Editor’s Commentary: Sentiment is arguably the most powerful force behind major economic moves. When sentiment is high, economies often boom. When sentiment is low, they can bust. How the people feel can prompt movement in markets which then causes more people to feel the same way. It’s very much like a self-fulfilling prophecy of fiscal ebbing and flowing.
It’s for this reason that I’m always very cautious when ringing the alarm bells about the economy. On one hand, I have been warning readers of challenges that could impact their financial situation. For months I have said the biggest threat to banks and investment firms is wokeness; the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank can be directly attributed to exactly why I’ve been predicting.
On the other hand, I do not want my voice to add to fear that could help bring about the things that scare us. With that said, it certainly appears that the things that have concerned me and others are coming to pass which is why I’m more bullish than ever about moving retirement accounts and wealth to physical precious metals. I recommend three gold companies, but for this specific time I’m encouraging people to talk to my Christian, America First precious metals partner. They seem most suited to help people through what’s happening in America today. Here’s Jack Philips from The Epoch Times with more news on what’s happening with banks.
2 More Banks Seek to Reassure Customers After Silicon Valley Bank Collapse
California-based First Republic Bank and Arizona-based Western Alliance Bancorporation both attempted to calm nerves around the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank after shares for both financial institutions plunged in the past week or so.
First Republic Bank told customers that their deposits were safe amid fears of spillover caused by SVB’s collapse late last week and as shares of First Republic Bank dropped 33 percent over the past five days.
In a regulatory filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Friday, First Republic said its liquidity position remains strong amid falling share prices.
Coffee the Christian way: Promised Grounds
“This filing reiterates First Republic’s continued safety and stability and strong capital and liquidity positions,” the filing stated. “First Republic’s deposit base is strong and very-well diversified. Consumer deposits have an average account size of less than $200,000 and business deposits have an average account size of less than $500,000.”
The U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insures deposits up to $250,000 per depositor per insured bank, for each account category. There were reports that about 85 percent of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) accounts weren’t insured as the financial institution was often used by tech firms and startups.
“Within business deposits, no one sector represents more than 9 percent of total deposits, with the largest being diversified real estate. Technology-related deposits represent only 4 percent of total deposits,” First Republic also said. Its investment portfolio is less than 15 percent of total bank assets and only less than 2 percent of total bank assets are categorized as available for sale.
Silicon Valley Bank is the first FDIC-insured institution to fail this year, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation said, although analysts noted that its collapse represents the largest bank to fall since 2008 when Washington Mutual collapsed. The last FDIC-insured institution to close was Almena State Bank in Kansas on Oct. 23, 2020.
Meanwhile, Western Alliance, based in Phoenix, issued a news release on March 11 that “deposits remain strong,” saying that “total deposits of $61.5 billion, an increase of $7.8 billion since year end, led by our deposit verticals of Settlement Services, Home Owner Associations and Mortgage Warehouse. The company expects deposits to moderately decline from these levels by quarter end due to typical seasonal and monthly activity.”
Like First Republic, shares of Western Alliance have plunged about 35 percent. As of Friday, it held $2.5 billion cash on its balance sheet while held-to-maturity securities made up less than 2 percent of assets with an unrecognized loss of $192 million as of Feb. 28.
Fears
On Twitter, a highly visible post alleged that people were going on “a bank run” at a Brentwood, California, First Republic Bank location. That post’s video, shot from a moving vehicle, showed what appeared to be a long line of people standing outside the branch.
“I’ve never seen a bank run in Brentwood Los Angeles in over 40 years—this is at first republic bank branch. People standing in rain,” the user alleged on March 11. The Epoch Times has contacted First Republic Bank for comment on the claim and others.
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A Daily Mail article, too, published photos of the long lines outside the Brentwood location. Before SVB’s collapse, depositors moved to withdraw their money en masse, triggering California state regulators to shutter the bank and allow the FDIC to take over.
Those concerns were also exacerbated by a Wall Street Journal article with a headline that blared, “First Republic Hit by Silicon Valley Bank Failure” and that “investors have grown wary of First Republic Bank for reasons similar to those that caused concern at SVB.”
The bank, which was founded in San Francisco in 1985, has some 80 branches in 11 states around the United States. The WSJ article noted that the bank’s funding relies largely on wealthy individuals who want to seek higher yields on their money.
With about $212 billion in total assets, First Republic Bank is the 14th largest in the United States. Western Alliance is smaller, with about $34 billion in total assets.
Reuters contributed to this report. Image by Ali Eminov via Flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0.
Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
Two more banks? Add Zion to the list. They sent emails to me and my wife that they are “fine” and not to worry.