In truth, many people are not cut from the same cloth financially, each family or individual tackles their day from a different perspective. The start of the day is a leap of faith for those having to decide what they might have to sacrifice until circumstances improve. There are too many families living from paycheck to paycheck while others don’t realize how fortunate they are. Consequently, financial distress could be causing many domestic issues that would not normally be seen if financial stability was part of the equation. 

In general, the cost of living has become so extreme that people seriously need to think before they act. Things we took for granted, once considered novelties such as eating at a local restaurant, have now become challenging for many. These things are now considered luxuries. Life has become a poker game because people won’t show their hand as pride gets in the way. Ultimately, it will become the primary reason why the House of Cards will eventually collapse. Nothing in this world is free, not even the water and soon the air we breathe.

Always expect the unexpected, today we are very much involved in a world that has become highly digitized. The leap of faith into technology has made us more productive but also very dependent. Analyze your present situation and imagine if a cyber attack or a power grid collapse were to occur, how would that affect your ability to earn an income or allow you to function on a given day? Now that $Billions more have been pumped into Ukraine, what options would be left to take care of those in our own backyard? Tent cities, cannot be ignored as many more can be forced toward the same reality. Never say never!  

It is paramount to plan always having alternative options in the way you live and work. People continue to be distracted from their current reality as economic numbers are mostly ignored or don’t have the same impact they once did. In a market economy, where individual wealth exceeds that of those that govern or control the flow of money, interventions in currency markets are like pissing in the wind. They hardly happen anymore. 

This morning there was a slew of economic data the markets anticipated to provide direction. Starting in Canada, the economy expanded by 1% YoY in Q4 vs (0.4%). We also must understand that the increase could be directly attributed to increased government hiring and spending rather than generic Private Sector employment. 

Then came Jobless Claims in the USA up to 215k vs (202k) not particularly good but the PCE – Personal Consumption Index was down to 2.4% YoY from the previous (2.6%) while Core Inflation rose to 2.8% excluding volatile food and energy. Nonetheless, the USD Index originally slipped below the 104.0 level and now rises above. Previously, USA Q4 Gross Domestic Product was revised downward from (3.3%) to (3.2%), lastly, USA Durable Goods Orders fell <6.1%> more than the <4.5%> expected.

The results, specifically regarding inflation indicators give the Fed the ammunition to delay when they will start lowering rates. I mentioned this before, the Central Bank (The Fed) is doing everything it can to keep the USD from imploding, by using statements as the driving force to a currency that has no substance other than supported by the Government that allows it to be printed in excess. This is a direct correlation to the inflation the world is presently experiencing. Meanwhile, there are another 25 Nations seeking entry into the Bricks Nations as a financial alternative. 

Precious Metals are significantly higher even though the USD has regained some strength. Gold stands in the $2050/oz level and Silver lags around the $22.65/oz level. Meanwhile, Oil remains elevated above the $78/B level. The Canadian Dollar hovers below the 0.74 cent level. Lastly, Bitcoin explodes above $63k/coin/USD. The latter is an incredible story from a seed of nothing, Trillions of dollars in wealth have been generated by passing one person’s risk to another based on hope, Wow!