money:  :P http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-02-03/germany-unveils-cash-controls-push-ban-transactions-over-%E2%82%AC5000-%E2%8...

Gone are the days when we were singing the praise of I-Bonds (one kind of US Savings Bonds) in so-called deep cash, but they'll come back into favor one day. Well, I'm still singing the praises of I-bonds. The 30-year tax deferral, with no state or local taxation, combined with guaranteed inflation...

In discussing gold funds, what about the SWAN factor (Sleep Well At Night?) SGOL's physical gold is locked up in Swiss vaults.  IAU's physical gold is held in U.S. vaults. In the future, when a broke and desperate U.S. government demands that IAU hand over its krugerrands, IAU will have little choic...

And what about all those moronic bond companies and  "experts" that were gobbling up huge quantities of "can't lose" Puerto Rican bonds up to the day the PR governor told all of them to go to hell with their expectations of getting their money back, not to mention any interest pa...

After my adventures in trading land I have concluded that no one can know anything.... The Permanent Portfolio is quiet brilliant and I can only hope that it will continue to perform according to the plan in the future because I am switching back to it. I need to concentrate my efforts on providing...

depends on your wife spending habits... but i think 4 million my number.... it really depends where you live... car you want to drive etc.. Perspectives differ. I haven't driven a car (except short-term rentals when traveling outside of New York City) for 25 years. "Some things are really nece...

Has Ray Dalio ever acknowledged that he lifted his portfolio from St. Harry Browne?

If I won (which I won't, because I didn't buy any tickets), I would begin a huge publicity campaign to educate people as to the "unwisdom" (I'm being tactful here) of sinking billions of their hard-earned spendolas into lottery tickets. 

The big question, though, is whether this company has ever had to pay out a claim, and if so, did they keep their promises? Excellent point, Sophie. I read the prospectus, and they even say they pay for losses caused by acts of war. So far as I know, no insurance company does this, so I am skeptica...

Several years ago I had to take two ambulance rides to the ER following a kidney stone attack.  :o The ambulance wasn't covered by my insurance. Weeks later, when the hospital called me on the phone to request payment, they offered me a 50% discount if I paid immediately using a debit card. I gladly...

BearBones wrote: What changes to make, if any, if large percentage of assets taxable and in highest tax bracket? Any recommendations without subjecting assets to undue risk?

I assume you are taking full advantage of Roth IRAs, physical gold and I-bonds.

Congratulations on the new addition to your family, PS.  Hope all is well and you all get some rest ... and even some sleep.  ;) Congratulations to you and your wife, PS! Regarding Mountaineer's wish that you get some rest, I have seen some infants, in their strollers, wearing a t-shirt that says: ...

So what was the inflation rate for 2015?

Counting both my PP and VP, I am down about 3% in nominal terms for 2015. No big deal, although a big gain in 2016 would be nice. 

Standard checking and savings accounts. These are the most common financial accounts that the broad base of people own and use, and as such they are untouchable. I respectfully disagree, PS. Deliberately (or desperately) inflating the currency, thereby sharply depreciating the value of cash already...

I like the concept of this thread, so here's a not terribly original contribution, though one of my favorites:  The Chicken Cycle.... Good posting on making chicken stock, WiseOne. I do the same with turkey leftovers on major holidays. I don't think it was quite explicit in your posting, but it is ...

flip a coin Is flipping a coin your usual method for determining what to invest in on a weekly basis?  Or is a Ouija board the way to go?  8) I personally think it is instructive that the great John Bogle has said that not only does he not know anyone who has consistently timed the market with succ...

  A currency issuer cannot ever hard default... Greece is not a currency issuer.... Puerto Rico is not a currency issuer... They're.... not real obligations.... Its the debt service that ultimately matters, not the outstanding amount of the debt.  We now exist in a debt-based monetary system that r...

I am not personally attacking anyone, least of all myself, when I acknowledge being a follower of folks like Milton Friedman, Pete Peterson and David Walker. That's fine, but they're stuck in pre-1971 era fixed exchange rate monetary system thinking, not current operational reality. I'm not worried...