• Given the extreme instability of the economy, (” I am serious when I say we could wake up on any given morning and find ourselves at war externally or internally. Either event will immediately tank the stock markets and therefore the economy.”), what do you recommend we do with our savings, investments and retirement accounts?

I am no financial advisor of any kind or of any sort. I am just a guy trying to get by…and maybe ahead a little bit. I am a big believer in diversity…after preparedness. What I mean by that is pretty simple…all preparedness mitigation efforts come first. So unless you have mitigated the 7 Common Risks/Threats (violence, injury/sickness, communications, organization, dehydration, exposure, and starvation) I don’t think any other investments are important, or should get your attention or your money. I have been blessed enough to have mitigated the 7 Common Risks/Threats to the point I feel is adequate. Once that was done then I moved into tax deferred investments (IRA, 401K, TSP, etc.). And for that I diversify using mutual funds. Since my wife and I both have those opportunities I diversify our combined accounts as if they were one. I like stock-based mutual funds, and I like Fidelity the best with Vanguard right up there was well. I go for no-load, low-fee funds that have proven themselves to be winner’s year-after-year. And I throw in there the best newer fund as well that is performing the best. Then I am a big believer in precious metals. I think 10 – 15% is a good figure for us. But, I don’t think that a gold IRA is a good idea where the gold is kept in someone else’s vault. Oh, I almost forgot…life insurance. Life insurance is to replace loss of income to the survivors…nothing else! The best way to do that is with term life insurance. Whole-life or universal life are only designed to make money for insurance companies and agents. Yes, that means they screw the consumer by selling whole/universal life insurance…period! Since my wife is now minimally dependent on my income I have little life insurance. If I was 30 with 4 kids I would probably have a minimum of $500,000 of term life insurance. That would cost about $30 a month. Once I have all those bases covered I go back and start over making sure each aspect is correctly funded and proportioned. Everyone’s situation is different, so make sure you are doing a plan for yourself. Also, I am no advisor…that is painfully clear.

One thing that needs mentioning because it is very important. At the top of the savings/investment list is this…an emergency fund. The absolute bare minimum amount should be a month’s worth of expense sitting in cash in your home. I am far more comfortable with being able to cover 3 months. And ultimately I think 6 months worth of cash saved is the correct amount. Notice I said “cash”…I like to see that amount in cash safely hidden at home.

• What about the FBI? You seem to have a real case against them but I don’t get it. Do you have any recent proof that they are corrupt?

Really?
1. Last year they actively worked to influence the Presidential election.
2. They illegally influenced the DoJ to not prosecute Hillary Clinton even though the FBI Director clearly and repeatedly said Hillary broke the law, which jeopardized national security.
3. The FBI destroyed the laptops and hard drives of former Clinton chief of staff Cheryl Mills and ex-campaign staffer Heather Samuelson.

So let’s take #3 since it is cut and dried proof of the complete corruption of the FBI.

Background: Clinton is being investigated by the FBI for multiple violations of national security, all of which are felonies that could result in decades in prison. Mills and Samuelson have information on their laptops that confirm and validate the crimes that Clinton committed.

Action: Yet, the FBI destroyed the laptop computers, including the hard drives.

Why? The FBI stated that Clinton had committed the crimes but the DoJ also wouldn’t prosecute. So why destroy evidence? Only three possible answers:
1. The FBI was trying to conceal evidence that proved the seriousness of Clinton’s crimes was far worse than they stated to the public.
2. The FBI didn’t want any other investigative agency to be able to review the laptops and hard drives for any additional evidence linking Clinton and/or Obama to even more crimes and violations of national security…and who know what else.
3. The FBI is just a bunch of bungling idiots.

Now, you might say…the FBI was done with their investigation and found nothing on the laptops so they simply destroyed them. Well…really? Why wouldn’t the FBI simply return the laptops to the owners if they didn’t contain anything of importance?

Clearly, unmistakably, undeniably, the FBI was covering-up either Clinton’s crimes or trying to prevent any possibility that any other investigation could review that evidence. The FBI was covering their tracks and protecting the Clintons and probably Obama as well. This is yet more clear evidence that the FBI is morally bankrupt and utterly corrupt.

But, challenge me on this…What other possible reason would the FBI have to destroy evidence in an investigation regarding multiple violations of national security? Did you come up with any other even remotely plausible answer? Yeah, I didn’t think so.

• Do you think Trump is doing a good job as President? (updated January 2019)
  

Nope. I think he is failing as a President…failing very badly.

#1 – He is a divisive figure and polarizing the country with his attitude and actions. A successful leader unites people behind a common vision. Trump is not doing that and has no desire to do so. And that statement will tick off a whole bunch of people. I don’t care, it’s an honest and objective opinion.

#2 – The federal debt has grown approximately 2Trillion dollars since Trump has been President. Shameful! And it is growing at record rates!!!

09/30/2018 21,516,058,183,180.23
09/30/2017 20,244,900,016,053.51
09/30/2016 19,573,444,713,936.79

#3 – The annual federal budget deficit is skyrocketing under Trump!! And Trump’s budget deficits are growing and the trend line is looking horrible for the American economy and especially middle and lower income Americans.

2017 $665billion
2018 $779billion
2019 $984billion (estimated)

Under Obama from 2013 – 2016 the annual average budget deficit was $546billion per year on average.

Note: And this is while the country is experiencing record high income tax increases under Trump.

#4 – Brett M. Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Kavanaugh is a big-government, police-state believer. He believes in “national security” over individual rights, freedoms, and liberties.

#5 – Trump administration has not supported the Second Amendment. The Second Amendment has suffered several defeats in appellate courts and Trump administration has not defended the Second Amendment by taking those cases to the Supreme Court. The Trump administration has announced plans to ban bump stocks which is a direct blow against the Second Amendment.

#6 – Trump has not shrunk the size of the federal government.

#7 – Trump has not built the wall as he promised.

#8 – Trump has not worked to eliminate or reduce abortion.

#9 – Trump is a raging narcissist, he is nearly perfect in his own eyes and will tell the American public that at every opportunity.

#10 – He opposes the Constitution when it doesn’t suit his purposes. He is a huge believer in Civil Asset Forfeiture even though it is a direct violation of the Constitutional provision of “due process”.

#11 – The stock market is down almost 10% for 2018 under his Presidency. And the stock market under Trump is performing no better than under Obama. And Obama’s trend was up. Trump’s trend line is down.

Do I need to go on?

• Sounds as if you don’t like Trump?

I neither like him or not. I don’t know him personally. I’ve heard he can be very engaging privately. But, then again when I met President Bush in 2002 and spoke with him he was engaging and came across as a nice guy. We know how that turned out.

• Are we better off with Trump as President?

Better off than with whom…Hillary? Who knows, there is nothing to judge that on since I think Hilary would have been a buffoon as President and the Republican controlled Congress would have thwarted her agenda. Better off with Obama? Nah. No one could have been worse than Obama…other than maybe McCain.

• Why have there been so few articles posted on the website in the last few months…a year or more?

I’ve been very busy the last few months. The retirement home / bug out location has kept me working hard. I was also preparing our home for sale early last year. And, I’ve been spending time finishing up a number of prepper goals.

.

 

2009 - 2018 Copyright © AHTrimble.com ~ All rights reserved
No reproduction or other use of this content 
without expressed written permission from AHTrimble.com
See Content Use Policy for more information.