asset allocation Archives - Page 2 of 2

Employing the Infinite Banking Concept

submitted by jwithrow.

Yesterday we examined the merits of the Infinite Banking Concept. Today let’s look at some IBC strategies to build capital and mitigate inflation.

If you combine the Infinite Banking Concept with a fundamental asset allocation model you have the makings of your own personal central bank. If one were so inclined, just like a central bank, one could establish tangible reserve requirements and use the policy’s ever-growing capital base to purchase tangible assets. Your job as Chairman would be to continuously acquire assets based on your allocation model as your central bank’s capital base grew in size to maintain your specified reserve ratios.

The possibilities with this strategy are endless!

The hardest part of employing the Infinite Banking Concept is being patient enough to capitalize your policy over the first several years until the policy becomes self-sustaining.

Imagine a world in which more people take control over their financial destiny by using the Infinite Banking Concept as an integral part of their financial plan. This strategy has the power to mitigate the boom-bust cycles created by the Federal Reserve and the fractional-reserve banks because people employing the IBC strategy would not have much need for traditional bank financing.

The power of the Infinite Banking Concept can truly be unlocked if families were to implement this strategy generationally. For example: what if parents were to set up IBC policies for their children as soon as they were born?

The IBC policy would have the opportunity to grow for twenty years or more, and the next generation would automatically have a large pool of capital available to them upon their maturation into adult-hood. This pool of capital could be used to finance specialized education or to start a business with no student or bank loan necessary.

The child would also receive a substantial death benefit payment down the road when the parents were to pass on from this world. That death benefit could then be used to set up larger IBC policies for future generations so the family’s pool of capital would continuously grow over subsequent generations. Every single one of your children and grandchildren would have access to a significant pool of capital to help them build self-sufficiency and resiliency.

Talk about an individual revolution!

A generational implementation of IBC in this way could gradually transfer the power of the purse away from governments, central banks, and Wall Street and back into the hands of individuals where it belongs. This would cause the financial sector to shrink tremendously, which would free up capital for more productive purposes across the board.

You see, the financial sector doesn’t really produce much of anything. It is more like the money changers of old in that the financial sector does little more than temporarily warehouse capital and then move it around, siphoning off small fees at every stop along the way. The financial sector certainly plays a very important role in a developed economy, but that role should be much smaller than what it is today.

So how do we know that the IBC strategy will survive the Great Reset? The answer is that we don’t know anything for sure.

But life insurance companies have a built-in inflation hedge as they can charge higher premiums to new customers on an ongoing basis as the currency loses value. Additionally, if the currency were to completely collapse, it is highly likely that life insurance companies would re-value their policies in terms of a new currency or maybe gold (we should be so lucky). Also, if you operate your personal central bank wisely and use your capital to purchase precious metals and other real assets, then you have a currency hedging strategy already in place.

Hopefully this chapter has done the Infinite Banking Concept justice, and you can see why we think it is a powerful tool for individuals disciplined enough to devote the time and resources necessary to capitalize a policy.

How to Insulate Your Portfolio from the Fed’s Financial Destruction

submitted by jwithrow.

Journal of a Wayward Philosopher
How to Insulate Your Portfolio from the Fed’s Financial Destruction

January 16, 2015
Hot Springs, VA

The S&P opened at $1,992 today. Gold is up to $1,267 per ounce. Oil is back down under $47 per barrel. Bitcoin is checking in at $210 per BTC, and the 10-year Treasury rate opened at 1.72% today. Famed Swiss economist Marc Faber went on record at a global strategy session this week saying he expected gold to go up significantly in 2015 – possibly even 30%.

Yesterday we examined the Fed’s activity since 2007 and we noticed $3.61 trillion dollars sloshing around in the financial system that didn’t exist previously. Then we put two and two together and realized the answer was four… not five as the mainstream media claims. We came to the conclusion that the entire financial system is now dependent upon exponential credit creation out of thin air and that financial destruction cometh once the credit expansion stops.

Today let’s discuss some ideas for insulating our balance sheet from the ongoing financial crisis and the inevitable crack-up on the horizon.

The first and most important thing to understand is the difference between real money and fiat money. The Fed (and other central banks) issue fiat money at will – created from nothing. Dollars, euros, yen… none of them are real money; they are all fiat. These currencies do not represent real work, savings, or wealth and they certainly are not backed by anything of substance.

Most of these currencies exist as digital units out in cyberspace but if you read one of the paper notes in circulation it is completely honest with you:

”This note is legal tender for all debts, public and private.”

That means central bank notes are really good for paying debts but that’s about the extent of it.

All of these currencies depreciate over time in terms of purchasing power because they have no intrinsic value and their supply is unlimited. Even when a currency is “strong” as the U.S. dollar is currently, it is only strong measured against other currencies. Measure the dollar against your cost of living and you will see the real picture.

The point is we can’t trust central bank money.

Which leads us to the first way to insulate your portfolio from the Fed’s carnage: convert fiat money into real money – gold and silver. Gold and silver were demonetized in the late 60’s and early 70’s and the establishment has been downplaying their significance ever since. But there is a reason every central bank in the world still stockpiles gold. Gold and silver have been money for centuries and that is not going to change in a brief fifty year time span. Maybe one day cryptocurrencies will take the torch from gold and silver but that day is not today.

It is wise to maintain an asset allocation of 10-30% in physical gold and silver bullion. Precious metals will skyrocket in price measured against fiat currency as the Fed’s financial destruction plays out but in reality they are just a store of value. Precious metals will skyrocket in price only in terms of the fiat currency that is depreciating so dramatically.

Energy and commodity stocks, especially well managed resource companies, stand to boom as the monetary madness plays out as well. This is not a long-term strategy, however, so any gains captured during the commodity boom should be converted into hard assets or blue-chip equities after they have finished falling in price. There is enormous risk in the stock market so equities should make up a smaller portion of your asset allocation: 10-15% perhaps.

Despite everything said about fiat currency above, cash should still make up a large percentage of your portfolio; probably 20-30%. Cash loses purchasing power over time but it is still the primary medium of exchange so it is necessary to remain liquid. Ideally you should keep 6-12 months worth of reserve funds in cash and any cash above that threshold can be used to acquire assets as they go on sale. And plenty of assets will go on sale when the credit expansion stops.

The remainder of your asset allocation should be in real estate, provisions, other hard assets, and anything else that improves your quality of life. With all of the unjust systems and institutions to contend with it is easy to forget most of us are far richer than the wealthiest individuals living at the beginning of the 20th century. We have central heating and air in our homes, reliable auto travel over long distances, affordable air travel to anywhere in the world, way too much entertainment, cheap access to the internet which opens the door to all manner of information/commerce/entertainment, pocket-sized computers that double as telephones, and many other modern comforts that would be considered futuristic luxuries by the wealthiest of the wealthy one hundred years ago.

After properly aligning your portfolio to weather the Fed’s financial storm, focus on aligning your life to maximize fulfillment, purpose, and peace of mind. After all, your most valuable asset is time and time cannot be measured in financial terms.

More to come,

Joe Withrow
Wayward Philosopher

For more of Joe’s thoughts on the “Great Reset” and the fiat monetary system please read “The Individual is Rising” which is available at http://www.theindividualisrising.com/. The book is also available on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle editions.

Of Gold, Energy Stocks, and Bitcoin – Opportunities for the New Year

submitted by jwithrow.

Journal of a Wayward Philosopher
Of Gold, Energy Stocks, and Bitcoin – Opportunities for the New Year

January 2, 2015
Hot Springs, VA

Welcome to the first business day of 2015! The S&P opened at $2,055 today. Gold is down to $1,171 per ounce. Oil is down to $52 per barrel. Bitcoin remains rather flat at $315 per BTC, and the 10-year Treasury rate opened at 2.20% today.

We spent our time yesterday going over how fiat money enslaves society and we agreed that this was critical to understand if we are going to have a chance at being financially independent. Wife Rachel said it was a rather dreary journal entry so today we will endeavor to be more positive.

Let’s take a look at some of the financial opportunities we have for 2015.

First, the precious metals are as cheap in dollar terms as they have been in several years. Gold and silver could still drift lower in 2015 but the fundamental case for owning them is as strong as ever. This is a great time to pick up some ounces if you are a little short on your precious metals asset allocation.

Over in the equity markets, energy stocks of all sorts have taken a beating with plummeting oil prices. Fund managers accentuated the crash in energy stocks as they sold at a loss for tax purposes and to show little exposure to the sector at year-end. This is a great opportunity for a contrarian to add some energy exposure to his or her portfolio. It is advisable to be very diligent in this endeavor, however, as marginable producers will be squeezed if oil prices remain this low for an extended period of time. Be sure to go with the companies that can survive at current prices, keep position sizes reasonable, and stick to your stop-losses.

Several notable analysts expect the Fed to launch QE4 the moment the S&P starts to tumble which would send stock prices soaring even further. Some of these analysts think this will occur in 2015. The Day of Reckoning will eventually come for the current fiat monetary system as the Great Reset continues to unfold, but that day is not here yet. 2015 may provide an opportunity to capture gains in the market and convert those gains into hard assets.

Even more speculative is Bitcoin which plummeted from a 2014 high of $939 in January all the way down to its current price of $315 over the course of the year. Maybe $315 is a good entry point, I don’t know. Of course Bitcoin opened 2013 at $13 so maybe it is still reverting back to the mean.

Personally, I am not sure what to make of Bitcoin. Free market advocates are die-hard in their belief that Bitcoin has the potential to rid the world of fiat money by eliminating the need for any middlemen and thus eliminating transactional friction. Free market detractors are pretty adamant in their belief that Bitcoin is a pump and dump scheme that will not be relevant for long because it does not meet all of the standard qualifications for hard money.

I am in the middle somewhere – Bitcoin’s functionality fascinates me but I don’t think it eliminates the need for precious metals within the monetary system. I think a small dollar-cost-average approach may be a reasonable method of testing the Bitcoin waters.

Of course there is no room for speculation until you have built a sensible level of resiliency and have a sturdy asset allocation model in place. Having debt cleared out, cash on hand, precious metals for insurance, a back-up energy source, and some food and wine stored in the cellar will insulate you from any storm that comes your way, regardless of how your speculation works out. Throw in good family and friends and you will be in great shape no matter what happens in 2015 and beyond.

What else could you ask for?

More to come,

Joe Withrow
Wayward Philosopher

Asset Allocation

submitted by jwithrow.

Asset allocation is a necessary tool for saving money and building capital within a fiat monetary system. Within a fiat system, the purchasing power of your currency is gradually inflated away and the value of various asset classes can fluctuate rapidly based on central bank monetary policy. Thus, it is important to have a principled yet flexible asset allocation model in place.

The concept of asset allocation is to allot a percentage of your capital to various asset classes and to maintain each allocation ratio until you deem it necessary to adjust your model. For example, a basic asset allocation model could consist of 25% cash, 25% precious metals, 25% real estate, and 25% stocks. You would then allocate your income to each asset class accordingly.

The beauty of this strategy is that you cannot be wiped out by any wild swings in the market and you will always have cash on hand with which to purchase assets when they go on sale (when the market tanks). Of course you can always add additional asset classes into your model such as bonds or bitcoin or cattle depending upon your outlook and you may need to adjust your percentages based on new analysis from time to time as well.

The Infinite Banking insurance strategy that we talk so much about here at Zenconomics and in our book works perfectly to house much of your cash allocation. An IBC policy serves to compound returns on your cash while it sits idle waiting to be put to use without sacrificing any liquidity whatsoever.

As for your precious metals allocation, you can purchase gold and silver bullion from any local coin shop or from reputable dealers online or you can purchase through companies like Hard Assets Alliance which will facilitate fully allocated domestic or international storage for you.

Of course to follow an asset allocation model you will need to save a large percentage of your income. I think 50% is a good benchmark. 75% savings is preferred. Very few people have the discipline to pull this off but those who do never have to worry about financial problems again.

If maintaining such an asset allocation model for your household sounds extremely tedious and time-consuming that’s because it is. This is the price we must pay for living under a fiat monetary regime. In a sound monetary system we would be able to build capital simply by saving money in a bank account because our money would maintain its purchasing power over time. Instead, saving money in a bank account is a losing strategy so we are all forced to become financial analysts or have our wealth systematically transferred away from us.

The Lesson From Monopoly

submitted by jwithrow.

Chances are you have played the once popular board game Monopoly. In the event that you have never played the game then I would highly recommend it to you as there is a valuable lesson to be learned. And it is a classic!

The object of the game is to buy up as much real estate as possible so you can earn rental income when another player ‘lands’ on your real estate. Once you have acquired the real estate then you can invest in houses and hotels to increase your rental income.

Common thinking suggests that the game is called Monopoly because players attempt to achieve a real estate monopoly.

I do not think this is accurate, however. I would suggest that the title is derived from the fact that the ‘bank’ holds a monopoly on the money supply.

The object of the game is not to hoard the Monopoly money but rather to convert the money into productive assets. These productive assets then generate additional money in the form of rental income which can be used to subsequently purchase more productive assets when the opportunity arises.

Interestingly, the money generated from productive assets can also be used to pay taxes when the player is unfortunate enough to ‘land’ on those spots.

Players of the game understand that the Monopoly money holds no inherent value. The Monopoly money is only the accepted means of exchange with which productive assets can be purchased.

This is the lesson that we would be wise to learn and apply.

The Monopoly money is not terribly different from our fiat currency today. Our currency holds no inherent value and the central bank (Federal Reserve) holds a monopoly on the money supply. In fact, the Monopoly money may actually be better in context than our dollar because the Monopoly money maintains its value over the course of the game whereas our dollar is constantly losing value due to inflation.

So in this regard, the key to our own personal financial success is not terribly different from the object of Monopoly. The path to true wealth in life is the same as it is in the game – use the monopoly money to purchase income-generating assets. Obviously this is more complex in real life as there are a myriad of assets of varying quality to choose from and the process of acquiring these assets is much more complicated than ‘landing’ on their spot. But the concept remains the same.

Mainstream personal finance does a poor job of emphasizing this. Personal finance gurus almost exclusively suggest that we invest all of our surplus money in stocks and bonds employing a “buy, hold, and pray” strategy. This may be due to the fact that financial advisors make their living by selling the securities they tout. And while there may be a place in our investment portfolio for paper securities, they certainly do not take the place of real productive assets and one would be wise to understand the nature of the markets and the business cycle before jumping in.

Keep this concept well in mind as you build and execute your own personal financial plan. The goal is not to end up with the most money at the end of the day; it is to use money to acquire productive assets that will then provide income streams. It is essential to also employ an asset allocation model so that you are diversified across several different asset classes.

Always remember that money is just an illusion. Its only purpose is to serve as a medium of exchange and a temporary store of value. It is wise to keep a healthy amount of cash on hand at all times for both opportunities and emergencies, but any cash above your allocation would best serve you in other asset classes.

**Want more information on how to implement the lesson from Monopoly and build a sustainable asset allocation model? Are you ready to turbo-charge your retirement portfolio? Do you yearn to exit the rat-race? Is financial freedom calling to your spirit?

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