What if you had a financial crystal ball?
October 24, 2022
Dateline: Guangzhou, China
Every few weeks, I receive an e-mail from someone who asks me when I think the big financial collapse will arrive.
A couple of things are interesting about this. One is that I used to get questions about whether a big financial collapse would occur, and now it’s mostly about when. So I suppose more people are getting their news from someone other than the spin doctors inside the big financial interests. You know, the ones who have a stake in having people believe everything is fine in a world with debts that exceed all the money on earth and derivatives that exceed all the wealth on earth.
What’s even more interesting is that anyone would think I would have an answer to when the last straw will arrive. I’m certain I do not know, and I believe that no one knows or can know. It is the largest and most complex riddle in the history of the world. It’s a massive global economy that is built on fiat currencies, rigged markets, incomprehensible financial instruments, and political skullduggery.
But, suppose you had a very reliable financial crystal ball. Let’s say an infallible one that had demonstrated perfect clairvoyance.
And suppose that that dependable crystal ball gave you a date in the future when the global markets were going to implode. Real armageddon stuff: the Dow down 90%, unemployment at 70%, no Welfare, Social Security, or Disability checks, Draconian capital controls in every country, immigration and emigration restrictions during “the emergency” — all the ‘blood in the streets’ icons that the Baron Rothschild’s of the world eagerly await as a means to benefit.
Suppose your financial crystal ball told you that this would all happen on May 15th, 2018.
What would you do now to prepare?
I’ve asked friends and they are quick to say the obvious, “If I knew the date, I’d short the dollar and the Dow, buy gold, and so on.” OK, fine. That’s the easy answer.
But what happens when giant sectors of government and huge companies can’t pay their employees and have to lay them off? What happens when people who thought they had safe pensions find out they have nothing? What happens when there is no ‘social safety net’ to pay all the people who are idled by a financial collapse?
So you can short the Dow and make a paper killing. But where do you put your gains so they’re safe from the politicians who are panicking? And how are you viewed by the people in your community if you appear to be sitting pretty amid their undeserved and unforeseen hardship and loss?
I’ve written before about how I prefer living in poor countries. One reason that I haven’t mentioned is that the people in these countries are not used to an artificially high standard of living built with personal debt and protected with massive welfare programs. They’ve also seen their share of boom and bust years, and they don’t go berserk when things take a downward turn. Most of them are very happy people, in spite of having very little wealth throughout their entire lives.
I’ve already spent time in these places. I have friends there. I can go back at any time and the learning curve is behind me so I can settle in to a very nice lifestyle in a warm, wonderful place. I have a legal right to live in these places because I’ve already done the paperwork. I have bank accounts and other places to put money that are in many locations in the world, including “no location,” thanks to digital currencies and cloud storage.
And if any of us had a reliable finacial crystal ball that told us virtually any date within our expected lifetime, isn’t that exactly what we would do with the information? Wouldn’t we make a solid “Plan B” right now and do everything we could so that when the date arrived we were not swept up in the unrest, upheaval, political confiscation, and personal freedom restrictions?
To me, the actual date of a global financial collapse is moot. It either happens while I’m alive or after I’m dead. The latter is not my problem, but the former is something I should do something about, no matter how old I am now or when it actually happens. If I’m alive, I know for certain I’ll want to be outside the turmoil.
What’s your Plan B, and what are you doing right now to make it happen?
If you are ready to do something to prepare now, take advantage of our services and expertise. We’ve taken the steps and prepared ourselves, now we can help you. Simply let us know that you’re ready.
Property Tax in Malta: Stamp Duty, Rental Income Tax, and More
Long-term property ownership is significantly more cost-effective in Malta than in most EU countries. While Malta imposes transactional taxes and unique taxation schemes, you will not incur traditional annual taxes after buying a property. In this guide, we’ll go over Malta’s unique property tax landscape to help you understand your obligations. We’ll cover: Does Malta […]
Read more
UK Inheritance Tax for Expats Living in Malta: Scope, Exemptions, and More
If you’re a UK expat who has resided in Malta for a considerable amount of time and are currently focused on estate planning, you may encounter a potentially complex tax scenario. You need to consider both the UK’s inheritance tax (IHT) and Malta’s taxation regulations, after which you should devise a tax-efficient strategy that maximizes […]
Read more
How To Open a Bank Account in Portugal in 5 Steps
Whether you’re preparing to relocate to Portugal or wish to conduct business in the country, opening a bank account is among the first steps you’ll need to take. Although the process is typically straightforward, there are some considerations to keep in mind before committing to any bank. In this guide, we’ll explain how to open […]
Read more



