Why I'm Bearish

   I have actually been bearish for over 10 years. I was pessimistic even back in the 90's and the reason is simple :

   Industrialized economies have below replacement birthrates. In Japan this simply means there will be fewer Japanese years from now then there are today (and that there will be insufficient workers to pay for the huge number of old people). But in the West, the insane solution to below replacement birthrates has been to bring in unskilled people from poor 3rd world countries. So the West not only has a problem with birthrates, but the 'solution' that has been pursued ensures that Western countries will be burdened by new populations which are either a) not sufficiently productive to keep the economy expanding, or b) are actually net consumers of resources. An added twist to this is that diverse societies are fraught with ethnic conflict so social/political stability in the West will be largely destroyed by this immigration and the political and intellectual charlatans that make a living off it.

   You don't need a spreadsheet for this stuff.

Some Basic Investment Advice from Dr. Faber

If you follow Marc Faber in the news you quickly notice that he has the habit of repeating himself. That's what someone with a good point tends to do. One of the overriding themes in his commentary is that governments (namely the American one) are printing like there's no tomorrow (maybe there isn't).

It's not a complex concept to understand. Even the caveman economist can explain it : Print lots of green paper + economy not grow = inflation.

2 + 2 = 4.

Lots of inflation = gold good.

Forget US Stocks-Buy Gold Every Month 'Forever': Marc Faber - CNBC

The Arguments for and Against Gold

This is a good article that condenses a lot of the arguments for gold and finishes with a few links to a guy who does not like the metal. In it you will find comments from such luminaries as Alan Greenspan, Marc Faber, Adrian Ash and others.
I found the comments on gold in a deflationary environment interesting. I never really thought of deflation as being good for gold, I just knew I did not want to be at the mercy of a currency that I fundamentally do not believe in as a store of wealth. I wanted the stability of gold, and regardless of whatever deflation there was, I was sure that in the long run we would have inflation due to all the paper and digital dollars being created. But some of the pundits in this article say it doesn't matter if there is deflation or inflation, gold is a 'go-to' asset that will be much sought after.

Is Gold a Reasonable Investment?

Is Gold in a Bubble?

I would say not. Too many people are either ignorant of gold or view it negatively. (I like when the talking heads on CNBC refer to gold bugs as crazy survivalists sitting in a hole in the wilderness clutching a shotgun).

I will look for fear buying as a sign we are heading into a new stage with gold. When large numbers of people start seeing it as some kind of last available shelter from the falling sky I might want to edge closer to the exit door.

I remember back in the fall and winter of 08', alot of investment advisers for wealthy, high-end people were saying their clients were asking about Krugerrands and gold Maples. Those were the upper-class folks. I think we need to see more average joe-six pack types buying coins before we can talk about a real bubble.

Gold: Signs of a Bubble?

Advice on How to Invest in Precious Metals

The decision to invest in precious metals is always followed by a series of additional decisions that must be made. What to buy, in what form, from who, etc ...

Here is a good video about different ways to get into precious metals, and different things that must be considered. I believe it contains some good advice and the speaker also has some other good videos on money and investing.