I hear it all the time from Sovereign Society members — in person, in phone calls and in emails: “The financial world doesn’t make sense to me.”
How can the stock market gain so much ground (notwithstanding the weakness of the past few days), or the Federal Reserve continue to talk about restraining the U.S. economy by raising interest rates … despite headlines that say:
- The United States’ economy is barely growing at all.
- U.S. corporate profits are on the decline.
- U.S. exports of goods and services have fallen for 19 consecutive months.
No wonder one of the big brokerages recently said: “We have never had so many clients start meetings with statements like ‘We are totally lost.’”
Forget misery — confusion loves company, too.
But that’s only if you don’t know the real score — the hidden narrative lurking in plain sight amid today’s financial news.
That’s what makes the next few days so compelling, as The Sovereign Society’s annual Total Wealth Symposium gets under way in Bermuda.
It features more than two dozen premier experts whose passion and profession is to lift out that hidden narrative and make it clear to all. During the next few days, as we listen to their exclusive briefings, we’ll hear a lot of valuable information on how we can best protect our wealth and assets, as well as make the best of the opportunities in gold and the markets.
Greetings From “The Rock”
I’ve attended similar events in exotic locales before, but this is my first Total Wealth Symposium — and my first visit to Bermuda. I had to brush up on my slang before hopping the flight out.
For instance, local residents sometimes refer to themselves as — no kidding — “onions.” Back in the 1600s, it seems someone found that a variety of mild, sweet onion grew very nicely in the sparse, dry soil here. The “Bermuda onion” was a major export for the next 200 years.
And long before there was professional wrestling or a former federal prison in the midst of San Francisco Bay, “The Rock” was the nickname used by adventurers sailing to this midocean jewel, 600 miles off the coast of North Carolina.
These days, many of us want to know more about the prospects for a different kind of rock — like gold or silver — or, for that matter, any other legal way in which we can protect our wealth from the dangers of rising government debt and out-of-control central banks.
That’s why I’m looking forward to listening to tomorrow’s opening round of discussions. First up is our own Ted Bauman — the title of his chat, “Asset Protection 101,” pretty much says it all.
Later on in the day, we’ll also hear more on how asset protection works, as Mark Nestmann, founder of the Nestmann Group, relates his own experiences helping to protect clients from the dangers of government overreach.
We’ll also be hearing from Dan Mitchell, senior fellow at Cato Institute, for an update on the 2016 election and how developments such as Brexit and zero-interest-rate policies may affect the future of international financial centers.
Later on in the afternoon, we’ll listen to opportunities on the international front from authorities such as EverBank World Market’s Chris Gaffney and ENR Asset Management’s Eric Roseman.
That’s just one day’s worth of discussions.
On Thursday comes another round of must-attend briefings. Jeff Opdyke kicks things off with his intriguingly-titled talk “It’s the End of the World as We Know It.” (Knowing Jeff, I can tell you it’s not about hiding out in a bunker or being a passive victim of central banks’ financial malpractice — it’s about looking for opportunities in the new investing paradigm.)
I hope I brought enough legal pads for all the notes I’ll be taking…
The Best Financial Offense Is a Good Defense
The fact is that over the next three and a half days, we’ll all be filling up our notebooks with a ton of ideas and insights about…
- The 2016 election.
- The prospect of rising interest rates.
- Investing in overseas markets.
- Avoiding central banks’ financial malpractice.
- Protecting one’s assets in offshore trusts.
- Investing in rare tangible assets like investment-grade stamps and coins.
- Buying buildings and farmland in Uruguay, Panama and other international locales.
- Protecting one’s digital privacy.
- Acquiring a second passport in another country.
Jocelynn Smith and I will post highlights of each day’s sessions over the coming days here in Bermuda. But then again, they’re just summaries.
It’s like watching NFL highlights of your favorite team on Monday morning — instead of experiencing the real thing Sunday afternoon — or watching your favorite movie — knowing a lot of the best stuff was left on the cutting room floor. By necessity, you’re only getting part of the information, not all of it.
You can sign up now to live stream the Total Wealth Symposium and watch all the presentations.
It’s like you are right there with us in Bermuda, hearing everything exactly as it is said — without leaving home and at a fraction of the cost, too.
Learn the best ways to defend your wealth from attack without having to leave your own home.
