I keep coming back to this, because the future changes i see coming are really troubling.
All the old advice is wrong, and getting worse.
Just like going to college, get a degree… work as a barista at Starbukins.
Our retirement savings advice is for a different time.
The things that were assets are no longer assets.
And many people do not realize that the asset status has already left.
Stocks
Already, stocks are WAY overvalued. They are not valued by what the corporation can produce, their dividends. Thus they are valued by what the next sucker will pay for them. And when lots of people are buying stocks, the market seems solid.
However, the solidity is an illusion. At any moment, the big buyers could halt trading. All of a sudden, you can't sell your shares, and down goes the price, and down, and down. (The Plunge Protection Team, inside the Fed, makes sure this doesn't happen by buying up stock with free money. And they could stop backstopping the stock market at any moment)
Also, you don't own any stock. You own a promise, on a promise, on a promise on a deal to get a stock at a certain price. When the music stops, people will find that they have nothing. All those promises mean nothing.
Further, it looks like there is GREAT fraud in the stock market. More shares are being traded then there are shares available to trade. And, at some point, it is going to become apparent that this is happening. Then, a long time of figuring out who owns what stock will start. The boomers who had stocks in their retirement fund, will probably expire before they get their stocks back.
So, basically, the retirement accounts were forced into the stock market, which has been robbed and pillaged, and soon, it will become apparent that this asset class is gone.
Real Estate
The only thing keeping the real estate market up is that no one wants to sell their house at a loss. And, so the only houses that are selling is expensive houses to rich people. But this is that Wile E Coyote moment where he has run off the cliff, and is standing on air.
There is nothing supporting the real estate market. And, soon, it will be a race to the bottom
- Boomers, who own ¼ of the houses, are about to leave their houses for a retirement home or a mortuary plot.
- Many more VAXXX deaths (or the next scamdemic) are about to befall us.
- Immigrants are about to make a run for the border.
- Huge numbers of foreclosures are now being processed.
- AirBNB has turned unprofitable, and they are selling their units.
- REITs are selling off their stock. As they can't rent for what they need to cover higher insurance and upkeep costs.
- The people that can, have been leaving the big cities.
- Builders are now paying people to buy their recently completed houses.
- Demographics are dropping. There is no longer a need for more housing.
The commercial real estate is even worse trouble. Big buildings being sold at 10¢ on the dollar.
If you want to keep some of the equity in your house, sell it last year.
Money in the bank
This used to be the gold standard asset. But, this relies on their still being a bank, a banking system, and people who want that currency.
We have entered the time when (this current incarnation of) the dollar is to die. Fiat currencies rarely last long longer than 30 years. And the dollar is getting very long in the tooth. And, of course the banksters figured they would launch a world war and then replace the dollar while no one was looking.
Too bad for the banksters, that the WW3 is not taking off. However, it also means that the dollar is going to crash right in front of our faces.
You can see all kinds of plans being enacted, and things being moved, to… Trump is looking for the gold that should be in Ft. Knox, while someone has been moving a lot of gold into America.
A gold backed digital currency seems to be in the works. (basically a CBDC, with a signing bonus)
And, this probably means that the dollar is going to REALLY CRASH, and people are going to need some assurances that tons of paper isn't printed again. Trust will be at an all time low.
But, for right now, your money in the bank is really close to disappearing.
The assets of the future
- Money in the bank will be replaced by crypto currencies (bitcoin, litecoin, and probably even doge)
- Real estate will be replaced by homesteads that you really do own. (sorry govern-cement, you are not allowed in)
- Stocks will be replaced by locally made, distributed manufacturing and actually knowing your supplier.
Everyone will have chickens, and no one will be complaining about egg prices. Nor, will they be subjected to horrible factory farm eggs.
Once you have your homestead working and your chickens laying and no-debt money, you really do not need much for retirement.
In the future (probably nearer than i want to imagine):
- Have cash (pieces of paper, not in the bank)
- Have silver (sure gold is ok, but silver will probably go 1:1 with gold, do the math)
- Have cryptos (especially bitcoin)
There will be a time when each of these will be very important.
There will be a time when the banks close/crash, and during that in between time, cash will be king.
I believe that later in THIS bull market cycle, houses/crypto will explode. "You will be shocked how much house you can get for little crypto" (of course, this could be the next bull run, but i believe it is later this year)
And cry now for the loss of your retirement saving. You might be able to shift a 401k into a self direct, you hold the bitcoin, IRA, but i do not think there is enough time left. So, mourn now, and get yourself over it. The crypto and the silver will more than make up for it. (again, we may have years left in the old system, but i am seeing things fall away as i type, so i am feeling it is months.)
One of the worst things to do in a disaster is hold onto old dreams. That prime suburban real estate, will soon be acres of abandoned tract houses. so, let it go, at least mentally. Don't ride it in to the scene of the crash.