Welcome to another Sunday Session, dear reader, that time of the week when we gather around the virtual watering hole to thresh out the concerns of the day and solve the world’s problems… one casual caipirinha at a time.
Before we get into today’s special “Group Research” issue… a quick shout out to Dan Denning, who covered this spot last week with a fascinating, in depth look at Halford Mackinder’s World Island… and the historical, even ongoing, battle for its Heartland. (If you missed Dan’s column, check it out here.)
As Bonner Private Research’s macro analyst, Dan looks at the “Big Picture” events that shape our world and, ultimately, impact your financial freedom.
From his Trade of the Decade work… to the BPR Strategy Report… and even his thousands of miles, boots-on-ground research for the Bolthole Report… Dan’s job is to help us all connect the dots and make sure you stay ahead of the trends.
If you’d like to receive Dan’s research notes every Friday – as well as Tom Dyson’s market notes on Wednesdays, plus monthly investment reports, private Zoom invites to Bill’s personal network and all the rest… you can do so by becoming a member right here. (If you’re already a member, no worries. Keep calm and carry on.
As for those who wish to remain on our mailing list “gratis,” fear not! Your regular Sunday Sessions will remain free… and your regular weekend correspondent will do everything he can to ensure they are worth every penny.
Speaking of “boots-on-ground” research, let us turn to this weekend’s feature column… penned by a special line up of guest editors… which is to say, by you (or at least, your fellow readers).
As you may recall, in last Saturday’s issue, Higher for Longer, we looked at the year-to-date returns of both the Greenback and Gold. Typically, the latter is measured in the former, in the form of “dollars per ounce.”
Of course, this is simply a matter of convenient expression. You might price the Midas Metal in any number of currencies… or you might measure it vis-à-vis the bridesmaid metal (the gold/silver ratio, or GSR) or stocks (Tom Dyson has written extensively about the Dow/Gold ratio… members can review his Gold Report for details).
What we’re really doing when we “price” something is comparing it to something else. Gas might be measured in dollars per gallon… or miles per gallon. If you’re a smoker, you might measure cartons of cigarettes in dollars. If you’re an inmate, you might measure protection in packs of cigarettes. It depends on what it is you’re trying to figure out.
For most Americans, the largest investment they’ll make during their life will be their primary place of residence. Their home. Typically, we measure real estate in dollars (or yen, euros, loonies, aussies, what-have-you). But the value of fleeting fiat may well ebb and flow dramatically over the course of one’s lifetime. Why not measure man’s biggest investment in history’s longest serving money?
We wondered as much aloud last weekend…
What about [real estate] prices in your neighborhood? Do you recall what you paid for your first home (in oz) compared to what it’s worth today? It would be interesting to compare real estate across the country – and the world! – ounce to ounce.
Dear readers responded from sea to shining sea… and from abroad, too! A small sample of their thoughtful anecdotes we thought we’d share with you today. Please enjoy…
