If I Had A Million Dollars, Where Would I Invest?

[sunseeker]

Firstly I ask the question.....
Why do we hold gold/precious metals (in all their forms)?
The answer most of us would probably give is as insurance against the worst case scenario.

If that is the case and we witness the worse case scenario then will you be able to capitalise on any investment that you can't get your hands upon immediately?
I posed the question to a broker friend of mine. On one hand  my assets are safe and well insured. Even he had to admit that there's no telling just how long it might take to get my hands on what's rightfully mine if the worst came to the worst.
e.g.
The financial markets closed down/any claim on the financial insurance was sorted out. A run on the banks, insurance companies, stock exchanges, and trading suspended until further notice etc.

If the financials are relatively unaffected then the mining companies look good.

That is unless governments in those countries within which the mines are located don't nationalise those mines.

http://silvergoldsilver.blogspot.com/2011/06/ringthe-alarmsandpageblythcomexhasprobl.html

The breakdown of the paper metal infrastructure has begun. With it will come the moonshot for physical metal, the destruction of paper metal to zero, the nationalization of mines and warehouse metal and ultimately the end of un-backed fiat money.

It was always the plan.

Original source Bix Wier
http://www.roadtoroota.com/public/department36.cfm?awt_l=K6PJF&awt_m=3m7Qowq4NpAZ85B

Under any of those circumstances you'll be glad that you had physical gold/silver in your own possession. The interest on your investment is now the last thing on your mind when you've got an in demand rapidly appreciating asset in your hands which you can use to survive the crisis. 

Taking extremes to another level then if the basics for survival (food/water/heating) aren't available at any price then even gold and silver are of little use.

So maybe something like....
http://www.continuityinsights.com/news/self-heating-canned-beverages-released-to-us-market

Everything depends on just how bad it gets. Since debt and money printing are at levels far greater than any time in history there's no limit on just how bad things could get.

ATB 

[Beginner]

If I had a million dollars…..I would go on a world cruise.  Eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we are radioactive. 

That would be in accordance with what the Good Book says:  Be not solicitous for the morrow for the morrow will be solicitous for itself, says the Good Book.

Then I think of a believer like MetalMiester and his not just one million but multi-millionaire dollar status and how he has a remote piece of land in the back of beyond, far from the madding crowd, where he is totally independent and self-sufficient and well prepared to survive a world holocaust of Biblical proportions…. And he is a Bible believer, yet one who is extremely solicitous for the morrow.  Where, Oh MetalMeister, is your faith in the Lord?

“Give all that thou hast to the poor and follow me”, said the Messiah.  But who is listening to the Messiah? 

Meanwhile most of us may be in precious metals because it appears to be the only alternative to a monetary system that is being devalued in order to write off an impossible debt.

I envy someone who came here maybe ten years ago and bought land and planted hardwood and other trees.  That might be one way to fight inflation if you are prepared to wait 20 years or more for the trees to mature (I doubt if I have 20 years or more of life still to go).  He has about 50 employees and recently opened a carpentry store where he makes excellent furniture.  He is also building wooden houses inside his forests for each of his employees.  He has lots of machinery and equipment.  But I doubt if I have what it takes to make such a scheme profitable enough to survive.  This man has initiative, leadership and management abilities, and delegates everything.  Myself, I would find it much easier to work with precious metals.

Finally, just let me just say that our team member, Sunseeker, inimitable and articulate as always, has cleverly summed up, succinctly and clearly, all the possible aspects of  the million dollar investment possibilities. 

Another one who tells us what to do in this situation is Chris Martenson: 
http://us.mg4.mail.yahoo.com/neo/launch?.rand=b4nb18583t6g9

 

[sunseeker]

Hi Beginner.
Thanks for the accolade. 
Would you repost the Chris Martenson link so we can all get your point?

ATB 

In what is its first gold purchase in more than a decade the Bank of Korea says it spent more than $1bn over the past two months in order to diversify its holdings away from reserve currencies like the dollar and the euro.

http://www.mineweb.com/mineweb/view/mineweb/en/page72068?oid=132677&sn=Detail&pid=92730


During a time of nightmares about U.S. deficits and mad politicians, analyst Don Coxe suggests it "would be hard to write a better script for a recommendation to buy gold."

http://www.mineweb.com/mineweb/view/mineweb/en/page33?oid=132667&sn=Detail&pid=92730

When a Cut is Not a Cut

http://paul.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1898:when-a-cut-is-not-a-cut&catid=62:texas-straight-talk&Itemid=69

My thinking is that when the real crisis hits you should hold some physical gold and silver. I would say at least six months (one year if you are able)  living expenses at present days  metal prices. Hopefully any crisis will have resolved resolved itself to take us back to some normality in that time. If it hasn't then the whole system has completely broken down and we're completely stuffed.
Gold will be instantly recognised as money everywhere. So you should hold gold. Silver may take a little longer for many to appreciate it's value (The US may/will be quicker to recognise silver than some other counties). That's despite silver based monetary systems being historically more common than gold.

Silver  (unlike gold) may be a life saver if clean water/sanitation becomes a problem. Every Roman Soldier carried at least one silver coin. Put into water and left over night the silvers purification properties ensured that the water would be fit to drink. Fancy being far sighted enough to get that gold before the crisis struck only to fall ill (when you need most need all the strength you posses) or die?

Choose only one....
Silver or gold? I'd have to go for silver on that basis alone.

ATB 

[Beginner]

Hi Beginner.
Thanks for the accolade.  Grin
Would you repost the Chris Martenson link so we can all get your point?

Hi Sunseeker, was not referring to anything specific on the Chris Martenson page, just a general reference (www.chrismartenson.com).  The Martenson page recommends investment in precious metals, and also recommends various ideas on how to adapt to a world in crisis (having a million dollars would help implement some of his ideas)!

[yeocokent]

Sorry to derail the thread sunseeker, but after seeing the topic this stupid song keeps echoing in my head ....

If I had a million dollars
(If I had a million dollars)
I'd buy you a house
(I would buy you a house)
If I had a million dollars
(If I had a million dollars)
I'd buy you furniture for your house
(Maybe a nice chesterfield or an ottoman)
And if I had a million dollars
(If I had a million dollars)
Well, I'd buy you a K-Car
(A nice Reliant automobile)
If I had a million dollars I'd buy your love

If I had a million dollars
I'd build a tree fort in our yard
If I had million dollars
You could help, it wouldn't be that hard
If I had million dollars
Maybe we could put like a little tiny fridge in there somewhere
You know, we could just go up there and hang out
Like open the fridge and stuff
There would already be laid out foods for us
Like little pre-wrapped sausages and things

They have pre-wrapped sausages but they don't have pre-wrapped bacon
Well, can you blame 'em
Uh, yeah

If I had a million dollars
(If I had a million dollars)
Well, I'd buy you a fur coat
(But not a real fur coat that's cruel)
And if I had a million dollars
(If I had a million dollars)
Well, I'd buy you an exotic pet
(Yep, like a llama or an emu)
And if I had a million dollars
(If I had a a million dollars)
Well, I'd buy you John Merrick's remains
(Ooh, all them crazy elephant bones)
And If I had a million dollars I'd buy your love

If I had a million dollars
We wouldn't have to walk to the store
If I had a million dollars
Now, we'd take a limousine 'cause it costs more
If I had a million dollars
We wouldn't have to eat Kraft Dinner
But we would eat Kraft Dinner
Of course we would, we’d just eat more
And buy really expensive ketchups with it
That’s right, all the fanciest ke... dijon ketchups!
Mmmmmm, Mmmm-Hmmm

If I had a million dollars
(If I had a million dollars)
Well, I'd buy you a green dress
(But not a real green dress, that's cruel)
And if I had a million dollars
(If I had a million dollars)
Well, I'd buy you some art
(A Picasso or a Garfunkel)
If I had a million dollars
(If I had a million dollars)
Well, I'd buy you a monkey
(Haven't you always wanted a monkey)

If I had a million dollars
I’d buy your love

If I had a million dollars, If I had a million dollars
If I had a million dollars, If I had a million dollars

If I had a million dollars
I'd be rich

[MetalMeister]

I just took a huge chunk of my fortune and have invested it in organic farming for the express purpose iof employing the unemployable who are coming out of prisons on parole and the homeless/mentally disadvantaged and funding temporary homeless centers where people do not have to worry where their next meal is coming from or where they are going to lay their head at night when it is cold or hot outside.

The farm is located about 10 minutes from where I live and is a failed 300 unit housing development which was 75% complete in infrastructure at a cost of $4.5 million.  The developer decided to let me have it at $2.5 million...  They gave up on the $2 million of sewers, utilities, and grading that they had put into the project.  The failure of the housing market doomed their project.

That is what I have been doing with my money for the last 2+ months.

It is the greatest challenge of my life to give so much away and trust God that He bless back one hundredfold and takes care of the disadvantaged.

The work (6 days a week, 18-20 hours a day) keeps me out of my investing reading and study....  Completely.

Good thing I bought a lot of physical, huh?

I sleep well at night.

This is what I am counting on:

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=isaiah%2058:9-14&version=NIV

Isaiah 58:9-14
New International Version (NIV)

9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
   you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

  “If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
   with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
   and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
   and your night will become like the noonday.
11 The LORD will guide you always;
   he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
   and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
   like a spring whose waters never fail.
12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
   and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
   Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

 13 “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath
   and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight
   and the LORD’s holy day honorable,
and if you honor it by not going your own way
   and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,
14 then you will find your joy in the LORD,
   and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land
   and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.”
            For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

If I had a million dollars…..I would go on a world cruise.  Eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we are radioactive. 

That would be in accordance with what the Good Book says:  Be not solicitous for the morrow for the morrow will be solicitous for itself, says the Good Book.

Then I think of a believer like MetalMiester and his not just one million but multi-millionaire dollar status and how he has a remote piece of land in the back of beyond, far from the madding crowd, where he is totally independent and self-sufficient and well prepared to survive a world holocaust of Biblical proportions…. And he is a Bible believer, yet one who is extremely solicitous for the morrow.  Where, Oh MetalMeister, is your faith in the Lord?

“Give all that thou hast to the poor and follow me”, said the Messiah.  But who is listening to the Messiah? 

Meanwhile most of us may be in precious metals because it appears to be the only alternative to a monetary system that is being devalued in order to write off an impossible debt.

I envy someone who came here maybe ten years ago and bought land and planted hardwood and other trees.  That might be one way to fight inflation if you are prepared to wait 20 years or more for the trees to mature (I doubt if I have 20 years or more of life still to go).  He has about 50 employees and recently opened a carpentry store where he makes excellent furniture.  He is also building wooden houses inside his forests for each of his employees.  He has lots of machinery and equipment.  But I doubt if I have what it takes to make such a scheme profitable enough to survive.  This man has initiative, leadership and management abilities, and delegates everything.  Myself, I would find it much easier to work with precious metals.

Finally, just let me just say that our team member, Sunseeker, inimitable and articulate as always, has cleverly summed up, succinctly and clearly, all the possible aspects of  the million dollar investment possibilities. 

Another one who tells us what to do in this situation is Chris Martenson: 
http://us.mg4.mail.yahoo.com/neo/launch?.rand=b4nb18583t6g9

 

[Beginner]

Hi Metalmeister.  Great post.  And great work too!  You are a real “Hero member.”

I thought that by being provocative you would open up and sure enough you did open up and even put me to shame.

Keep up the good work!  Best wishes, Beginner

[sunseeker]

I just took a huge chunk of my fortune and have invested it in organic farming for the express purpose iof employing the unemployable who are coming out of prisons on parole and the homeless/mentally disadvantaged and funding temporary homeless centers where people do not have to worry where their next meal is coming from or where they are going to lay their head at night when it is cold or hot outside.

The farm is located about 10 minutes from where I live and is a failed 300 unit housing development which was 75% complete in infrastructure at a cost of $4.5 million.  The developer decided to let me have it at $2.5 million...  They gave up on the $2 million of sewers, utilities, and grading that they had put into the project.  The failure of the housing market doomed their project.


That is what I have been doing with my money for the last 2+ months.

Hi Metalmeister.  Great post.  And great work too!  You are a real “Hero member.”

I thought that by being provocative you would open up and sure enough you did open up and even put me to shame.

Keep up the good work!  Best wishes, Beginner

A real “Hero Member”

I'll second that.........

The real "Field of Dreams.

“If you build it he will come."


ATB