Watch Your Wallet
Watch Your Wallet
Joe Kesler | March 13, 2021 Humble Wallet
AS A BANKER, I got a ringside seat from which to watch the many ways that people are separated from their hard-earned money. Some are illegal. Some are legal, but unethical. And many, while legal and ethical, would be unnecessary with a little more knowledge about managing money. For me, the most disturbing experiences were when scammers extracted money from the naïve and innocent. I’ve seen the pain of customers who found out that their elderly mother had given her life savings to a manipulative TV preacher. Unfortunately, there isn’t a lot that can be done in such situations.
Even sadder are the lonely people who develop an online romance with someone overseas. To come to the U.S., somebody convinced one of my customers to wire funds, so he could get a passport and airline ticket. But that wasn’t enough. Just send a little more, he told her numerous times. Finally, the lightbulb came on that this might be a scam.
Have you heard of the Nigerian prince scam? I didn’t believe any sophisticated person would fall for such a crazy scheme. But a customer of mine got a fax from a “prince” trapped in Nigeria. The fax promised that if my customer, an accountant no less, would wire $20,000, it would allow the prince to wire my customer millions. Unfortunately, my customer bought it and lost not only his money, but also his reputation.
Rather than absorb the loss and move on, my customer decided to fly to Nigeria to “get his money back.” He didn’t get his money back, but at least he came back alive.
Today, many scams are high tech. It’s become common for computer hackers to demand ransom in return for unlocking vital computer systems. I’ve talked to businesses that have had to pay the ransom in bitcoin—or risk seeing their business fail.
Selling fear. One of the earliest books I read on investing was How to Prosper During the Coming Bad Years, published in 1979. It scared me that we were on the brink of destruction. I didn’t have much money, but I bought goldmining stocks in countries I couldn’t even find on a map. I later learned that fear sells books and newsletters. But it doesn’t lead to clear thinking or prosperity.
Today’s marketers still seek to get your money through fear tactics. I recently saw an economist’s newsletter that included an impressive array of charts, all showing how the stock market is in a bubble. His pitch? The future doesn’t belong to passive low-cost index investors like me. Rather, I should turn my money over to him, because he’s going to be an expert stock picker as the markets crash.
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Ariel: We have a Triple Header for Today
9-18-2026
The News Just Keeps Compounding
The Central Bank of Iraq publicly stated two weeks ago that the “next step will be joining the international financial market” — meaning full forex integration. That statement was not aspirational. That was a declaration of operational readiness. CBI does not broadcast next steps unless the infrastructure is already in place.
Urgent | In Response To The Rising Dollar Exchange Rate, The Central Bank Of Iraq Reassures The Local Market: Starting Sunday, Several Measures Will Be Implemented To Meet Foreign Currency Needs
Baghdad/Iraq Observer An informed source stated on Thursday that the Central Bank of Iraq will begin, starting next Sunday, to expand the scope of import financing and increase the support provided to banks, in line with actual commercial needs.
Good Afternoon Dinar Recaps,
EURO BOND SHIFT: EUROPE MOVES TO STRENGTHEN ITS RESERVE-CURRENCY ROLE AS GLOBAL FINANCE REALIGNS
EUROPE IS SEEKING GREATER INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR EU BONDS, A MOVE THAT COULD DEEPEN EURO CAPITAL MARKETS AND SUPPORT A LARGER ROLE FOR THE EURO IN GLOBAL FINANCE.
They Called Refining a Dying Business. Diesel Just Hit $6.
Notes From the Field By James Hickman 9Simon Black / Sovereign Man) September 16, 2026
On Sunday afternoon, the power went out at ExxonMobil's refinery in Channahon, Illinois, a southwest suburb of Chicago. Oil refineries run at tremendous heat and pressure, so whenever the power goes out, all that heat and pressure has to go somewhere. It’s basic physics. Hence why the plant burned it off through the flare stacks, with black smoke visible for miles.
KTFA
Thursday Night Video
FRANK26…9-17-26….EVERYTHING SOVEREIGN ON 30th
This video is in Frank’s and his team’s opinion only
Frank’s team is Walkingstick, Eddie and Omar in Iraq and guests
Playback Number: 605-313-5163 PIN: 156996#
Ariel: Iraq’s Currency Reform, IQD Sovereign Rate Activation
9-17-2026
Settlement & Sovereignty: Iraq’s Currency Reform (Where We’re At)
Trump Strategic Delay Architecture & IQD Sovereign Rate Activation — The Three-Week
Trump’s delay architecture operates on a principle that the opposition hasn’t fully decoded: an administrative rule creates permanent regulatory structure without legislative vulnerability. A bill can be stalled, amended, gutted, or buried in committee by a single strategically placed senator.
Finance Minister To World Bank Delegation: We Are Proceeding With The Implementation Of Automation Projects And Transforming Them Into Practical Steps To Develop Financial Management And Enhance Oversight And Transparency
Baghdad - One News - 9/17/2026 Finance Minister Faleh Sari discussed with a delegation from the World Bank the files of financial and banking reform and the development of financial management tools, in addition to the automation projects that the ministry is working to implement.
Are Central Banks Moving Out of Dollar Assets?
Linda S. Goldberg, Oliver Hannaoui, and Sneha Parthasarathy
The dollar’s share of global official foreign exchange reserves fell from 64 percent in 2015 to 56 percent in 2025. This downward trajectory is sometimes read as evidence that the dollar’s role in international financial markets is eroding.
However, aggregate statistics obscure the composition of changes occurring at the country level. In this post, we show that the aggregate decline is not a systematic global shift away from dollar assets. Rather, the aggregate decline reflects the actions of a handful of large reserve holders, changing either their currency preferences or the size of their reserve portfolio.
TNT:
Tishwash: "The Baghdad dinar is disappearing... Close the borders!" The final solution is to abolish Iraq's paper currency!
Perhaps no country in the world has abolished paper currency, but amidst the anxiety surrounding discussions in the local market and among banks—both those sanctioned and those not—within an economy mired in a ceaseless war, an Iraqi expert and academic believes that the chaos plaguing the financial market necessitates the "complete abolition of paper currency" and its conversion into a bank card for every citizen.
Sent to Recaps: Thank you David
Reset Intelligence: Baghdad Just Priced the End of the War. 9-17-2026
By Reset Intelligence | @EXIT_FIAT
Two prices were published inside the same 24 hours, and the world's financial press covered only one of them.
The Federal Reserve raised interest rates for the first time in more than 3 years. The quieter number came out of Baghdad, and it says far more about how this ends.
Ariel: A Observation So to Speak, the Reset
9-17-2026
A Observation So To Speak: The Reset
Everyone reads September 30 as a disarmament deadline. Read it the other way: it’s the last day the old security architecture exists.
Militias holding weapons and militias holding hoarded cash are frequently the same gentlemen, and the weapons deadline functions as a census. Compliance with the handover signals compliance with the financial order that follows seven days later.
MilitiaMan: Iraqi Dinar Update: Clear Analysis on Iraq's Economic Path
9-17-2026
The Crew: Samson, PompeyPeter, Petra, Daytrader, Sunkissed, GIGI and Militia Man
No drama. No intrigue. No songs and dances. Just straight, factual news that I read and interpret to the best of my ability after being an avid Dinar investor and insanely obsessed Dinarian for over 15 years.
Follow MM on X == https://x.com/Slashn
Oil Falls As Saudi Arabia Boosts Oman Supply
2026-09-16 17:29 Shafaq News Oil prices fell on Wednesday after reports that Saudi Arabia was offering additional crude cargoes through Oman eased some concerns about Middle East supply disruptions, while a smaller-than-expected draw in US crude inventories added further downward pressure.
Brent crude futures fell $2.92, or 2.7%, to settle at $105.83 a barrel. US West Texas Intermediate futures fell $3.40, or 3.2%, to close at $102.43.
Good Morning Dinar Recaps,
FED TURNS HAWKISH: FIRST RATE HIKE IN THREE YEARS OPENS A NEW PHASE FOR THE DOLLAR, DEBT AND GLOBAL CURRENCIES
THE FEDERAL RESERVE HAS RAISED INTEREST RATES FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2023 WHILE SIGNALING THAT ANOTHER HIKE COULD FOLLOW, ADDING NEW PRESSURE TO DEBT, BONDS, THE DOLLAR AND GLOBAL CURRENCY FLOWS.
9 Ways Retirement Will Be Different in 2026
By Cameron Huddleston and Deirdre Shesgreen, AARP
How changes to Social Security, Medicare, 401(k) contributions and more will affect your finances
Retirement may seem like the most stable period of your life, with no work demands, no kids to cart around and lots of free time. But this dynamic new chapter comes with its own twists and turns. Your lifestyle, expectations and finances continue to change. And in 2026, big shifts are coming — from Social Security payments and Medicare expenses to how you save and spend.
Is Iraq Ready To Revalue the Dinar?
The Dinar Den: 9-16-2026
Stephen, an entrepreneur and seasoned investor in the Iraqi currency, provides a detailed analysis of Iraq’s current economic trajectory. The core of this discussion relies on a comprehensive report compiled by an IT systems expert named Kenny.
This meticulously drafted report evaluates Iraq’s systemic readiness for major currency reform, focusing on key structural changes rather than the speculative rumors that often dominate the conversation.
KTFA
Wednesday Night Video
FRANK26….9-16-26….1600
This video is in Frank’s and his team’s opinion only
Frank’s team is Walkingstick, Eddie and Omar in Iraq and guests
Playback Number: 605-313-5163 PIN: 156996#
Exclusive | News of the dollar cutoff in Iraq fuels speculation and raises the exchange rate
September 16, 2026Last updated: September 16, 2026
The Independent - The Iraqi market has witnessed a new wave of increases in dollar exchange rates in recent days, coinciding with a significant increase in demand for the US currency, amid a state of anxiety fueled by news circulating about the possibility of imposing new restrictions on dollar flows to Iraq in the coming period.
12 Key Habits for Achieving Financial Freedom
Set yourself on the path to saving with these habits
By Matt Danielsson Updated March 06, 2026
Key Takeaways
Set financial goals and create a plan to achieve them.
Make and stick to a budget covering all financial needs.
Pay off credit cards monthly and minimize debt.
Automate savings with an emergency fund and retirement contributions.
U.S. consumers can request a free annual credit report from major agencies.
The Next Financial Crisis Is Coming... And This One Has No Bailout
Peter Schiff: 9-18-2026
Following the Federal Reserve's unanimous 12-0 vote to raise its policy rate 25 basis points, Fox Business host Liz Claman brings together BNY Investments chief economist Vincent Reinhart and Euro Pacific Asset Management's Peter Schiff to break down new Fed Chair Kevin Warsh's first rate decision.
Schiff argues the hike is too small and too late to contain inflation, noting the Fed was backed into a corner after months of hawkish signaling and that a single 25 basis point move will not derail rising prices.