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Erik Oswald



Articles by Erik Oswald

It’s Time for TINA to Retire

April 25, 2022

To listen to the audio version of this article click here.
In the world of trends, history repeats more than it rhymes. Things which were considered “in” decades ago, reemerge as cool again decades later. From mom jeans to vinyl records and even Marxist ideology. The spotlight of today turns to things—both good and bad—once forgotten.
Inflation is the latest trend to reemerge.
But this isn’t the kind and considerate inflation which hummed quietly in the background for years.  This is the face-ripping, headline-making inflation which is dominating the news cycle and causing many to ask: why are things are so much more expensive today than they were a year ago?
Our “Money” isn’t Money
Our CEO has some great takes that answer the “why” behind the inflation we’re

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Gold Under the Mattress vs Gold Investments

January 12, 2022

“If you can’t hold it in your hand, you don’t own it.”
That’s one of the most common refrains we hear from gold and silver investors. And while there is a kernel of truth in this saying, investing by these words alone could prove a costly mistake.
This popular phrase conflates and entangles two different concepts.
Gold owned for emergency use or as a financial insurance policy
Gold owned for investment purposes
In this article, we’ll untangle those ideas and offer a different way to think about owning gold.
The Dangers of Holding Too Much in Hand
Reductio ad absurdum is helpful here. Immediately, we can think of many things that we really do own, but that we cannot hold in our hand.
More importantly though, taking this phrase to its logical conclusion introduces

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Can Interest on Gold Outpace Inflation?

October 22, 2021

Yield.
It’s on the tip of every investor’s tongue, but it’s much harder to find than it used to be.
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away (like the early 1980’s) one could simply open a savings account, purchase a CD or US 10-year notes, and earn between 7% to 14%.
The idea of earning 14% on treasurys seems the stuff dreams are made of. And you must be dreaming if you think you can find that kind of yield today. Interest rates are at zero, near zero, or negative across much of the developed world.
One of the many problems with falling interest rates is that it becomes near impossible to outpace inflation with your capital. This question becomes all the more relevant in light of the recent transitory inflation we’re facing. How can you generate a yield that

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