Justin’s note: Today, I’m sharing an important essay from Crisis Investing editor Nick Giambruno. Below, he explains the main cause for the harmful distortions in today’s economy—and why things will only get worse from here.
Fortunately, we just put the finishing touches on the ultimate crisis report to help you protect yourself (and thrive) in the months ahead. Read on to learn more…
By Nick Giambruno, editor, Crisis Investing
You may recall the international spectacle Alan Greenspan sparked in 1996.
In an otherwise dull and forgettable speech, Greenspan, the Federal Reserve chairman at the time, said the now-famous phrase “irrational exuberance.”
Investors thought Greenspan meant the Fed was about to raise interest rates.
Of course, Greenspan didn’t say the Fed would raise rates. Nor did he intend to signal that.
Nonetheless, investors quickly panicked.
US markets were closed at the time, but stocks in Japan and Hong Kong dropped 3%. The German stock market fell 4%. When trading started in the US the next day, the market opened down 2%.
Billions of dollars of wealth vanished in 16 hours… all because one man said two words.
That’s an absurd amount of power for one person to have.
It’s also a shameful testament about the economy. It’s based more on the Fed’s shenanigans than actual production.
After the US president, the Fed chair is the most powerful person on the planet.
By simply saying the right words, the Fed can create or destroy trillions of dollars of wealth in both the US and abroad.
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We’re in Uncharted Territory
Throughout the 1920s, the Federal Reserve’s easy-money policies helped create an enormous stock market bubble.
In August 1929, the Fed raised interest rates and effectively ended the easy credit.
Only a few months later, the bubble burst on Black Tuesday. The Dow lost over 12% that day. It was the most devastating stock market crash in the US up to that point. It also signaled the beginning of the Great Depression.
Fast forward to today…
The economy has been on life support since the 2008 financial crisis. The Fed has pumped it up with unprecedented amounts of “stimulus.” This has created enormous distortions and misallocations of capital that need to be flushed.
Think of the trillions of dollars in money-printing programs—euphemistically called quantitative easing (QE) 1, 2, and 3.
Meanwhile, with zero and even negative interest rates in many countries, rates are the lowest they’ve been in 5,000 years of recorded human history.
This is not hyperbole. We’re really in uncharted territory. (Interest rates were never lower than 6% in ancient Greece and ranged from 4% to over 12% in ancient Rome.)
The too-big-to-fail banks are even bigger than they were in 2008. They have more derivatives, and they’re much more dangerous.
Allegedly, the Fed has been taking these actions to save the economy.
In truth, it’s warped the economy far more drastically than it did in the ’20s. I expect the resulting crash to be that much bigger.
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The Biggest Threat to Your Financial Well-Being
The mainstream “fake news” media endlessly praises the Fed. It portrays Fed employees as a bunch of selfless, benign bureaucrats trying to save the economy.
In reality, the Fed is the primary cause of most of the harmful distortions in the economy.
You can blame the Fed for…
✔ Unlimited money printing
✔ Artificially low interest rates
✔ The boom/bust cycle
✔ Bailout funds to prop up “too-big-to-fail” institutions
✔ The War on Cash
✔ Cronyism in the financial industry
✔ Various asset bubbles
… just to name a few.
If you ask me, the Fed is the biggest threat to your financial well-being.
Period.
Today, That Threat May Be Imminent
Last December, the Fed raised interest rates to their highest levels since the 2008 crash.
That could help prick the massive bubble in the stock and bond markets.
But the threat goes beyond that. Even a small rate increase could also be lethal for the US budget, which is built on credit.
In other words, economic depression and currency inflation (perhaps hyperinflation) are very much in the cards.
These things rarely lead to anything but bigger government, less freedom, and shrinking prosperity. Sometimes, they lead to much worse.
Fortunately, you don’t need to be hostage to what’s coming. You can take a few steps today to prepare for the worst.
To help you get started, our team just put together the Ultimate Crisis Playbook.
With 109 pages full of tactical steps from every guru across our business, this market crash guide is designed not just to help you protect your wealth in the months ahead… but also to prosper.
You can download it for free right here.
Regards,
Nick Giambruno
Editor, Crisis Investing
Reader Mailbag
Today, readers weigh in on John Hunt’s recent essay on racism:
Well done, but only educated people will read through it, get to the truth of the issue, and subscribe. Unfortunately, those who benefit and those who use it to their advantage don't want to recognize that they are being used.
—Joyce
An intellectual talk about racism. I don’t like the term diversity. I think from now on, instead of diversity, they should just call it what it is: bigotry!
—Craig
Good one.
—Judy
Mr. Hunt, I’m not sure what world you live in, but your views and perspectives on racism vastly differ from mine. Perhaps you should stick to investments and the financial markets.
—Larry
If you have any questions or suggestions for the Dispatch, send them to us right here.
In Case You Missed It…
Our colleague Teeka Tiwari, one of the world’s top cryptocurrency experts, has an urgent message…
“I just returned from a three-month, international cryptocurrency investigation. Based on what I found, I believe we’re on the cusp of a ‘Second Boom.’”
And he’s explaining all the details in a live crypto emergency broadcast on Wednesday, March 14. Teeka’s never shared this information in an in-depth presentation. To sign up for this event, click here.
