Economics & Investing For Preppers
Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. In this column, JWR also covers hedges, derivatives, and various obscura. This column emphasizes JWR’s “tangibles heavy” investing strategy and contrarian perspective. Today, we look at the volatile global silver market. (See the Precious Metals section.)
Precious Metals:
In modern times, silver has been known for more volatile price swings than gold. This week was no exception. From Friday, August 1st to Thursday, August 7, spot silver climbed from $36.63 to $38.53 per Troy ounce. In my estimation, as of 2025, silver still holds the potential for greater gain than gold. But brace yourself for a rollercoaster ride. While gold may gradually gain 10% versus the US Dollar before December of 2026, I expect silver to gain as much as 25%. But be prepared to witness 10% silver price swings in some months. The reason is simple: Silver is a much smaller, “thinner” market, and it is heavily manipulated by short sellers. If you’ve watched the weekly price action in silver for the past 18 months, you’ve noticed that in many weeks, the Asian Longs are consistent buyers, driving up silver on Mondays and Tuesdays, but then American Shorts push it down on most Thursdays and Fridays. The silver market arbitrageurs (“arbs”) are not blind to this weekly cycle, and they almost surely have been profiting from it, repeatedly. But, again, the long-term prospects for silver are quite solid. Mark my words: A big silver short squeeze is inevitable. When that happens, the Shorts will lose control, and their wicked price manipulation game will end abruptly. – JWR
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Some market commentary from Keith Weiner: Gold Doesn’t Need a Black Swan to Work.
Economy & Finance:
An Investment Market Update from Philpott Financial. Here is a quote:
“The US struck trade deals with several countries in July 2025, leading to markets rising and putting an end to some of the uncertainty that had plagued investors for months. Read on to find out what else may have affected your investments recently.
While it might seem like 2025 has been a poor year for investors, due to geopolitical tensions and trade wars, the figures paint a different picture.
In the first half of 2025, the FTSE 100, an index of the 100 largest companies listed on the London Stock Exchange, gained 7.2%. It’s the best performance in the first six months of the year since 2021. The data shows how markets often bounce back following short-term market movements, as the index fell sharply in April due to US tariff announcements.”
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Video: Victor Davis Hanson: Experts Were Wrong. The Economy’s Strong—But the Fed…
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Over at Zero Hedge: Record $100B in T-Bills Issued as U.S. Debt Crisis Turns Desperate. Here is an excerpt:
“The U.S. just issued a record-breaking $100 billion in four-week Treasury bills—short-term debt tools typically reserved for emergencies. But this isn’t a one-off. Treasury officials are calling it ‘the new norm.’ Why? Because we can’t afford to pay off our maturing debt. Rolling it over is the only option. But as foreign demand wanes and money market funds get stretched, even that strategy is running thin. The Fed’s reverse repo facility is already draining. Liquidity risks are growing. And the dollar’s global credibility? Fading fast. The U.S. just issued a record-breaking $100 billion in four-week Treasury bills—short-term debt tools typically reserved for emergencies. But this isn’t a one-off. Treasury officials are calling it ‘the new norm.’
Because we can’t afford to pay off our maturing debt. Rolling it over is the only option. But as foreign demand wanes and money market funds get stretched, even that strategy is running thin. The Fed’s reverse repo facility is already draining. Liquidity risks are growing. And the dollar’s global credibility? Fading fast.”
Commodities:
From CME Group: July 2025 Commodities Update.
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Could Propame Be The New Diesel?
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From OilPrice News: Why Oil Prices May Be Stuck Below $72.
Forex & Cryptos:
Trump and the dollar are doing something we saw just before the October 1987 stock market crash.
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At Currency Thoughts: Dollar Continues to Weaken as Trump Monopolizes News Feeds.
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The new Coinbase television ad, titled Everything Is Fine was a bit too pointed and therefore it immediately got banned in the United Kingdom. JWR’s Comment: This ban reminds me of the old saying: “If you’re taking flak, that is because you’re right over the target.”
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Popular miner predicts Bitcoin hitting $200K before bull run ends.
Tangibles Investing:
From the perma-bulls at Ramsey: Housing Market Predictions for 2025.
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Our featured Pre-1899 Gun Of The Week, at Elk Creek Company: Limited Edition Engraved USHS Colt .44 Dragoon. Note that this is one of our percussion gun inventory that is currently deeply discounted. This big sale will end on August 15th.
Provisos:
SurvivalBlog and its Editors are not paid investment counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos page for our detailed disclaimers.
News Tips:
Please send your economics and investing news tips to JWR. (Either via e-mail or via our Contact form.) These are often especially relevant because they come from folks who closely watch specific markets. If you spot any news that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers, then please send it in. News items from local news outlets that are missed by the news wire services are especially appreciated. Thanks!
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The Editors’ Quote of the Day:
