Dear Reader,
You need to prepare for a cashless future right now…
This isn’t conspiracy theory. This isn’t speculation. This is happening.
As you read this, governments all over the world are rapidly doing whatever is necessary to shift their economies to a cashless system, regardless of the consequences to their citizens.
If I weren’t prepared myself, I would be teeming with fear.
Get yourself prepared…
Get liquid… take your cash out of bank accounts… buy gold… buy guns… and buy ammo.
I’m not exaggerating when I say the move to a cashless world is happening faster than I can even write about it.
I first alerted Energy and Capital readers to this situation before it even got started when I urged you to read Kenneth Rogoff’s most recent book, The Curse of Cash. Since then, we’ve watched:
- India demonetize large notes
- Zimbabwe offer a new digital-only currency
- Sweden now actively embrace cashlessness
- The rest of the EU quickly forward SEPA
- And on Monday, the government of Venezuela demonetized the country’s the largest denomination notes
It’s happening. Governments all over the world are getting rid of their physical cash. And if you’re not prepared for when this cashless move comes to America, you’re going to be left out in the cold.
You have a decision…
You’re either going to suffer from this move to a cashless society, or you’re going protect yourself and profit from it.
Make a decision.
Now act.
Get Liquid
Get yourself as liquid as possible. Convert illiquid assets to cash or more liquid assets.
Sell the stuff you don’t use. And don’t turn around and just spend that money on something else you don’t need.
Own Physical Paper Cash
Going cashless will negatively affect the values of fiat currencies. But it won’t completely destroy the value of paper money in the short term.
In countries that are currently demonetizing their largest notes, paper cash is a premium product. And in the event of demonetization in America, you’re going to want to own the physical paper. But this is extremely important…
Do not own $50 or $100 notes.
Own the smaller denominations: $20s, $10s, and $5s ($1s are too bulky).
Again, the United States will not go cashless overnight. As other countries are doing, they will start to demonetize the large notes first. In his book, Rogoff specifically recommends demonetizing the U.S. $50 and $100 bills first. These will be worthless. $20s, $10s, and $5s will be at a premium.
Buy Gold
Buy gold if you haven’t already. Hell, buy some more.
Estimates suggest that approximately 6.5 billion ounces of gold is aboveground and in use. That’s quite a lot of gold. But divided among a world population of 7.5 billion, there’s only about 0.87 ounces of gold available per person.
And there’s even less when you consider most of this gold is owned as part of long-term holdings such as by central banks.
In the U.S., estimates suggest that less than 2% of the population owns physical gold bullion. Many people own gold jewelry. But gold jewelry is essentially “junk gold” in terms of monetary assets. Gold jewelry lacks standard weights, purities, and security features.
So just by owning a single ounce of physical gold, you’re already several steps ahead of everyone else.
Gold is often called an “alternative” money to fiat currencies. But the fact is, fiat currencies are the “alternative” money to gold. Gold is, has been, and will continue to be a monetary asset.
Specifically, I would recommend owning 1/10-ounce and 1/4-ounce American Gold Eagles, as they will be easiest to convert to cash.
Our analysts have traveled the world over, dedicated to finding the best and most profitable investments in the global energy markets. All you have to do to join our Energy and Capital investment community is sign up for the daily newsletter below.
Buy Guns and Ammo
Buy a gun if you don’t own one already. I have personally seen riots in my home city of Baltimore over racial hype. What happens when people don’t have access to money?
I would recommend owning both handguns and shotguns for defense. Assault rifles are fine, but I think they’re better designed for offense.
As far as handguns, I’d recommend a 9mm Beretta Px4 Storm or a Glock. Both are affordable and easy to clean and take care of. And I’d recommend 9mm because these are going to be the more affordable and easiest rounds to find.
As far as shotguns, I’d recommend a 12-gauge Mossberg 300. And again, I’d recommend 12-gauge because these are going to be the more affordable and easiest rounds to find.
To those ends, you also should own a stockpile of ammo. Ammunition was once used as currency. Legend says that back in the Old West, cowboys would trade a bullet for a small drink of liquor, from which we get the term “shot glass.”
One last recommendation…
Own Cannabis Seeds (where legal)
They’re extremely tiny and lightweight. But people will already pay big bucks for them. In the event of a physical cash crisis, cannabis seeds may be used as a form of currency.
Now, I’m probably not allowed to tell you to break the law. So I won’t: Don’t break any laws. But I don’t see any technical reason why I couldn’t explain how other people obtain cannabis seeds without alerting the authorities for informational, educational, and entertainment purposes.
Every state in the union is near an area where marijuana is legally available. So, smuggling seeds across state lines happens. And, of course, paying in cash keeps personal names off of purchases.
Buying prepaid credit cards with cash, then using those cards to purchase seeds, is also done to keep names off of purchases.
In some places, like Washington, D.C., it’s still illegal to sell flower and seeds. But it’s perfectly legal to give and accept cannabis as a “gift.” So, there are countless Craigslist ads offering an overpriced product that come with a “free gift” of grass. For example, one Craigslist seller is offering one pint of tea for $50. And with that pint of tea comes a “free cannabis gift.” Seeds are sometimes acquired this way.
For those who don’t feel like leaving their state, cannabis seeds can also be purchased online. Most of the seed sellers are based on Canada, Holland, or the U.K. However, due to local laws, sellers insist that their seeds are not for germination. They are considered “souvenirs.” People can buy these “souvenirs” with cash, check, credit card, or prepaid credit card, as described above.
To sum it up:
- Get liquid and sell the stuff you don’t need
- Own physical paper cash: $20s, $10s, and $5s
- Buy gold: own fractional American Eagles
- Buy guns and ammo
- Own cannabis seeds (where legal)
If the people in India and other places where cashless systems are rapidly popping up could go back in time just three months, these are the things they’d be doing.
Go forth,
Luke Burgess
Energy and Capital
