Other good investments besides PMs?

[jk1]

Hi guys, I love PMs as an investment and protection of wealth. I currently have about 600oz of silver and I am happy with my current supply and need to start exploring other things to put my money into. I don't like the idea of putting money into an IRA and having the government tell me when it's ok for me to start using it, and I also hate capital gains (who doesn't). I was wondering if anyone on here knows of any other good investment vehicles like PMs that help to minimize exposure to these two ugly beasts?

[Seraphim]

Hi guys, I love PMs as an investment and protection of wealth. I currently have about 600oz of silver and I am happy with my current supply and need to start exploring other things to put my money into. I don't like the idea of putting money into an IRA and having the government tell me when it's ok for me to start using it, and I also hate capital gains (who doesn't). I was wondering if anyone on here knows of any other good investment vehicles like PMs that help to minimize exposure to these two ugly beasts?

great job on 600OZ of silver. Do you have any gold? It's a very easy way to store a lot of value in very small weight.

Other great investments: Real estate and energy.

Energy because sooner rather than later the cost of food production and heating/cooling our houses is going to be unimagineable due to, primarily, oil prices.

The cost of food is EXTREMELY tied to oil prices. The quicker people (and the more people) that start reverting their households to other energy sources like solar, GEOTHERMAL and grow some of their own food, the better they will be when SHTF. Combine that with say, a newer model hybrid car, and you have a VERY cost efficient way to live from an energy standpoint and takes you off the tit of big oil.

Real estate is pretty self explanatory. As long as you don't over extend yourself (I.E get what you can afford) and maximize the montlhy payment (so that you pay as little interest as possible) you should be ok. If you are in the USA, prices are more affordable then before and are likely to drop again so waiting may not be a bad idea.

[Original_Intent]

Food storage, guns and ammo. farm land.

[YumYum]

Food storage, guns and ammo. farm land.

Food will go up 1000% within the next three years.

[brandon]

Start funding an IRA or 401k for retirement

[Seraphim]

Start funding an IRA or 401k for retirement

I hope this was sarcasm. There is no way an informed person makes that statement. All other above statements I agree with.

[brandon]

I hope this was sarcasm. There is no way an informed person makes that statement. All other above statements I agree with.

I hope your statement is sarcasm. Really. I worry about some of the people around here...

[Jordan]

I hope this was sarcasm. There is no way an informed person makes that statement. All other above statements I agree with.

I lol'd.

[WaltM]

Food will go up 1000% within the next three years.

wtf?

is that going to happen without the same happening to houses and gas?

[jk1]

Great, so far I have put your money into exactly what you said you didn't want to, and option two is buy 500lbs of potatoes.

[Matt Collins]

PMs and commodities are not investments, they are speculation.

[YumYum]

wtf?

is that going to happen without the same happening to houses and gas?

The report I read was independent of housing. It was based on supply and demand, where demand continues to increase in China and India, and due to a severe water shortage in the world due to all the droughts that are happening. The price of oil figures into the escalating cost of food, but the real culprit is a shortage of water.

[jk1]

PMs and commodities are not investments, they are speculation.

Anything you place money into for future benefit is based on speculation. You don't speculate on a strong dollar, speculate on a strong consumer acceptance of a companies new product, speculate on historical data having any influence over future performance (which it doesn't)?

Edit: Even if you were to place money into a CD, bond, bank account or another "safe investment" you are still speculating that the dollar will be as strong or stronger than when you placed it into that investment, otherwise it wasn't much of an investment was it?

[WaltM]

The report I read was independent of housing. It was based on supply and demand, where demand continues to increase in China and India, and due to a severe water shortage in the world due to all the droughts that are happening. The price of oil figures into the escalating cost of food, but the real culprit is a shortage of water.

droughts? that's part of a global warming fearmongering campaign.

[WaltM]

PMs and commodities are not investments, they are speculation.

According to wikipedia

Investment is the commitment of money or capital to purchase financial instruments or other assets in order to gain profitable returns in form of interest, income, or appreciation of the value of the instrument.

An investment involves the choice by an individual or an organization such as a pension fund, after some analysis or thought, to place or lend money in a vehicle, instrument or asset, such as property, commodity, stock, bond, financial derivatives (e.g. futures or options),........

How is PM & commodities not an investment?
And how is speculation not an investment?

[Seraphim]

wtf?

is that going to happen without the same happening to houses and gas?

Food prices going up to a big degree (whatever % it is) is going to be largely due to to oil prices. If oil prices go up so do food prices. Price of oil effects the price of just about everything in the world, food being a BIG one.

[Seraphim]

PMs and commodities are not investments, they are speculation.

What the hay?

Anything you put capital into with the intent of saving, profiting or protecting wealth is an investment. Commodities not an investment? Double what the hay!?

[theoakman]

Most people don't have the money or access to markets to get involved in agricultural commodities like wheat. Gold and Silver are the easiest and safest vehicles to weather this crisis. Beyond that, energy is a sure play given the long term fundamentals of the global economy. Peak oil is real and the population shows no signs of decreasing their demand for oil. Investing in petroleum companies is pretty safe from a long term perspective. The most viable forms of alternative energy investments outside of oil are probably coal, natural gas, or nuclear. Keep in mind, this type of play is on the time scale of 10 to 20 years. The safest way to play agriculture is probably to buy fertilizer companies because the fertilizer will be needed regardless of what crops are in demand.

Things to focus on:

Gold & Silver, and other precious metals, not just the metals themselves but some mining stocks as well.

Petroleum, Natural Gas, Coal: The greatest natural resources ever.

Agriculture: Maybe a large Agriculture ETF like MOO or a selection of fertilizer companies.




Things to avoid:

Bonds: Unless you are getting a 10% annual return on your bonds, I would run like hell.

Tech stocks - Most tech stocks are based on fads or consumer demand

Finance stocks - Some will shine simply because they get free money while others get taken to the chopping block. You can get rich or poor in these.

[Matt Collins]

Anything you place money into for future benefit is based on speculation. You don't speculate on a strong dollar, speculate on a strong consumer acceptance of a companies new product, speculate on historical data having any influence over future performance (which it doesn't)?

Edit: Even if you were to place money into a CD, bond, bank account or another "safe investment" you are still speculating that the dollar will be as strong or stronger than when you placed it into that investment, otherwise it wasn't much of an investment was it?

How is PM & commodities not an investment?
And how is speculation not an investment?

Anything you put capital into with the intent of saving, profiting or protecting wealth is an investment. Commodities not an investment? Double what the hay!?

Actually no. Investing means putting money into something productive or something that produces something (such as a company or a business etc). Speculation is not the same as investing because pm's don't produce or generate anything..

[WaltM]

Actually no. Investing means putting money into something productive or something that produces something (such as a company or a business etc). Speculation is not the same as investing because pm's don't produce or generate anything..

what's your definition of produce?

creating matter out of non-matter?

rearranging material in a way it can be profitable?

is my demolition company a productive business?

[Matt Collins]

what's your definition of produce?

creating matter out of non-matter?

rearranging material in a way it can be profitable?

is my demolition company a productive business?

Taking capital and using it to generate profit by producing goods or providing a service.

[WaltM]

Taking capital and using it to generate profit by producing goods or providing a service.

what is your definition of PRODUCING GOODS?

Is cutting down trees or demolishing buildings "providing a service"?

Must it involve labor? Or does it just need to meet the demand of the buyer?

If I'm asking you to give me a book, and because I can't find it elsewhere, you charge more for it, have you "produced goods or provided service" to me?

[ibaghdadi]

Hi guys, I love PMs as an investment and protection of wealth. I currently have about 600oz of silver and I am happy with my current supply and need to start exploring other things to put my money into.

I don't know if a lot of people understand this, but PMs are more a saving scheme than an investment. When gold becomes "expensive" it's actually the other way round - the dollar (and/or other fiat currencies) is losing value.

I like stocks and forex, but only on a short-term, easy-to-close basis. What mostly works for me is to make money in stocks/forex and then "freeze" the profits as commodities (gold/silver/etc.)

[Seraphim]

I don't know if a lot of people understand this, but PMs are more a saving scheme than an investment. When gold becomes "expensive" it's actually the other way round - the dollar (and/or other fiat currencies) is losing value.

I like stocks and forex, but only on a short-term, easy-to-close basis. What mostly works for me is to make money in stocks/forex and then "freeze" the profits as commodities (gold/silver/etc.)

Exactly. Which is a form of investment in my mind, but stable savings is more accurate.

[cubical]

so you guys are telling me I shouldn't have just taken out my life savings and invested in a 30 year bond this morning?

[Jordan]

Start funding an IRA or 401k for retirement

This is the best advice in this thread.

If you're offered a 401k with any match whatsoever you'd be a complete idiot not to take it. Many companies offer 25-100% match on up to 6% of your income.

There isn't a single investment vehicle in the world that will give you a guaranteed 25-100% return the second you make an investment. Take the money, run if you have to, but take the money.

[Arklatex]

Buy a boat and fishing line. Invest in meditation. Equities will be gone tomorrow.


YouTube - Chinese Slow Instrumental Music

[Matt Collins]

Is cutting down trees or demolishing buildings "providing a service"?

Of course.

Must it involve labor? Or does it just need to meet the demand of the buyer?

Does it generate profit by serving a need?

If I'm asking you to give me a book, and because I can't find it elsewhere, you charge more for it, have you "produced goods or provided service" to me?

You have provided a service and exchanged goods.

[WaltM]

Of course.

Does it generate profit by serving a need?

You have provided a service and exchanged goods.

ok, so as long as I put money into something that somebody will want to pay me for later, I've provided a service, or committed to providing the service of selling the commodity, or hoarding it.

[WaltM]

This is the best advice in this thread.

If you're offered a 401k with any match whatsoever you'd be a complete idiot not to take it. Many companies offer 25-100% match on up to 6% of your income.

There isn't a single investment vehicle in the world that will give you a guaranteed 25-100% return the second you make an investment. Take the money, run if you have to, but take the money.

what good is matching, or doubling your investment if it depreciates later by 50% or more?