Gold. Silver. Ammunition. As preservers of wealth that serve other useful purposes in time of crises. Gold is a win against declining dollar of course, but also provides some power to the holder in the event of a calamitous situation.
Freeze dried food. Antibiotics and other meds as part of the emergency funds (alongside of year of cash (depreciating dollars or gold) sufficient to cover mortgage/utilities/property taxes/transportation/food for a year).
Land bank in a low-tax location that you have confidence will expand in normal times, and you can wait out the bad times.
Capital purchases that are long-lasting and minimally wasting, that can retain some value against inflating dollars while also providing a source of income in good and bad times. (ie, a selected business). In other words, turning wasting dollars into productive money-producing assets.
But I'm guessing you want income? Beyond money markets and corporate bonds... (not treasuries, for moral reasons)...
Selling far out of the money Put options... The further out of the money, the more conservative you are and the lower the return, but you can nonetheless get far higher than bond returns. But you risk having to buy the stock at the end of a really bad week or month when the market has totally crashed. Of course, those corporate bonds may not survive an all-out crash either. So if you go this route, sell Puts on stock you would want to buy at the option strike price and are happy to hold, because that will happen sometimes. Writing options is fun and easy and lucrative. It's being the house at a casino. But not risk free. But then nothing is.
Doc, I hate to bother you with an off topic discussion but since you are an MD I would ask if you have any guidance you may be able to offer or a direction I should pursue.
Doc, I suffered a Spinal Cord Injury and woke up on an operating table where the Neuro-Surgeon stated-"Sir, you have suffered a Spinal Cord Injury and I have replaced a part of your spine with titanium--The damage cannot be repaired but we have hopefully stopped the progression of the condition. Otherwise you would be a quadriplegic." He called my condition a "Genetic Anomaly"--it happened as fast as you snap your fingers. I also had a Shoulder Replacement Surgery within a month of the spinal cord intervention. It's been a rough year and I had my spinal surgery on my Birthday--July 4th--That was a hell of a Birthday Gift!
I spent a month in the ICU and am completely numb from my shoulders, bi-laterally, to my finger tips and my gait has been largely impacted. I have been in contact with a company called Regenexx and they said they do not address anything spinal cord related.Again, I hate to trouble you but I need to address this issue if at all possible. I know I haven't paid Mr.Casey but I have a hospital bill for $575,000 sitting in front of me--not a chance it'll be repaid.
Thank you sir. Again, I apologize for troubling any of you.
Your hospital case sounds like a very common "hardship" case, assuming you have no insurance, or the $575,000 is the balance that your insurance won't pay.
Most hospitals will write that off if you fill out their form for that. Talk with their billing department about that. They call it different names, but it's a 'hardship' or 'uninsured' or 'indigent' form.
Don't feel sorry for them or feel guilty either since that write off is a big fat juicy tax deduction for them, so they don't lose anything.
They almost always approve that write off if its the first time you applied for it at that hospital.
This is not financial advice, it's just what I have personally experienced in the past.
Often called "Patient Assistance" or the like. It is usually for uninsured as opposed to Medicare. But tell them you can't pay and they usually will figure something out. The hospitals get to claim credit with the state legislature for providing free care, that they report at the full ridiculously hyperinflated price that no one pays. (it's one of the reasons that the hospitals have such high list prices)..
Yeah, those $4 aspirins in the hospitals remind me of the $10 bullets in the "war" industry billing, proving that the hospital and "war" industry billing are very similar games.
When I saw it I just laughed and gave it a toss. No, I have insurance---M-Care plus B-Cross. That was my portion. Blood from a rock? Pretty much. I got a TBI too.
Thanks Brother. Ya just do what ya can do. Years in Re-hab for the TBI--most of them fellas will never leave. Very sad. That was $50,000 a MONTH! I did very well after being called DOA upon arrival at the hospital, funeral; planned, whole nine yards-Had Dr.s weeping when I woke up--"Thats Impossible, He's Dead!"--had an accident, heart and breathing stopped for 7 minutes, which should be impossible--lost everything I had--family, home, cars...everything. Starting over is kinda a thing for me. Most men woulda swallowed one--I didn't. I took it. Still here intellectually which also should not have happened. Just slow reaction times now but the brain still works fairly well given where I should be.
Dang! That sounds like a good book, or at least a great short story to write.
Yeah, that hospital bill gets a toss for sure, but they may try to ruin your credit, so if you care about that, getting them to write that bill off preserves your credit. Otherwise, who cares, right?
Getting them to write the bill off is a good way to tell them where to shove it!
Thats kinda funny as two people wanted to write a book on my life and one of them asked if he could produce a Hollywood Film about my life--I declined as I am a very private person---"Man, you've done and seen it all and you're an Indian too!"---I'm not a bar person but last Summer my neighbor took me to a pub, but some fella outa a group of mid-30's Freemasons approaches me--"Sir, I could talk to you for weeks. You've seen and done it all! You are a very wise man."--Funny thing was I hadn't said ONE WORD-I mean NOTHING!--Just sippin a beer, had on my Stetson (I've worn for 30 years--a bit beaten up) and Boots wearing a leather Scully suit type coat-with Jeans--I found that odd but it wasn't the first time.
You're right. Now, as always, is the right time to think clearly and practically, pragmatically around your own home, first, and family, friends, community. We're all in this together, or should be. At least be sure to be in this with those you love and need and can depend on.
Save your seeds, we need to keep heirloom seeds, without them all food will come from a factory and made by AI.
All true..but very difficult to determine WHERE to be “resting”…AA short term Corp Bonds seem better than ANY USA debt..
BUT..
Paper short term investments in Zimbabwe
ALSO suffered greatly..Any “other resting places” better than what I mentioned..
Thanks
You mean, not including a life of crime?
A few things to consider:
Non-income producers:
Gold. Silver. Ammunition. As preservers of wealth that serve other useful purposes in time of crises. Gold is a win against declining dollar of course, but also provides some power to the holder in the event of a calamitous situation.
Freeze dried food. Antibiotics and other meds as part of the emergency funds (alongside of year of cash (depreciating dollars or gold) sufficient to cover mortgage/utilities/property taxes/transportation/food for a year).
Land bank in a low-tax location that you have confidence will expand in normal times, and you can wait out the bad times.
Capital purchases that are long-lasting and minimally wasting, that can retain some value against inflating dollars while also providing a source of income in good and bad times. (ie, a selected business). In other words, turning wasting dollars into productive money-producing assets.
But I'm guessing you want income? Beyond money markets and corporate bonds... (not treasuries, for moral reasons)...
Selling far out of the money Put options... The further out of the money, the more conservative you are and the lower the return, but you can nonetheless get far higher than bond returns. But you risk having to buy the stock at the end of a really bad week or month when the market has totally crashed. Of course, those corporate bonds may not survive an all-out crash either. So if you go this route, sell Puts on stock you would want to buy at the option strike price and are happy to hold, because that will happen sometimes. Writing options is fun and easy and lucrative. It's being the house at a casino. But not risk free. But then nothing is.
The real crisis hedge is staying useful. Skills, adaptability, and productive assets tend to outlast whatever the economy throws at us.
Amazing common sense for the "average" baby doctor...but you are exceptional.
Doc, I hate to bother you with an off topic discussion but since you are an MD I would ask if you have any guidance you may be able to offer or a direction I should pursue.
Doc, I suffered a Spinal Cord Injury and woke up on an operating table where the Neuro-Surgeon stated-"Sir, you have suffered a Spinal Cord Injury and I have replaced a part of your spine with titanium--The damage cannot be repaired but we have hopefully stopped the progression of the condition. Otherwise you would be a quadriplegic." He called my condition a "Genetic Anomaly"--it happened as fast as you snap your fingers. I also had a Shoulder Replacement Surgery within a month of the spinal cord intervention. It's been a rough year and I had my spinal surgery on my Birthday--July 4th--That was a hell of a Birthday Gift!
I spent a month in the ICU and am completely numb from my shoulders, bi-laterally, to my finger tips and my gait has been largely impacted. I have been in contact with a company called Regenexx and they said they do not address anything spinal cord related.Again, I hate to trouble you but I need to address this issue if at all possible. I know I haven't paid Mr.Casey but I have a hospital bill for $575,000 sitting in front of me--not a chance it'll be repaid.
Thank you sir. Again, I apologize for troubling any of you.
God Bless
Your hospital case sounds like a very common "hardship" case, assuming you have no insurance, or the $575,000 is the balance that your insurance won't pay.
Most hospitals will write that off if you fill out their form for that. Talk with their billing department about that. They call it different names, but it's a 'hardship' or 'uninsured' or 'indigent' form.
Don't feel sorry for them or feel guilty either since that write off is a big fat juicy tax deduction for them, so they don't lose anything.
They almost always approve that write off if its the first time you applied for it at that hospital.
This is not financial advice, it's just what I have personally experienced in the past.
Often called "Patient Assistance" or the like. It is usually for uninsured as opposed to Medicare. But tell them you can't pay and they usually will figure something out. The hospitals get to claim credit with the state legislature for providing free care, that they report at the full ridiculously hyperinflated price that no one pays. (it's one of the reasons that the hospitals have such high list prices)..
Yeah, those $4 aspirins in the hospitals remind me of the $10 bullets in the "war" industry billing, proving that the hospital and "war" industry billing are very similar games.
They Keep Trying To Kill Me! FCK em if they can't take a joke.
If they were trying to kill you, then I guess they failed so far?
You have more time write your book before they succeed! LOL
Make sure that it includes all of the names and evidence, and that you are not suicidal!
When I saw it I just laughed and gave it a toss. No, I have insurance---M-Care plus B-Cross. That was my portion. Blood from a rock? Pretty much. I got a TBI too.
Thanks Brother. Ya just do what ya can do. Years in Re-hab for the TBI--most of them fellas will never leave. Very sad. That was $50,000 a MONTH! I did very well after being called DOA upon arrival at the hospital, funeral; planned, whole nine yards-Had Dr.s weeping when I woke up--"Thats Impossible, He's Dead!"--had an accident, heart and breathing stopped for 7 minutes, which should be impossible--lost everything I had--family, home, cars...everything. Starting over is kinda a thing for me. Most men woulda swallowed one--I didn't. I took it. Still here intellectually which also should not have happened. Just slow reaction times now but the brain still works fairly well given where I should be.
Dang! That sounds like a good book, or at least a great short story to write.
Yeah, that hospital bill gets a toss for sure, but they may try to ruin your credit, so if you care about that, getting them to write that bill off preserves your credit. Otherwise, who cares, right?
Getting them to write the bill off is a good way to tell them where to shove it!
Thats kinda funny as two people wanted to write a book on my life and one of them asked if he could produce a Hollywood Film about my life--I declined as I am a very private person---"Man, you've done and seen it all and you're an Indian too!"---I'm not a bar person but last Summer my neighbor took me to a pub, but some fella outa a group of mid-30's Freemasons approaches me--"Sir, I could talk to you for weeks. You've seen and done it all! You are a very wise man."--Funny thing was I hadn't said ONE WORD-I mean NOTHING!--Just sippin a beer, had on my Stetson (I've worn for 30 years--a bit beaten up) and Boots wearing a leather Scully suit type coat-with Jeans--I found that odd but it wasn't the first time.
Great advice!
I watched this 22 min video a couple weeks ago about survival during war-torn Sarajevo.
Depressing and instructive. It's a real world application of all the points you raised.
https://youtu.be/JfbNlRozFtM?si=aAWTEZhHbGq5OtzV
Thanks for the link, I found it very interesting.
You're right. Now, as always, is the right time to think clearly and practically, pragmatically around your own home, first, and family, friends, community. We're all in this together, or should be. At least be sure to be in this with those you love and need and can depend on.
Excellent and APPROPRIATE Read! It’s also Important. Thanks