The Sovereign Society

$128 Silver Around the Corner?

From a speculator's perspective, the total return potential now in silver is probably greater than gold.

Sovereign: Big Brother Visits the Tattoo Parlor

Thinking about getting a tattoo? If you are, better not pay cash!

Identifying the "Usual Suspects" in the Bankruptcy Epidemic of 2009-10

After shuffling off into bankruptcy, the biggest name in small business finance - CIT - has announced a larger-than-expected third quarter loss of over a billion dollars.

Global Investor: Look to Small-Cap Stocks as Leading Indicator of Fatigue

If small stocks led the recovery then it's fair to assume they will lead the next decline.

Stopping Expatriation Dead in its Tracks

My recent A-Letter describing how easy it is to expatriate really hit a chord.

Global Investor: Buffet's Berkshire in Line for a Downgrade?

People are becoming increasingly skeptical of the stock market rally.

Land of the Insolvent

"Capitalism without bankruptcy is like Christianity without hell." -Frank Borman

Sovereign: A (Small) Victory for Financial Privacy... but Don�t Start Celebrating Just Yet...

It's not often that I can report news that's actually favorable to financial privacy.

Kill All the Lawyers!

"The first thing we do," says Dick the Butcher, a character in Shakespeare's Henry VI, part 2 is "kill all the lawyers."

Global Investor: Taxes and "Fair Play"

Both congressional leaders and President Obama have suggested that raising tax rates on wealthy Americans will result in a corresponding increase in tax revenues.

Preventive Lawyering

Finding a good lawyer is too often a difficult task.

Global Investor: Portfolio Hedging on the Cheap in Late 2009

Bulls and bears should both embrace portfolio hedging ahead of the next correction or panic.

Is Do-It-Yourself Foolish?

During the Offshore Advantage Academy in Los Cabos last week where I spoke, I got a lot of questions about various offshore legal issues from our 330 attendees.

Global Investor: You Too can Sue over Global Warming!

It's time for another installment in my periodic postings on frivolous lawsuits.

Your Last Shot at the "Offshore Advantage"

"Politicians will always do the right thing... if you deny them every other option."

Four Alternative Investments to Beat the Stock Market

"Hardly anything starts on-time in Mexico... except the bull fights."

A Fountain of Forbidden Knowledge

"So, what's the difference between a great safari and a bad one?"

"Zimbabwe Trillionaires" in Paradise

After 24 hours in Los Cabos, I'm already feeling richer. Bill Gates, eat your heart out, I'm now a TRILLIONAIRE!

Legislating from 31,000 Feet...

"This must be what it feels like to be a Congressman."

"A Black Hole in the Heart of America"

Tax competition is an issue that arouses passion on both sides of the debate.

Global Investor: High-Tax Demagogues Exposed (Again)

But this isn't the first time that the U.S. has been called out for its tax haven hypocrisy...

8,620% Profits... Like Clockwork...

If market history is any guide, the best time to buy stocks is in late October and the best time to sell them is in May.

FACTA: Another Heinous Jab at Offshore Financial Centers

Are you ready for the latest round of offshore bullying?

Dollar's Future Holds the Key to Christmas Profits

Unprecedented government intervention might stress the average taxpayer, but it's opened some incredible opportunities for speculators and investors

Global Investor: Is the U.S. Federal Government Greater than the Sum of its Parts?

If you're looking for the true heart of the American experience, then look no further than a crazy real estate auction in Detroit last week...

Eliminating Bias: Bane of the Average Investor

Smart people believe weird things because they are skilled at defending beliefs they arrived at for non-smart reasons.

Global Investor: Dollar Bounce in the Works?

As the dollar eventually rallies, global markets are likely to violently dislocate...

The Single Greatest Wealth-creating Force in History Has Just Appeared in an Unexpected Corner of the World

One phenomenon has created more wealth�in people�s everyday lives and in the stock market�than perhaps any other.

How Watching the World Series Can Help You Become a Better Investor

Tonight, Game One of the 106th World Series begins at 8pm Eastern Standard Time.

New Tax Could Save Swiss Bank Secrecy...

As the global economic debacle continues to escalate, more and more frankly whacked out ideas are coming to the forefront.

Editor's Corner: Obama as Bad as Bush-Cheney

That was the headline on a column by Nat Hentoff, a senior fellow at the Cato Instutute ...

It's 2007 All Over Again...

With oil spiking to a 2009 high and a return to the mania of mergers and acquisitions, I sent out a special alert email to subscribers of The Sovereign Individual this past Friday.

Global Investor: UK Gilts Could be the World's Best Short...

Judging by the break-even rates on inflation-protected bonds, the United Kingdom is home to the highest future inflation of any major nation.

What it's Really Like to Expatriate

There are a lot more former U.S. citizens than there once were.

Global Investor: Thinking Outside the Box...

The story above is a great example of the kind of thinking we truly cherish at The Sovereign Society...

The Government's Forever Blowing Bubbles...

Did you hear the one about the portly 20-year-old Guatemalan?

Global Investor: 6 Reasons Why the Dollar will Keep Falling (At Least for Now...)

Everyone loves lists... and most people love hating the dollar, so let�s get right to it...

Confessions of a Swiss Banker

Alpine Atlantic's Daniel Zurbr�gg Tells All on Inflation, "Recovery," Global Growth, and More...

Global Investor: Hedge Fund Master Bearish on U.S. Treasury Bonds

"It's almost Armageddon if the Chinese and Japanese don't buy our debt."

Q: Should You Die in 2010?

A: It might be a good idea... if you're a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, and want to spare your heirs from paying estate tax at a rate as high as 55%.

Global Investor: Free the IRS 7,500!?

So last week's great IRS triumph was getting 7,500 unreported American offshore account holders to come in from the cold...

Why Aren't You Buying U.S. Residential Real Estate?

Housing in the United States is the cheapest it's been in more than four decades.

Global Investor: Questionable Tax Havens Teetering on the Brink?

As long as companies show "better than expected earnings," stocks will continue to rise and investors will continue to dump the dollar.

Are the Caymans Broke?

A recent New York Times article reports on the dire financial situation in one of the leading British "OverSeas Territories" (OST's) the Cayman Islands...

Global Investor: Questionable Tax Havens Teetering on the Brink?

The mainstream media often paints a picture of offshore centers as outposts of unimaginable wealth, with their economies fueled by the proceeds of money laundering, tax fraud, and other illegal activities.

Less Profit, Higher Share Prices

Ah, earnings season. That magical time a quarter when an analyst's fancy turns to a company beating expectations.

Global Investor: Bank "Earnings" A Sham

The phony results now underway for Q3 bank earnings continue to mask the greatest bear market rally or con-game in history.

Investor Sounds Alarm on Hyperinflation

The headline from the Bloomberg News internet site Bloomberg.com said it all, "U.S. Inflation to Approach Zimbabwe Level, Faber Says."

Global Investor: Markets Will Force U.S. Consumption Tax

In the absence of an initiative by government and the populace to reduce bulging deficits, the United States will eventually be forced to introduce a consumption tax to pay for its staggering borrowing.

An Oasis From the Global Recession

Despite fears plaguing the dollar and a questionable financial system in Western countries, the Indian subcontinent is'�t just soldiering on; it's already thriving.

Global Investor: The Moment of Truth is Approaching for Bailed-Out Economies...

With apologies to any A-Letter readers from Chicago, I couldn't be happier that my home country - Brazil - will be hosting its first-ever Olympic games in 2016.

A "Must-Read" if You Have Any Business With Offshore Trusts...

Type the phrase "offshore trust" into a search engine, and you'll get a ton of hits.

Special Event: Bob Returns to Washington!

Yes, you read that right, I'm going back to Washington - not in any official capacity this time, but rather to speak at a meeting on Tuesday...

Why Gravity is Stronger than Helium, And Stocks Fall Much Faster than They Rise

If you've ever climbed a mountain, a hill, or just a few flights of stairs, you know it takes longer to get to the top than back down to the bottom.

Top 10 Signs the Market Could Be "Topping"

Let's get right to it. Drum roll, please...

Parasites on the American Dream

The notion of homeownership as the American dream was a benefit to far more people than the buyers themselves...

Global Investor: After Months of Silence, Our Crash Sirens Start Wailing...

I was impressed when I heard about the 98% accuracy Andrew found by backtesting his short-selling system.

Offshore Bullying From The World's Largest Tax Haven...

The devil is in the details. My father, who practiced medicine for nearly four decades, often repeated this truism when confronting a difficult diagnosis.

Global Investor: What does Roman Polanski Have to Do with UBS?

Ahh, Roman Polanski. In trouble with the law once again.

How Does it Feel to Be on the Winning Team?

Ring that championship bell, because you're on the winning team.

Global Investor: Steer Clear Right Now... But Buy This Asset Class on Weakness

In late 2008 I made the compelling case for high quality investment-grade bonds.

Returning to the Patriot Act

It's been eight long years since attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon inspired a sense of unbridled panic.

Global Investor: Low Z-Score Stocks - The Market's Equivalent of a Lottery

It should be no surprise to any skeptical investor that the stocks leading the rally are nothing more than unmitigated junk.

I Think We're Turning Japanese...

Call me an optimist, but our current economic conditions are starting to look a little less like the Great Depression.

Global Investor: IRS Extends Deadline For Reporting Unacknowledged Offshore Accounts...

It couldn't have happened at a better time.

Was it Just a "Bad Year?"

It's been a busy year for investors, commentators, politicians... everyone.

Editor's Corner: California's "IRS" Slapped with US$388 Million Lawsuit...

Ordinarily, I despise lawsuits. But I just learned of one jury award I can endorse unequivocally...

Confessions of a Short-Seller...

"But you can't short stocks... that's immoral!"

Global Investor: What You're Missing on the Tiny Isle of Man

On a typical Saturday, a dozen "liability managers" will be glued to computer screens in what used to be the church nave...