George Carlin once said of our political system that it is one big club, and you aren’t in it.

This could not be more evident than in places like Europe, where without any say from the populace they are looking to roll out the European Digital Currency in October. Poll after poll shows that the regular people like you and me are fine with the options that we have now and that they are working well.

Of course, this new version of “money” will allow total control of how the “money” is used and will allow those “in charge” to monitor all of your spending. This is nothing but an attempt to force behaviors by using economic force.

While many who read my articles are well aware of the pitfalls of this new system of total control, I came across another bit of information that got me thinking even deeper than I had been.

I find it interesting that just a few weeks ago Christine Lagarde came out with the statement of a digital Euro in October of 2025. Right around the same time Ursula von der Leyen announced the Savings and Investments Union.

What could be the problem with a Savings and Investment Union? A tweet by Ms. Von der Leyen lays out the EXACT problem. They are aiming to redirect “unused savings” from CITIZENS to finance military growth and bolster Europe’s defense industry. “We’ll turn private savings into much needed investment.”

I cannot think of any other way to put it other than they are going to attempt to seize private savings and use it anyway THEY see fit. Most likely to fund endless wars and chaos. Wonderful use for OUR “money” huh? There is NO TALK of any benefit for anyone but the warmongers.

If the digital currency indeed gets rolled out the confiscation of OUR property could be done with a few clicks of a mouse.

This is just one more nail in the coffin for traditional banking. In this scenario you do not need a bail-in or a bank to go bust- the “money” is just taken. Don’t like it? Too bad!

Even before this revelation, I was sure that having some assets that are not subject to the whims of those “in charge” in my personal possession was a good idea. While there does not appear to be anything that these people will not try to separate us from our wealth for their own personal gain, I believe that we have to do all in our power to protect ourselves. Anyone waiting for the government or anyone else to come to our aid is probably going to be in for a world of disappointment.

Personally, I believe that you need:

CASH- Many people may question why have cash if it is eventually going to be worthless. My answer is that in a scenario where the system breaks down it is likely that the banks will be closed. Depending upon the nature of the shutdown ATMs may or may not work and many- if they did work- would likely to be out of cash quickly and if people are desperate there could be some bandits that will be watching withdrawals.

Food – this is one that should be an easy decision. Buy extra of whatever you need. This is just common-sense planning in case of a natural disaster or an economic meltdown.

Water- If the electricity goes out you may not have running water. Bottled water is ok, but it would be better to have a water filtration system so that you have access to good water.

Medications- It is likely that in an economic meltdown supply chains could be disrupted and necessary medications may not be readily available as they are now.

Back up Heat – If an event happens in the winter back-up heat is necessary.

Silver- If things get really bad, I believe silver will be a great bartering tool. It will likely be FAR superior to cash in a tough situation and may allow you to buy necessities by outbidding those with green paper. In addition, it is greatly undervalued at this time, and I expect good returns anyway.

Gold- You can store a lot of VALUE and purchasing power in a small space. This is why central banks buy more gold than silver. I believe that the gold is a great hedge against a loss of purchasing power in the fiat currencies and will likely provide a great way to buy assets that are on sale when a collapse takes place. Personally, I believe that stocks, bonds and real estate will collapse in PRICE to reflect true VALUE because they are being artificially propped up and that gold and silver- being artificially suppressed will explode higher and allow me to buy income producing stocks, real estate and other assets that are out of reach or too overvalued at this time.

Many people wonder why gold has skyrocketed up in price while silver has languished. A quick trip to the USDebtclock.org will provide a clue.

The dollar to gold ratio is $8511.00 to 1 oz of gold. The dollar to silver ratio is $1099.00 to 1 oz of silver. In addition, there are 129.70 paper contracts for each ounce of gold and 377.53 paper contracts for each ounce of silver. This gives the ILLUSION that there is FAR more actual gold and silver than actually exists and is used to suppress the price. It also tells me that for every ounce of gold over 129 people think they own it. With silver 377 people think they own each ounce. Let me assure you that none of us will get the ounce when the SHTF. The banks will get it. (Get what you need now and have it in a safe place).

Since silver is not Basel 3 compliant, they can play FAR more games and the 377+ paper contracts are proof of the games being played. An algorithm cannot determine a paper contract from a physical asset- it just sees a price and buys or sells depending upon the instructions they are given.

Many know that central banks are buying gold in record amounts year after year. It is listed as a tier one asset on central bank balance sheets (riskless- as long as it is held in physical form). Trading has to be settled in physical form in 1 day. That means you have to have the gold on hand pretty much. That is my best guess as to why all this gold is being sent to the USA. July 1, 2025, the USA has to abide by the Basel 3 rules that the rest of the world has been subject to for the last 2 years. They need the gold to play.

Silver, on the other hand, can be settled with paper contracts which leads to far more manipulation.

It will likely end with a skyrocketing price when the actual supply/ demand situation is revealed. In the past few years there have been supply deficits of hundreds of millions of ounces, and with the price being suppressed, there is not a great appetite for looking for new supplies even though the demand is increasing very quickly.

Things are moving quickly … Be Prepared!

Any opinions are those of Mike Savage and not necessarily of those of RJFS or Raymond James. Expressions of opinion are as of this date and are subject to change without notice. The information in this report does not purport to be a complete description of securities, markets or developments referred to in this material. The information has been obtained from sources deemed to be reliable, but we do not guarantee that the foregoing material is accurate or complete. Any information is not a complete summary or statement of all available data necessary for making an investment decision and does not constitute a recommendation. There is no guarantee that these statements, opinions, or forecasts provided herein will prove to be correct.

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