Protecting & Growing Your Money

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There’s no doubt that money is important. There’s good reason why most of us devote a huge percentage of our lives to pursuing it.

But there’s much about money that is misunderstood.

Our Money Is Under Attack

Many among the masses don't realize the intense and coordinated efforts currently being waged by central planners to trap and devalue our savings through financial repression. They're being fleeced without being aware of it -- working harder and harder for less and less.

Today’s dangerous cocktail of unnaturally low interest rates, $trillions in thin-air money printing, and sky-high asset price bubbles is putting our capital at great risk. Savers are starved of return, investors will likely get wiped out when the overstretched financial markets inevitably crash, and the purchasing power of our money loses value with each new $trillion printed.

How should you protect yourself against that?

The answer lies in developing an understanding of the forces working against you, and to then take prudent action to counter them. In the coming years, intelligent positioning and asset allocation will mean the difference between financial prosperity and ruin. But to benefit, you have to act before the next crisis hits.

But Remember, Money Doesn't = Happiness

Another misunderstanding people have about money is its relationship to true wealth.

Many overvalue the impact money has on our happiness. They make all sorts of sacrifices in pursuit of money, but remain poor in the things that truly matter.

In our book Prosper!: How to Prepare for the Future and Create a World Worth Inheriting, we examine closely what true wealth is. Yes, money absolutely plays a critical part in it; but it is only one of several pillars – one of 8 Forms of Capital – that we identify as required for a rich life. Good health, purposeful work, meaningful relationships, a resilient lifestyle, self-worth, a supportive community – all of these ingredients are as important as money for overall happiness.

We wrote Prosper! as a resource that those already “awake” to these insights can use to share with family and friends who aren’t yet aware of them.

And since money is a universal attention-grabber as a topic, we’re making our chapter on Financial Capital available here for free – as a means of engaging someone you care about in the discussion. We think it’s one of the best digests of what happening right now with our money system:

https://www.scribd.com/embeds/290079835/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&access_key=key-6BfWBrHtYKJeO676TaEV&show_recommendations=true

 

 

Prosper! is available in print, e-book and audio book form today.

cheers,

Adam & Chris

This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://peakprosperity.com/protecting-growing-your-money/

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When do you think I can get it on Audible? I have a credit waiting for it!

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Rheba -
Just talked with the publisher. While we had hoped it would already be available, they are expediting things with Audible and are hoping to have Prosper! live for downloading by tomorrow or Monday.

The moment it's available, I'll be letting everyone here on the site know.

Thanks!

A

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When Chris' post about the bees dying came out I started to feel like I was not doing enough to help save the environment.
I've answered that feeling by deciding to purchase 20 acres of farmland (what I can afford right now). I'm partnering with a sustainable farmer who is already successful. He told me that there are a lot of young people that want to get into sustainable growing as an occupation, but, of course, being young in this economy means they cannot afford to buy land. So this is a win-win situation for middle-aged people like me who already have a full-time job, but want to somehow facilitate sustainability and jobs for younger people.

It is, like the Prosper chapter on Money says, a lot easier to click a mouse and buy stocks and ETFs, but Wall Street is a casino (and a den of thieves too if you ask me). My investment in farmland will make money for me and make the world a better place at the same time. You don't get that with stocks or hedge funds.    

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pyranablade -
That noise you hear is Chris & I standing on our chairs applauding you

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Pyranablade,
You should keep us updated on the progress of the farm. I'm going to start clearing land up in Maine in March. 10 acres for gardening, and 10 acres of sphagnum moss, fir, cedar, and other medicinal plants/products.

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Thanks Adam and WT.
It was also, of course, the posts about Singing Frogs Farm that sent me down the path I'm on. Things are in the really early stages, but when appropriate I will post updates.

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Chapter 6 describes the deflationary-inflationary (Ka-Poom) theory.  The initial "Ka" phase is a deflationary crunch which includes debt defaults, portfolio losses,  and corporate layoffs.  The second "Poom!" phase a hyperinflationary event.  The books says "we have yet to enter the Ka-Poom! phase."
Although the bubbles have not popped yet, it sure seems like we are witnessing deflation and layoffs.  At least in the mining & extractive industries.  Commodity deflation is significant, mines are closing, oil & gas workers are being laid off, Caterpillar's sales are down for almost 3 straight years, trucking/shipping companies are idling portions of their fleets…

It feels like the "Ka" phase to me.  So, what are the main criteria for identifying whether/when we actually reach it?  If it happens precipitously, are we just looking for a stock market bust?  If it happens gradually, it seems to be here already.  Thoughts? 

P.S.  Thanks for the preview of Chapter 6.  It was excellent, as expected.  I'd already ordered several hard copies and will not be disappointed, based on the preview.   Thanks!    

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I'm tempted to read the book quickly because I want to know this stuff right away, but I am going to take my time.  There are gems that I don't want to miss.  Great book !

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pyranablade - how did you find a young farmer interested in farming your land? How do you get someone interested in putting effort into your land?
I have 40 acres and a 2-bedroom house (currently rented). I would love to find a long-term sustainable farmer for the property. 

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I'm not at that point yet.
In the area I'm buying land a parcel of less than 40 acres rarely hits the market. I cannot afford that much land… but the fella I'm partnering with is planning to add to his farm with a rather large purchase in which he'll somehow break off the 20 acres that I can afford.

I do have 1 piece of advice for you though: A vacant house makes the farming deal much more attractive. The sooner you can get rid of your current renters, the more appealing your land will be to people who can live and work on the same land. 

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We are also working on turning our land into a forest garden. And 40 years ago we bought a farm and enjoyed that lifestyle for many years. our younger neighbors are making a living on less than 20 acres growing organic produce and specialty items such as Tumeric and Ginger they seem to be doing well. they have large homemade hoop green houses . Spices are also generally a good cash crop.

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You’ve re-inspired me. We bought 15 acres an hour outside of Seattle from family about two years ago. I started building a commercial aquaponics greenhouse when we got here to raise trout and leafy greens in a closed loop system. Both structures are up and I’ve made about 70% of the required investment. We had a second baby last September and life got insanely busy. Things changed with work too which has shifted my focus away from farming for the next few years at least. But every morning I see 5,100 feet of beautiful unused greenhouse staring me down on the other side of my barn. Maybe it’s time to start looking for a partner in this project. It may be hard to find someone willing to invest the additional 30% that is required to finish the intended project, but it wouldn’t take much capital at all to grow potted tomatoes until the funds are available to finish what I started. The way I see it, any market share I can take away from big Ag is a win for the environment and my community.

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Somehow this thread of 2015 posts has resurfaced - perhaps intentionally so.
To make a long story short (4 years later), I’m still planting and harvesting on my ~1/4 acre urban plot. Am I still trying to find a way to move to a larger piece of land? You bet!
I think about it every day.
My 2016 attempt to raise Muscovy Ducks in town didn’t work out. In 2018, I found that raising quail was doable, but the eggs are so small and the meat on each bird so small, that I’ll have to build more quail housing if I want to do it right. Instead, I’m still hoping to make my move to the country.

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A big hat tip from me as well pyranablade. And to all the others on the thread who are doing similar things. Great work!
I wish all of you strength and good luck.
Will

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The free chapter is a bunch of blank pages. Am I not understanding this?

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I don’t see anything but blank pages ?
Gotta be extra CAREFUL when buying land, my personal experience was very scary. So i bought 10 acres of beautiful land close to an area full of streams and lakes. A beautiful deep creek ran across it and had well grown cedar and pine trees. Well, turns out a tat covered, tweaker of a neighbor showed up one day as i was checking the survey trying to figure out the limits for a fence. This man told me he owned all the land, (he probably thought i was just checking stuff out). I didn’t tell him i owned 10 acres there, i just let him do his overly tweaked talking. And so he proceeded to tell me all these scary stories of drug deals, meth labs, junkie neighbors, etc. I looked up his name and sure enough, he doesn’t own anything, not even the shack where he lives at with his pregnant wife, but he is a registered sex offender (child molestor), gang member psycho with quite the wrap sheet. Not just that but apparently many tiny houses in the extended area seem to belong to not very honorable members of society (thank goodness for public records) and they kept driving around keeping an eye on me every time i was at my land. Arghhh! Anyway, so long story short, i didn’t feel like making use of my “castle doctrine” rights bcs it wasn’t just this psycho i had to deal with but his local outlaw criminal friends as well. I have a family to protect and i was grossly outnumbered and outgunned with zero cell phone signal. It’s like time and justice don’t touch certain “twilight zone” areas around there…so i sold the land. IT HURT to sell it!!! Land is so easy to fall in love with! Anyway, at least i sold it for twice the amount i bought it for. I did warn the buyer about the not so welcoming neighbors. Oh well…so i’m still stuck in the city but relatively safe. Lesson learned. Sadly it’s not just nice people who want to homestead and grow crops away from cities. Many outlaws also thrive in secluded wooded areas. So this time around i’m trying to buy land near Amish or Menonite communities. Although it is considerably more expensive, i feel at ease around them. I like their moral principles and simple lifestyle. Plus it can be an asset for trading, bartering and learning from them.

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A brief review of history, will reveal that in times and places when law enforcement and courts are non-existent or functioning poorly, dangerous neighbors are dealt with directly by good people. If yours isn’t a “safe” community and you can’t depend on the Sheriff and courts to enforce contracts and criminal law, you have three choices: 1) flee to another locale that might be “safer,” 2) passively accept the danger around you and hope you aren’t targeted, or 3) “deal with” the criminal element yourself.
Most of the discussion at PP.com focuses Options 1 and 2, as is appropriate in a mostly civilized society. But if the coming Collapse does serious enough damage to this civilized society, Option 3 will be chosen by more and more people (especially if fleeing is not possible/practical and waiting to be victimized is “unacceptable”).
In a situation in which there is no rule of law, neighbors like you were describing (those with well-developed criminal resumes and appearances) could very well be in more danger from the good citizens than the good citizens are in from them. What’s to stop the criminal element from robbing, thieving, raping and killing? How about an armed, forceful response from the good citizens? In your example, what is the drug-using, registered sex offender who is also currently victimizing people in the area going to do if he gets visited by 12 heavily armed neighbors who arrive at his ramshackle tinyhouse and “encourage” him to leave and never come back?
Hopefully, it won’t come to that where we live, but it’s a dark possibility we would be wise to thoughtfully consider and prepare for. Millions of people in various places in the world already live like this TODAY (eg. Mexico, South Africa). We’d be fools to cover our eyes, whistle past the graveyard and conclude, “It can’t happen here.”
”Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor.”

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Money

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