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  1. Catherine,

    A close friend bought me the best selling book, Strengths Finder 2.0 and encouraged me to take the test to see what 5 strengths I bring to the table, abilities that I may or may not be utilizing fully at this time. I searched for a reference to the book on Solari and was actually surprised that you had not discussed this as understanding our own personal unique strength profile is essential in realigning our personal compass to “A Free and Inspired Life”. This friend and I had the chance to go on vacation out of the country and long conversations kept bringing me back to discussions here on this website, either between you and Jon Rappaport or other guests, so I am giving my friend a subscription so we both can abbreviate some of the verbiage by a simple reference to Solari.com.

    In other words, thanks, Catherine.

    Jane

    1. Jane:

      I don’t know of Strength Finders. I will check it out! Thanks!

      Catherine

  4. Thoughts on Fear.

    Catherine, years ago you said one of the best things one could do is get rid of your TV. I did end up getting rid of my TV but I don’t think I understood at the time the extent of that action. I did not realize how TV promotes a constant fear state. The news constantly warns of threats that are unlikely to ever touch me. The adds warn of all kinds of illness to be prevented with some drug. Even the comedies have back stabbing friends or cheating lovers.

    I recently read a zerohedge article on a rueters survey of what people thought was a threat to the US. Obama and Putin were some of the choices.. What I saw was that what people were afraid of was manufactured and they were afraid of things that were unlikely to actually touch them where they lived. http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-03-30/reuters-asks-who-more-threat-obama-or-putin-surprised-answer

    I have memberships with you and Joseph Farrel. I feel well informed but not overly afraid. I so appreciate both of you for facing problems without hysteria.

    I used to listen to Clif high of the Webbots. He focuses on fear language and I learned a great deal about letting fear control me or not, while listening to him. He taps into the wish to know what will happen in advance in order to be prepared and defend oneself. That desire is very strong in adult children of alcoholics by the way. But what I learned is even if he got the language right it never manifested as your mind projected it. It is better to keep your eyes open, observe, keep on paddling in everyday life and adjust as things actually impact you. Fear has you sell out experiencing your here and now for things that may never happen ( Collapse of the dollar etc)

    I see the value in facing things, but not with fear. I had an experience where the IRS sent me a letter stating that I had not paid enough tax on a 401K early distribution years ago. They said I owed them more than my annual income. They sent multiple letters and I was terrified. i finally went for a walk up a steep hill near me. I was huffing and puffing and angry and scared. Finally I said they can do whatever they want but i will not give them my fear. I refuse to be afraid. I called them and had the odd experience of the IRS telling me i was not making enough money to make it as a single person and they were putting me in non collectable status. It was one of the best lessons i have ever had in fear.

    Anyway, thank you so much for shining a light on our world and giving us a way to see the darkness with strength and faith instead of fear.

    1. You are most welcome! Yes, letting go of TV is a great thing. I have been watching a TV series on Netflix and just had to drop it – same thing. Too much fear.

  5. Catherine, in the past you talked about budgets being balanced with depopulation. If there are off planet agendas is depopulation still needed to the same degree? Considering the breakaway civilization, what is the agenda for the planetary population?

    1. Cybele:

      If you want to look at things from a possible depopulation point of view, here is one piece that could help you see this from the “livestock” management mindset:
      http://tinyurl.com/o9swtcg

      I don’t know where this is coming from, but I think there is real concern about how many people the planet support and in what form. Another question is whether or not there is an immigration happening from off planet or other dimensions or concern about serious space weather issues.

  6. Yesterday on a plane flight I had an amazing 3-hour conversation with a very intelligent 16-year old young lady who has plans to attend a top university for physics and engineering. She has a particular interest in robotics. We discussed artificial intelligence, transhumanism, GMOs, geoengineering, breakthrough energy, breakaway civilization, UFO/ET, and how her generation is flooded with distractions from “reality”. I was impressed by her intense interest and thoughtful questions throughout the whole 3 hours. As a gift, I provided her my copy of the 2015 Free and Inspired wrap-up report, which she promised to read and share with her family and friends. I walked off that plane with a greater sense of hope than I’ve had in a long time, that a new generation of leaders will indeed awaken and rise up. I believe Haley will be one of them.
    Joel Garbon

    1. Wouldn’t you love to see the facts of of what was behind this story! What a world.

  9. Apologies if this was already posted.

    http://business.financialpost.com/2014/07/14/secret-path-revealed-that-allows-wealthy-chinese-to-transfer-billions-overseas-buying-pricey-property-in-vancouver-new-york-and-sydney/

    “HSBC Holdings Plc, which runs the largest branch network among foreign banks in China, offers its Chinese clients another way to access offshore mortgages while avoiding the cap on foreign-exchange conversion … Customers deposit yuan with HSBC’s mainland unit or purchase its wealth-management products, and the bank’s overseas branch then issues a foreign-currency denominated mortgage using the China deposits as collateral, the person said.”

    http://www.theprovince.com/business/Will+cancellation+Immigrant+Investor+Program+spark+flight+Chinese+money/9886021/story.html

    “in March 2014, just weeks after the federal government announced cancellation of the Immigrant Investor Program (IIP), average prices for detached homes in Greater Vancouver dropped by a monthly record of 11 per cent from February 2014. Young says the IIP was “the most popular scheme in the world for millionaire migrants” from China to protect their wealth against fears of social and political upheaval at home. It provided a cheap, risk-free, and almost guaranteed path to citizenship.”

  10. Would Catherine please explain the concept “U.S. dollar bear trap ” Thanks, TF

    1. If you look at the technical definition of the term “bear trap,” I am somewhat misusing it. I am referring to setting a trap for the investors and constituents who are planning on the dollar staying low or falling. Instead, they find themselves trapped in a scenario where the dollar rises and, as a result, are financially or politically in a tight spot or cornered.

      For example, a large emerging market financial institutions borrows in dollars and reinvests in the local currency. As the economy slows, the amount of dollars that the local economy is making falls. QE ends, interest rates rise. Suddenly, it takes a lot more work to earn a dollar and it is more expensive to borrow dollars. But the institution has to pay whatever it costs – because the money is owned. Add up enough such institutions and sovereign governments and you get significant momentum behind the growing fears.

      The US is in the enviable position of being able to print dollars – in good times and bad.

  13. Mark Armstrong predicts a sovereign debt crisis which might begin in Sept/October 2015. On a practical level what
    is sovereign debt?…Government bonds, Treasuries, FDIC, bank CD’s, Money markets? Government bond money markets?

    ..what exactly is he referring to and how would one hedge against such a prediction?

    1. Elinor:

      Take a look at the McKinsey study I posted last week on the blog. This will be part of the discussion that Dr. Farrell and I have in Planet Debt at the end of the month.

      Catherine

  14. Will the new blog support a podcast feed for Solari audio reports? This would make it easier to automatically sync the latest MP3 audio report to a mobile phone, for convenient listening in a car or on headphones during commutes.

    A small VC is experimenting with an instrument called “Cashflow Notes” which combines debt and equity, developed by Cooley:
    http://pando.com/2015/02/17/while-other-vcs-seek-unicorns-indie-vc-is-all-about-that-cashflow/
    http://bryce.vc/post/110818407170/an-update-on-indie-vc
    http://bryce.vc/post/112803622220/how-indie-vc-cash-distributions-work

    “[It’s an] instrument that has elements of both debt and equity. Debt in that we will not be purchasing equity initially, but, unlike debt, there is no maturity date, no collateralization of assets and no recourse if it’s never paid back. The equity element will only become a factor if the participating company chooses to raise a round of financing or sell out to an acquiring company.”

    A couple of stories from Minnesota and Alberta on neighbors buying and developing unwanted buildings:
    http://www.yesmagazine.org/new-economy/neighbors-got-together-buy-vacant-buildings-renting-bike-shop-brewer

    “NEIC created a structure where any Minnesota resident could join the co-op for $1,000, and invest more through the purchase of different classes of nonvoting stock… One year later, NEIC had enough members to buy the two buildings on Central Avenue for cash… Today, NEIC’s impact spreads beyond the intersection of Central and Lowry. It’s catalyzed the creation of new jobs, engaged its more than 200 members in reimagining their neighborhood, and given residents a way to put their capital to work in their local economy. “Collectively, that wealth will stay in our community,” says Watson. “If you want to take the long view, that’s the goal.”

    1. Rich:

      Will check into podcast feed.

      Posting the other articles. Good stuff!

      Catherine

  15. Hello Catherine,
    I think the idea of a basic income promoted in the link below is worthy of debate. We have some serious problems with the amount of resources that are removed from public lands and the resulting profits that are disseminated amongst resource companies and the government with almost nothing going directly to the citizens. It seems that the way our current system operates, the majority of the monies find their way to the plutocracy, via dividends and interest and stock price appreciation. Alaska’s model is a start, but could be improved.

    Chad

    https://realcurrencies.wordpress.com/2014/12/05/the-basic-income/

    1. Excellent point. Look at the post we did on the Norwegian Sovereign Wealth Fund. If Louisiana had treated its natural resources the way Norway did, the people of Louisiana would be healthy and safe today – and the environment as well.

  16. In federal laws crowd sourcing is only available to the wealthiest investors. 13 states have passed laws allowing all investors. Is this important? Goto http://Www.mnvest.org for more info.

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