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My Personal Idea for Hiding/Protecting Wealth

Idea threads

Nate

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I want to present an idea that has come to my mind for a way to preserve/protect and even hide wealth. I am not here to teach, however, I am here to learn. So please feel completely free to shoot holes in this and correct as you see fit based on your experience/expertise.

The first thing I have to mention about this plan is my mentality which I understand I will share with VERY FEW people in this forum. I believe in the intrinsic value of precious metals such as silver and gold. I believe they have always had inherent worth, and always will. On the contrary I believe that the U.S. fiat dollar has decreasing worth as evidenced by inflation and the fact that more can and will always be printed, where as silver is used industrially, and in such small quantities in things like electronics that for all intents and purposes, once these electronics are discarded, they are gone forever along with the silver inside.

Ok, so after that quick introduction to my mindset, here is my thought process. I wiped out my 401k and Roth IRA a few years ago and will never go back to those; no mutual funds, no stocks, no bonds (despite how much munis appeal to me after hearing about them from MJ). Let me mention a few reasons why I don't do anything that involves electrons on a computer screen and only focus on tangible assets that I can hold in my hands:

1. I already mentioned the intrinsic value vs. being blips on a computer screen that are somehow supposed to represent actual wealth.

2. I DO believe inflation will come and then *possibly* hyperinflation, and metals will be a hedge. I focus on silver.

3. In the event that #2 never happens, I feel like I will effectively be dollar-averaging in (I think that's what they call it?), ie. silver is at roughly $32 per ounce, but if I am buying from now and for the next 40-ish years of my life (I'm 29) I might be at $32, then $40, then $50, then $30, then $15, then $40 and so on and on ad, and over time I think it will rise. This holds more true if at least it is mostly going up over the next 40 years, which I think it will both again because of inflation and because it is a FINITE precious resource, there is only so much just like there is only so much oil.

4. I was involved in a thread recently where we talked about if you should have your car under your name or a business name, and all that kind of stuff. My point here is hiding wealth. If you keep physical silver stashed in a few different secure places, ie. safes in home, office, bank deposit, Nevada desert, whatever, you will look much more POOR on paper than you really are. I don't have that kind of ego. I would LOVE to always look way more poor on paper than I really am. I mean I would REALLY love that. Not being a target for people or the government. Take your wages/earnings and only keeping a certain amount in the checking account, and stuff like that.

I know I mentioned hyperinflation, but I want to emphasize that I AM NOT talking right now about all the "dollar will collapse yada yada" stuff here that is gaining popularity on the internet, I don't want a discussion on that. I want to know what people think of my idea aside from that issue. Can it be a good game plan in a world where, let's say inflation continues for the next 40 years at the rate it has over the last 40 years, or something along those lines. Are the other points at all valid?
 
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Rickson9

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Metals (precious or otherwise) and paper money have the value the market puts on it. No more, no less.

The argument that the silver in discarded electronics is 'gone forever' is similar to the pre-2006 'they're not making any more land' to explain why U.S. RE will always be a good investment.

I understand 'protecting' wealth, but I don't understand 'hiding' wealth. The fact that we live under a democratic/capitalistic government/society is a massive reason an individual can attain wealth in the first place.
 

Nate

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Thanks Rickson, I appreciate the feedback. I wasn't investing in anything but college text books previous to 2006, so I don't remember that but to my finite mind I do see a big difference between holding precious metals vs. RE, that main difference being that I assume (but can't be completely certain) that anyone that buys and holds precious metals owns them free and clear. I don't see people taking out mortgage-sized loans to purchase these metals. So no mass defaulting on loans across the country putting all the silver back on the market like what happened with RE, shadow inventory and all that.

So that is why I think there will be less and less "available" silver as people buy them up, including countries and large hedge funds, etc., which is happening. Again, not to mention the industrial usage, rendering silver useless. With RE, although there won't be more, I don't really think there will be less. Same amount just passing between hands.

As for hiding the wealth, I'm not referring so much to hiding it from confiscation. I know people look back to the gold confiscation of the 30's, but I'm not. I mean hiding it from anyone that wants to take it from you "legally" through the system brought upon us by our democratic/capitalistic society. Legal plundering. It seems to me that by and large you can only take from a person what they have, and if it appears that you don't have much because the private investigator a lawyer uses has no idea you have this stash of precious metals in the safe in your home, you are better off.

I don't mean to live in fear of lawsuits forever, but it's something to be conscious about. More so over this past year as I've had conversations with my good friend that's a lawyer. He explained it all to me, ie. the private investigators, how good they are at finding every penny you have, how decisions whether to sue or not, or settle or not, are not based on how "right" a person's case is, but how much money the defendant has, etc.
 

townhaus

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you might be interested in digital currencies like pecunix, liberty reserve and bitcoin
 
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Mike39

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you might be interested in digital currencies like pecunix, liberty reserve and bitcoin

The problem with bitcoin is it is not backed by anything I.e. gold, but therr are some digital currencies backed by gold of I'm not mistaken, are there any backed by silver? That could be fastlane if there is a market for it :thumbsup:
 

townhaus

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The problem with bitcoin is it is not backed by anything I.e. gold, but therr are some digital currencies backed by gold of I'm not mistaken, are there any backed by silver? That could be fastlane if there is a market for it :thumbsup:

I never understood the argument about it not being backed by gold or whatever commodity. IMO, Bitcoin is a commodity in its own right.

Nate did mention that his fear was inflation, and the attraction to silver due to its limited supply. Bitcoin could suit this purpose as an inflation hedge, though so would any other hard asset. Ofcourse, its all just speculation really. I believe his view is more anti-dollar, rather than a view on silver. Why silver (vs gold vs any other commodity vs property vs bitcoin)?

If trying to hide assets then ye, gold and silver are easy to hide, but how do you transport them across borders if the shit really hits the fan.

Digital currencies, and even easier to store/transport (online). Personally, i cant see myself trusting DCs. Pecunix and liberty reserve could disappear overnight, although theyve been around for a while. Could be a ponzi. Its happened before with other DCs i beleive.

However, Bitcoin is especially secure. The fear is, people are less knowledgable about it and its a new concept so there isnt much price history available. Then again, you shouldn't really be basing valuations on past price history/performance or so the disclaimers go.
Metals (precious or otherwise) and paper money have the value the market puts on it. No more, no less.
exactly

Personally, I have a big interest in trading/commodities. I have no time for fundamentals and taking a punt on discretion however. I am convinced about quantitative trading, myself.
 

awkwardgenius

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The problem with bitcoin is it is not backed by anything I.e. gold,

The US Dollar shares this flaw. The difference is that the Powers That Be can inflate the dollar on their whim, whereas bitcoin is limited in how much can be produced. No central bitcoin authority gets to manipulate the value of your savings based on political expediency.
 
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Vigilante

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Was hoping to see Bobby weigh in on this.
 

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