The Biggest Banks in the United States

The Biggest Banks in the United States

A Breakdown of America's Banking Giants

By Erin ONeil  Updated on March 4, 2021

The term "big four" within the banking industry refers to the four largest banks in the United States: JPMorgan Chase & Co., Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and Citibank (Citigroup Inc.). These institutions serve the majority of personal and business account holders in the U.S. The four banks collectively hold $4.6 trillion in customer deposits, or about 45 percent of deposits in the United States.1

However, the nation has many other very large banks, all with total assets in the billions. These banks easily fall under the definition of “big banks,” and would presumably be considered by some as too big to fail. Become familiar with these banks so you can make better choices for your banking needs. After all, if you haven't already, you'll probably be doing business with one (or several) of the top 15 biggest banks in the future.

01 of 15  JPMorgan Chase & Co.   Total customer deposits: $1.56 trillion

Total assets: $2.68 trillion   Headquarters: New York, NY

02 of 15  Bank of America Corp.  Total customer deposits: $1.43 trillion

Total assets: $2.43 trillion   Headquarters: New York, NY

03 of 15  Wells Fargo & Co.   Total customer deposits: $1.32 trillion

Total assets: $1.92 trillion   Headquarters: San Francisco, CA

04 of 15  Citigroup Inc.   Total customer deposits: $1.07 trillion

Total assets: $1.95 trillion   Headquarters: New York, NY

 To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://www.thebalancemoney.com/the-big-4-us-banks-315130

What Is a Decamillionaire?

What Is a Decamillionaire?

By Cassidy Horton  Updated on December 29, 2021

Anyone with a net worth of at least $10 million is considered a decamillionaire. Because the word “millionaire” is such a broad term, people often use “decamillionaire” instead to describe exactly how much wealth someone has.

Someone with a net worth of $10 million to $99.99 million is considered a decamillionaire. Because the word “millionaire” is such a broad term, people often use “decamillionaire” instead to describe exactly how much wealth someone has.

Here’s a closer look at what it means to be a decamillionaire and how it works.

Definition and Examples of a Decamillionaire

A decamillionaire is someone with $10 million to $99.99 million in net worth. The word is a combination of “deca” or “deka,” meaning “10” in Greek, and “millionaire,” meaning anyone with at least $1 million in net worth. Therefore, a decamillionaire is anyone with a net worth of at least $10 million.12

The term doesn’t just apply to those with $10 million in U.S. dollars, either. It refers to anyone who has a net worth of at least 10 million in any currency. So, if you have 10 million in British pounds or 10 million in euros, you’re also a decamillionaire.

How a Being a Decamillionaire Works

Oftentimes, using the word “millionaire” alone doesn’t paint an accurate picture of someone’s wealth. Do they have $1 million? $10 million? $100 million? There’s a sizable difference between those amounts. Therefore, people use terms like “decamillionaire” to further classify how much wealth someone has.

But decamillionaire isn’t the only subclassification used to describe the size of someone’s wealth. This chart breaks down other common categories people use:

Classification                      Net Worth

Millionaire                       At least $1 million

Pentamillionaire               At least $5 million

Decamillionaire                At least $10 million

Hectomillionaire              At least $100 million

Billionaire                       At least $1 billion

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://www.thebalancemoney.com/what-is-a-decamillionaire-5208325

What Is a Millionaire?

What Is a Millionaire?

Millionaires Explained  By Paula Pant

Definition: In the U.S., a millionaire is someone whose wealth (or net worth) is valued at $1 million or more.

Definition and Examples of Millionaires

Today, the most common definition of a millionaire is a person or a married couple whose net worth is greater than $1 million. Under this classification, the number of millionaires around the world has multiplied over the past century.

Note:  Despite inflation and subsequently weaker buying power, the U.S. dollar is the international measure for qualifying millionaires.

For example, suppose you have assets totaling $1,400,000 ($1.4 million) and liabilities totaling $200,000. In that case, your net worth would be $1.2 million, meaning that you fit the definition of a millionaire.

How Being a Millionaire Works

When considering whether someone is a millionaire, in most cases, you consider their net worth. According to a Spectrem Group Market Insights Report, there were 11.8 million Americans with a net worth of at least $1 million in 2019.1

A person's net worth is like a summary of the total financial value of their balance sheet. This concept represents a person's financial assets minus their liabilities. In other words, net worth is what they own minus what they owe.

However, net worth includes the appraised value of all non-liquid assets, which are harder to liquidate (or sell) if needed. For this reason, there is some debate about whether the term "millionaire" should apply to people with total assets over $1 million or only to those with liquid assets in excess of $1 million.

Note:  Categorizing millionaires is not straightforward when factoring in non-liquid assets. The price of consumer goods rises and falls; in an economic slump, it's unrealistic for assets like real estate and antiques to fetch full price on the market.

Where the Term "Millionaire" Originates

The term "millionaire" comes from French and was first used in 1786. It was used to describe the men who became rich off of speculative investments in North America. By the standards of the 18th century, a millionaire was someone who had amassed an unimaginable amount of wealth.2

In the wake of more than a century of inflation, $1 million hasn't retained the exceptional buying power it had in 1900. In 2022 dollars, it would be equivalent to about $34.8 million.3

A Millionaire's Profile

By looking at a person's balance sheet and considering their assets and debts, we can figure out whether they have a net worth of at least $1 million. Suppose that John Doe has the following assets:

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://www.thebalancemoney.com/what-is-a-millionaire-453762

How Many Gifts Should a Child Get for Christmas?

How Many Gifts Should a Child Get for Christmas?

By One Frugal Girl

How many gifts should you give your kids for Christmas? Is there a magic number of presents? The perfect amount that makes kids feel happy, satisfied, and grateful?

In most instances, I think four is enough. After choosing something they want, something they need, something to wear, and something to read, you’ve got your kids covered.

But not everyone agrees with this approach. After reading about my four-gift rule for Christmas, a long-time reader told me she didn’t like my gift-giving advice.

“Limiting the number of gifts takes the fun out of Christmas,” she said. “Christmas should be filled with stacks of presents and happy children ripping into wrapping paper.”

Will Limiting Gifts Ruin Christmas?

I love when readers voice their opinions, so I dove into the insightful list of thoughts and questions.

Can Christmas be Christmas without lots of presents?

Can the holidays feel magical with fewer gifts?

And most importantly:

Won’t limiting gifts ruin Christmas?

Christmas Magic Doesn’t Exist in Boxes

I understand her misgivings because I once felt them myself.

For years, I convinced myself that Christmas lived in big boxes; the bigger the box, the better! But, in truth, it’s not the quantity or size of gifts that makes Christmas magical.

Thank back on your childhood. How many unique gifts do you remember? I bet most years are a blur. But do you remember decorating the house, searching for Christmas lights, eating Christmas dinner, or the warm feeling of sitting around the tree with your family?

Growing up, Christmas was the one day of the year when we woke up early and gathered together. My dad cooked pancakes while we watched from the kitchen table. We slathered those pancakes with butter and syrup and giggled at his Swedish Chef impersonation.

Magic didn’t come from the mountain of gifts I can no longer remember. It came from a stress-free morning, sitting in our pajamas and enjoying each other’s company. When I think back to the cozy holidays of my youth, it’s not the gifts I remember. It’s the sound of my dad’s laughter.

How Many Christmas Gifts Per Child?

How many gifts should a child get for Christmas? There are all sorts of rules for gift-giving. The three-gift rule, the four-gift rule, the seven-gift rule, and even the ten-gift rule, but for me, the ideal amount is the number of presents my children will use and appreciate.

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://www.onefrugalgirl.com/how-many-christmas-gifts-per-child/

"Christmas 1881" Posted by Mot at TNT

TNT:

Mot:  Christmas 1881

Pa never had much compassion for the lazy or those who squandered their
means and then never had enough for the necessities. But for those who were
genuinely in need, his heart was as big as all outdoors. It was from him
that I learned the greatest joy in life comes from giving, not from receiving.
 
It was Christmas Eve, 1881. I was fifteen years old and feeling like the
world had caved in on me because there just hadn't been enough money to buy
me the rifle that I'd wanted for Christmas. We did the chores early that
night for some reason. I just figured Pa wanted a little extra time so we
could read in the Bible.

After supper was over I took my boots off and stretched out in front of the
fireplace and waited for Pa to get down the old Bible. I was still feeling
sorry for myself and, to be honest, I wasn't in much of a mood to read
Scriptures. But Pa didn't get the Bible, instead he bundled up again and
went outside.

I couldn't figure it out because we had already done all the
chores. I didn't worry about it long though, I was too busy wallowing in
self-pity.
 
Soon Pa came back in. It was a cold clear night out and there was ice in
his beard. "Come on, Matt," he said. "Bundle up good, it's cold out
tonight." I was really upset then. Not only wasn't I getting the rifle for
Christmas, now Pa was dragging me out in the cold, and for no earthly reason
that I could see.

We'd already done all the chores, and I couldn't think of
anything else that needed doing, especially not on a night like this. But I
knew Pa was not very patient at one dragging one's feet when he'd told them
to do something, so I got up and put my boots back on and got my cap, coat,
and mittens. Ma gave me a mysterious smile as I opened the door to leave
the house. Something was up, but I didn't know what.
 
Outside, I became even more dismayed. There in front of the house was the
work team, already hitched to the big sled. Whatever it was we were going
to do wasn't going to be a short, quick, little job. I could tell. We
never hitched up this sled unless we were going to haul a big load. Pa was
already up on the seat, reins in hand. I reluctantly climbed up beside him.
The cold was already biting at me. I wasn't happy.
 
When I was on, Pa pulled the sled around the house and stopped in front of
the woodshed. He got off and I followed. "I think we'll put on the high
sideboards," he said. "Here, help me." The high sideboards! It had been a
bigger job than I wanted to do with just the low sideboards on, but whatever
it was we were going to do would be a lot bigger with the high side boards on.
 
After we had exchanged the sideboards, Pa went into the woodshed and came
out with an armload of wood - the wood I'd spent all summer hauling down
from the mountain, and then all fall sawing into blocks and splitting. What
was he doing?

Finally I said something. "Pa," I asked, "what are you
doing?" "You been by the Widow Jensen's lately?" he asked. The Widow
Jensen lived about two miles down the road. Her husband had died a year or
so before and left her with three children, the oldest being eight. Sure,
I'd been by, but so what?
 
Yeah," I said, "Why?"
 
"I rode by just today," Pa said. "Little Jakey was out digging around in
the woodpile trying to find a few chips. They're out of wood, Matt." That
was all he said and then he turned and went back into the woodshed for
another armload of wood. I followed him. We loaded the sled so high that I
began to wonder if the horses would be able to pull it.
 
Finally, Pa called a halt to our loading, then we went to the smoke house
and Pa took down a big ham and a side of bacon. He handed them to me and
told me to put them in the sled and wait. When he returned he was carrying
a sack of flour over his right shoulder and a smaller sack of something in
his left hand. "What's in the little sack?" I asked. Shoes, they're out of shoes.

Little Jakey just had gunny sacks wrapped around his feet when he
was out in the woodpile this morning. I got the children a little candy
too. It just wouldn't be Christmas without a little candy."
 
We rode the two miles to Widow Jensen's pretty much in silence. I tried to
think through what Pa was doing. We didn't have much by worldly standards.
Of course, we did have a big woodpile, though most of what was left now was
still in the form of logs that I would have to saw into blocks and split
before we could use it.

We also had meat and flour, so we could spare that,
but I knew we didn't have any money, so why was Pa buying them shoes and
candy? Really, why was he doing any of this? Widow Jensen had closer
neighbors than us; it shouldn't have been our concern.
 
We came in from the blind side of the Jensen house and unloaded the wood as
quietly as possible, then we took the meat and flour and shoes to the door.
We knocked. The door opened a crack and a timid voice said, "Who is it?"
"Lucas Miles, Ma'am, and my son, Matt... could we come in for a bit?"
 
Widow Jensen opened the door and let us in. She had a blanket wrapped
around her shoulders. The children were wrapped in another and were sitting
in front of the fireplace by a very small fire that hardly gave off any heat
at all. Widow Jensen fumbled with a match and finally lit the lamp.
 
"We brought you a few things, Ma'am," Pa said and set down the sack of
flour. I put the meat on the table. Then Pa handed her the sack that had
the shoes in it. She opened it hesitantly and took the shoes out, one pair
at a time.

There was a pair for her and one for each of the children -
sturdy shoes, the best... shoes that would last. I watched her carefully.
She bit her lower lip to keep it from trembling and then tears filled her
eyes and started running down her cheeks. She looked up at Pa like she
wanted to say something, but it wouldn't come out.
 
"We brought a load of wood too, Ma'am," Pa said. He turned to me and said,
"Matt, go bring in enough to last awhile. Let's get that fire up to size
and heat this place up."
 
I wasn't the same person when I went back out to bring in the wood. I had
a big lump in my throat and as much as I hate to admit it, there were tears
in my eyes too. In my mind I kept seeing those three kids huddled around
the fireplace and their mother standing there with tears running down her
cheeks with so much gratitude in her heart that she couldn't speak.

My heart swelled within me and a joy that I'd never known before, filled my
soul. I had given at Christmas many times before, but never when it had
made so much difference. I could see we were literally saving the lives of
these people.
 
I soon had the fire blazing and everyone's spirits soared. The kids
started giggling when Pa handed them each a piece of candy and Widow Jensen
looked on with a smile that probably hadn't crossed her face for a long
time. She finally turned to us. "God bless you," she said. "I know the
Lord has sent you. The children and I have been praying that he would send
one of his angels to spare us."
 
In spite of myself, the lump returned to my throat and the tears welled up
in my eyes again. I'd never thought of Pa in those exact terms before, but
after Widow Jensen mentioned it, I could see that it was probably true. I
was sure that a better man than Pa had never walked the earth. I started
remembering all the times he had gone out of his way for Ma and me, and many
others. The list seemed endless as I thought on it.
 
Pa insisted that everyone try on the shoes before we left. I was amazed
when they all fit, and I wondered how he had known what sizes to get. Then
I guessed that if he was on an errand for the Lord, that the Lord would make
sure he got the right sizes.
 
Tears were running down Widow Jensen's face again when we stood up to
leave. Pa took each of the kids in his big arms and gave them a hug. ... They
clung to him and didn't want us to go. I could see that they missed their
Pa, and I was glad that I still had mine.
 
At the door Pa turned to Widow Jensen and said, "The Mrs. wanted me to
invite you and the children over for Christmas dinner tomorrow. The turkey
will be more than the three of us can eat, and a man can get cantankerous if
he has to eat turkey for too many meals. We'll be by to get you about
eleven. It'll be nice to have some little ones around again. Matt, here,
hasn't been little for quite a spell." I was the youngest... my two
brothers and two sisters had all married and had moved away.
 
Widow Jensen nodded and said, "Thank you, Brother Miles. I don't have to
say, may the Lord bless you, I know for certain that He will."

Out on the sled I felt a warmth that came from deep within and I didn't
even notice the cold. When we had gone a ways, Pa turned to me and said,
"Matt, I want you to know something. Your Ma and me have been tucking a
little money away here and there all year so we could buy that rifle for
you, but we didn't have quite enough.

Then yesterday a man who owed me a little money from years back came by to make things square. Your Ma and me were real excited, thinking that now we could get you that rifle, and I started into town this morning to do just that, but on the way I saw little Jakey out scratching in the woodpile with his feet wrapped in those gunny sacks and I knew what I had to do. Son, I spent the money for shoes and a
little candy for those children. I hope you understand."
 
I understood alright... and my eyes became wet with tears again. I
understood very well, and I was so glad Pa had done it. Now the rifle
seemed very low on my list of priorities. Pa had given me a lot more. He
had given me the look on Widow Jensen's face and the radiant smiles of her
three children.
 
For the rest of my life, whenever I saw any of the Jensens, or split a
block of wood, I remembered, and remembering brought back that same joy I
felt riding home beside Pa that night. Pa had given me much more than a
rifle that night, he had given me the best Christmas of my life.
 
Don't be too busy today... share this inspiring message. Merry Christmas
and God bless you!

"Adventure With Grandma" Posted by Mot at TNT

Mot:  If we all could only teach our grandchildren this gift...

I remember my first Christmas adventure with Grandma. I was just a kid.

I remember tearing across town on my bike to visit her on the day my big sister dropped the bomb: "There is no Santa Claus," she jeered. "Even dummies know that!" My Grandma was not the gushy kind, never had been. I fled to her that day because I knew she would be straight with me. I knew Grandma always told the truth, and I knew that the truth always went down a whole lot easier when swallowed with one of her "world-famous" cinnamon buns.

I knew they were world-famous, because Grandma said so. It had to be true. Grandma was home, and the buns were still warm. Between bites, I told her everything. She was ready for me. "No Santa Claus?" she snorted...."Ridiculous! Don't believe it. That rumor has been going around for years, and it makes me mad, plain mad!! Now, put on your coat, and let's go." 

"Go? Go where, Grandma?" I asked. I hadn't even finished my second world-famous cinnamon bun.

"Where" turned out to be Kerby's General Store, the one store in town that had a little bit of just about everything. As we walked through its doors, Grandma handed me ten dollars. That was a bundle in those days. "Take this money," she said, "and buy something for someone who needs it. I'll wait for you in the car."

Then she turned and walked out of Kerby's.  I was only eight years old. I'd often gone shopping with my mother, but never had I shopped for anything all by myself. The store seemed big and crowded, full of people scrambling to finish their Christmas shopping.  For a few moments I just stood there, confused, clutching that ten-dollar bill, wondering what to buy, and who on earth to buy it for. 

I thought of everybody I knew: my family, my friends, my neighbors, the kids at school, the people who went to my church. I was just about thought out, when I suddenly thought of Bobby Decker. He was a kid with bad breath and messy hair, and he sat right behind me in Mrs. Pollock's grade-two class. Bobby Decker didn't have a coat. I knew that because he never went out to recess during the winter. His mother always wrote a note, telling the teacher that he had a cough, but all we kids knew that Bobby Decker didn't have a cough; he didn't have a good coat.

I fingered the ten-dollar bill with growing excitement. I would buy Bobby Decker a coat!  I settled on a red corduroy one that had a hood to it. It looked real warm, and he would like that.  "Is this a Christmas present for someone?" the lady behind the counter asked kindly, as I laid my ten dollars down. "Yes, ma'am," I replied shyly. "It's for Bobby."  The nice lady smiled at me, as I told her about how Bobby really needed a good winter coat. I didn't get any change, but she put the coat in a bag, smiled again, and wished me a Merry Christmas.

That evening, Grandma helped me wrap the coat (a little tag fell out of the coat, and Grandma tucked it in her Bible) in Christmas paper and ribbons and wrote, "To Bobby, "From Santa Claus" on it. 

Grandma said that Santa always insisted on secrecy. Then she drove me over to Bobby Decker's house, explaining as we went that I was now and forever officially, one of Santa's helpers. 

Grandma parked down the street from Bobby's house, and she and I crept noiselessly and hid in the bushes by his front walk. Then Grandma gave me a nudge. "All right, Santa Claus," she whispered, "get going." 

I took a deep breath, dashed for his front door, threw the present down on his step, pounded his door and flew back to the safety of the bushes and Grandma.  Together we waited breathlessly in the darkness for the front door to open. Finally it did, and there stood Bobby. 

Fifty years haven't dimmed the thrill of those moments spent shivering, beside my Grandma, in Bobby Decker's bushes. That night, I realized that those awful rumors about Santa Claus were just what Grandma said they were -- ridiculous. Santa was alive and well, and we were on his team.

I still have the Bible, with the coat tag tucked inside: $19.95.

May you always have LOVE to share, HEALTH to spare and FRIENDS that care... And may you always believe in the magic of Santa Claus! 

Mot:  ~~~ Home Free - O' Holy Night ~~~ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CO6OZIY-lYw

The Cost of Friendship

The Cost of Friendship

Jacob Schroeder  Jul 30, 2021

An oak tree can grow to 100 feet tall and live for more than 100 years.

In a mast year, an oak tree can shed as many as 10,000 acorns, hard little squirrel delicacies raining down dozens of feet on your lawn (or head) like tiny missiles.

These are things I learned only after shipping a young oak tree to a best friend and his wife to plant in their yard as a gift to celebrate the announcement of their first baby. I didn't consider whether they had room for such a large tree or even had the desire to deal with the maintenance. Instead, I only thought about the cost.

How much should you spend on celebrating a friend's big life events?

The tree came with a copy of the classic children's book, The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein. I sent it as a special way for them to mark the occasion. But truthfully, just like the boy in the book who repeatedly takes from the loving tree for selfish reasons, I also did it for myself. The root of our friendships is just as much about sustaining ourselves as it is about sustaining others.

Which is why I've been wondering lately: What is the cost of friendship anyway?

I took an unplanned month-long break from this blog. It was partly due to the demands of my day job and some other projects I'm building. But more so, because I was having so much fun spending time in the company of others again. Nights socializing replaced nights writing.

After not seeing most of my friends in over year because of COVID, there is a sweet sense of carelessness. No one cares if we meet at that overpriced restaurant. Sitting around a backyard fire is good enough reason to drink the expensive stuff.

After all, what are friends for?

A lot.

Why You Should Spend Money on Your Friends

While it is important to identify what expenses you can cut from your budget, it is equally important to identify what you like to joyfully spend money on.

We should never get too hung up on spending time and money on friends. It sounds trite, but it seems necessary to write because fewer and fewer people have them.

Amidst my time rekindling friendships, the most depressing thing I read about is the growing loss of close friendships. Even with all the communication tools literally in our pockets, we are as lonely as ever, according to a study from the  Survey Center on American Life.

 To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://rootofall.substack.com/p/the-cost-of-friendship

What If – The Story of a Ponzi Scheme

What If – The Story of a Ponzi Scheme

By Joshua Parker | November 16, 2022

What if…  What if the entire world was a massive Ponzi scheme?

What if what we think of as money is really just special pieces of paper with sophisticated markings on them?

What if the strength of the US dollar is really only dependent on the “faith and credit” of the US financial system and the Federal Reserve bank?

What if the “Federal Reserve” bank is “federal” in name only and actually a private bank owned by the richest bankers in the world that use the system to build their wealth while taking advantage of (and stealth-fully stealing) yours?

Wait – all of that is true!

And what if the private “Federal Reserve” bank removed the reserve requirement for banks in 2020 to zero percent and banks no longer are required to hold any reserve?

Wait – that’s true also!

Reserve Requirements

As announced on March 15, 2020, the Board reduced reserve requirement ratios to zero percent effective March 26, 2020. This action eliminated reserve requirements for all depository institutions.

A form of fractional reserve lending may have began in the middle ages when goldsmiths debased gold coins with other metals thus diluting their value while these coins were initially traded as pure gold.

The modern form of fractional reserve lending is far more complicated and involves percentages that are supposed to be held by banks as reserve allowing them to loan out more than the deposits show they’ve received.

The even more complicated part is how banks determine just what is considered a “deposit” and this gets deep into the quagmire of the banking system.

Essentially the banking system can’t operate without your signature or agreement to pay a sum of “money” and the way the banks then illegally “deposit” your monetized agreement (promissory note) the same way they would receive a deposit of US Dollar notes (cash). This is the devious way the banks built up their fake reserves of “money” before the Federal Reserve eliminated the reserve requirement.

Once received, the non-existent “money” they receive at the bank (your promise to pay!) is put into the banks double entry accounting as a deposit but the banks never show this side of their books.

I can tell you this first hand because back in 2003 I was sued by Citibank for over $11,000 which I had disputed and through a motion for dismissal and a motion for summary judgement I was litigating to see this side of their books in the discovery process. This is the part of a legal proceeding where evidence is revealed from the other party.

The fact is these banks will do everything in their power NOT to reveal this hidden side of their books.

I actually won that case in summary judgement and was awarded a judgement of court costs but since I had defended myself in court these only amounted to $413 for the costs of photocopying, etc. There’s a funny story that follows this but I’ll save it for a future post if any questions arise from this story.

The long story short of this lesson is that banks are hiding their actions because technically they are not only unethical but also illegal. They simply can’t continue their racket without the power of YOUR signature and the way they do it is to use it to create a fictional deposit out of your promise.

This also reveals the fact that the entire fractional reserve banking system is based on debt and “Federal Reserve Notes” are simply an accounting of debt and that’s why the banks treat them the same way as your “promise” to pay a “debt” or loan they supposedly give you when in fact they simply create the “money” directly by receiving your “promissory note” on their books as a deposit.

One final note for this post is since the time of my case with Citibank most states including mine have created a mandatory arbitration clause that helps prevent such cases from going in front of a judge who may in fact give it fair consideration (like I was lucky to get).

In my case the opposing counsel didn’t take the case seriously and only showed up telephonically and the judge hated that and my motions were incredibly well written (if I do say so myself lol) and I knew the case law very well. Plus I dressed the part with a pin-striped suit and a nice briefcase. The judge thought I was in law school.

Without all those perks I may have not been taken seriously.

It’s pretty nice when the judge is schooling your opposing counsel by telling stories like “when I a young lawyer we had to walk 10 miles in the snow to get to court or we lost the case”!

Here’s some loosely related recent videos and interviews that might help bring this story into modern perspective.

Here’s a video with Gregg Mannarino from www.TradersChoice.net  who’s insight on these topics is clear from his experience and his clear presentation of complex topics:   LINK

Here’s an interview with Aaron Brickman and Mike Adams about the monetary system and what may happen after an implosion:  LINK

References:

Federal Reserve: https://www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/reservereq.htm

Featured Photo By Kevin Krejci

Lawsuit Image courtesy of: EpicTop10.com

Please share your thoughts in the comments below and if you found this post useful share it with your friends and check out some of our other posts on De-Dolarization

Joshua Parker

Independent precious metals investor since 2006 who has learned through mistakes he hopes to help you avoid. Self employed entrepreneur since birth   Owner of www.HealthHarmonic.com

2022 – Out Of The Chaos Arose More Chaos

2022 – Out Of The Chaos Arose More Chaos

WHITE HAT AUXILIARIES  Information Briefing #181   December 10, 2022

To Empower The Bold – To Explore Truth – To Accurately Inform About The World Global Settlements

I am going to invoke dominus privilegium and personally address you in what will be the last briefing for 2022. These are my words, unless described otherwise.

The year comes to an end, and I am sure there is no need to summarize it here, as all of you are experiencing it firsthand in your daily lives. I am quite sure that depending on how each of you are personally situated, the chaos impacts in very different ways. What is most important is that one learns how to adapt ways and means to survive through it all. And this is certainly not going to be a universal approach for everyone. However you are making your way, I hope you are achieving your goals in doing so, the current malaise notwithstanding.

Let us review a few key areas of interest, and briefly discuss what I would like to achieve next year.

The Global Settlements

For those that don’t know, the World Global Settlements are to be the largest financial transactions in the history of Earth. They are designed to achieve the ethical infusion of off balance sheet Asiatic dynastic wealth into world economies, subject to strict oversight and management, by a core team of trustees, including one of our key site contributors.

As most of our readers know, a serious meeting took place in New York last December, which resulted in a failure to agree on terms for U.S. beneficial access. The U.S. negotiators, we are told, have committed a very serious error in failing to accept terms designed to protect the transactions from earlier acts of treachery that could not be allowed to repeat.

Now we are awaiting a possible commencement of these monumentally huge transactions via a BRICS framework, which would leave the U.S. to go it alone to compete with a world seeking to move away from dollar dominance.

We have the good fortune of direct contact with the one entity that key Asiatic dynastic Elders consult with on the GS, who recently said the following in an internal discussion:

“The potential net consequences now facing America will be draconian. A multipolar split where America loses all dominance. Nations dropping the petrodollar. Ending global reliance upon SWIFT. The end of energy and core commodities priced in dollars. Global suppliers refusing to sell energy or commodities for worthless dollars, demanding the US pay in alternative currencies, or heavily discounting the dollar.

We face pension funds becoming insolvent. Banks bailing in from clients’ savings – stealing from you. Pensions being reneged upon and income losses in value of at least 30%.  Soaring gas, home heating, health care and food costs. Food shortages, and the collapse of welfare with riots expected as former recipients revolt. 990 plus US warfare bases shut down with no money. Vast fleets at sea not able to buy fuel, or food, or pay for docking. An air force not able to buy jet fuel.

The US has exported jobs and industries. It’s made the Third World wealthy and America poor. Old mother Hubbard has nothing in the cupboard. The world knows the US is run by whores.

Is this the new incoming domestic Boston Tea Party where the world says, “Enough!”?

Yet the illegals keep flooding in and crime rises. D.C. is on the take, and corruption rules fools.

What can go so wrong?  The world is cutting D.C. free!  Losing 75% of the world, what then is America’s destiny? War? WWIII? All lose.

Rethink and plan out of bail-ins. A bail-out for those who can! It IS coming, and when it does hit it will go like Rome. D.C. is incapable of planning through this. Scam city. Every snout seeking a hand out.

Information and knowledge, now, is everything. We [WHA] are forewarned of so much. Heed it.”

We have been repeatedly warned that a BRICS GS release will have potentially detrimental economic effects on the already strained, hyper-inflating USD. As BRICS nations continue to expand, and with their currencies possessing hard metal asset backing, the non-metals backed USD may find itself being supplanted in traditional long standing trade mediums. This could result in a Weimar economic condition in the U.S. I have taken steps to personally prepare for this, and I suggest you research how to protect your portfolios from such deleterious events.

As I would like to think: We are in the right place, at the right time, with the right information, and know the right people who deal with the GS on a daily basis. So our updates on the matter will be right from the source, when possible. I don’t think it could get any better than that.

Tales From The Crypto

Some time ago we added a list of suggested crypto ideas as a courtesy to any readers who wished to avail themselves of it, and we will continue to do so free of charge into 2023.

I continue to point out that this sector is truly terra incognita, and will be subject to very extreme volatility, suitable only for risk capital. Recent events have shown why such warnings were given, and continue to be.

I continue to believe that we have not seen the ultimate highs that are yet to come in future cycles. So the extreme volatility we have seen this year, with prices down where they are, should not be taken as a final capitulation or failure of the industry. Far from it! It is, in essence, the price we will pay for a much larger future payoff, with the ultimate goal of transformational wealth accumulation.

This is a time to cost average your holdings, if right for your circumstances. But one must be careful to choose projects which are well researched and have valid use cases, and not borrow funds to buy them. Our list of suggestions is to guide you if needed. There are thousands of tokens and coins. We have presented only 13 of them to consider.

The Blockchain economy is still very new and struggling to find its legs in a regulatory quagmire of bureaucratic swampiness. But, find them, they will.

We will have to be patient, as I am quite certain that once the regulatory framework is worked out, Wall Street interests will not miss out on fee income they desperately need from offering crypto-based products to their millions of clients with trillions of dollars to invest.

Once they build easy, one-click onramps for techno-dunces to use, combined with new generational inherited wealth that surveys revealed is earmarked for this new space, we should see a monumental rise in demand for potentially scarce supplies of BTC and ETH, and the many quality tokens which transact on ERC-20 blockchains, along with BTC-settled ETFs. Only SEC incompetence, scam artists, and current economic malaise have delayed it.

The current price volatility is not due to lack of interest or a defect in the technology. Not even close. Bad, unregulated brokerages, are. But, brokerages and exchanges are not crypto. They are essentially mirrors of old centralized monetary systems which have the Federal Reserve to bail out the scams.

Crypto has no such backstop, so bad actors will go down and stay down forever. And that is how it should be. It will strengthen the future players who will be forced to operate with greater transparency in order to win the trust of the smarter money that will demand it. So, you will either offer that transparency, or be brushed aside, and not bailed out.

Commercial interests continue to make plans, and adoption goes on. Along side it, we will have to suffer the impacts of scams, bad actors, bad ideas, economic whipsaws, political incompetence and foot-dragging to get to where I want to see us all arrive – life changing wealth accumulation by being early and being disciplined to know we are early and knowing just what is ahead. It will slow us down, but it will not prevent the inevitable. No forward leap into any technological advancement has ever occurred drenched in the effulgence of perfection.

For now, as I write, my personal view is that prices will continue down for a while longer. The margin calls from the FTX debacle are causing forced selling to cover leveraged bets and other similar stupid gamblers’ folly. This is foolishness by greedy players and we can take advantage of it by adding to our positions at discounts, using cash.

Again, we are early, and accumulation is the game right now. It is common in this space for prices to retreat 90% before firing upwards 5,000% and beyond. If you can just buy and hold, think of what awaits you. But, we may see BTC at $12000 and ETH at $500 before we are back on the trip upwards. Bear markets usually end on a very, very ugly capitulation that is sudden and wipes out the last of the weaklings and leveraged death-loving berserkers. We have not seen that just yet. You’ll know, if and when we do.

For now, we will continue to add new quality ideas as they are researched and vetted. And barring that, there is little need for any change of our particular crypto strategy for 2023.

Plans For 2023

We will continue on with the comment section, made available for sharing of information and general discussions. It’s your forum to bring forth anything you consider important, so please do so.

I continue to appreciate the many valuable contributions made by our regular readers on a very wide array of subject matter, and I am very impressed at the genial, dignified tolerance as others present widely diverse views and opinions.

For 2023, I am going to devote less time to my own comments and more to the new portfolios which I have been working on for some time now. I will not go into details on the final shape of the new ideas, which will be presented for your consideration, but rest assured that very careful planning will be done to navigate the uncertainties ahead in the next year, and make available options for you to take advantage of, if you wish.

I feel it is important to offer some tangible value to help survive and hopefully thrive amidst new challenges, and not just talk about them. Some practical application, as opposed to merely the theoretical, so to speak. As always, we cannot and will not give individualized investment advice.

And, if the Global Settlements find an optimum environment to proceed, we will certainly be ready to assist with administrative duties pertaining to any post-release related financial products which may be properly made available to our readers.

From all indications, the next year may present some serious challenges, so as I am always reminding you all: BE READY FOR ANYTHING!

I appreciate you allowing my personal indulgence with this message to you. Thank you all for your participation. We will be back after the 1st of January with a new feature and hopefully a lot more.

PAX VOBISCVM  WHA   S*P*Q*R

https://whitehatauxiliaries.com/2022/12/10/information-briefing-181/

7 Facts You Didn’t Know About Pearl Harbor

7 Facts You Didn’t Know About Pearl Harbor

Seventy-seven years ago today, America was changed forever.

By Landess Kearns

Sure, we all know the date and the famous quote (Dec. 7, 1941, “a date which will live in infamy“) and, of course, the implications and significance (more than 2,000 Americans were killed in the attack, which launched the U.S. into World War II).

​ 1. Most of the battleships sunk that day were resurrected.

Of the eight battleships targeted during the attacks, all but two were eventually repaired and returned to the U.S. Navy’s fleet. The USS West Virginia and the USS California had both sunk completely, but the Navy raised them, repaired them and reused them. 

Furthermore, bullet holes and damage from the attacks can be seen to this day at many of the active military installations on Oahu, including Schofield Barracks, Wheeler Army Airfield and Hickam Army Air Field. Rather than being repaired or covered up, the bullet holes serve as a reminder of the lives lost that day and as motivation for our military to stand strong still.

The USS West Virginia gets towed to drydock to start repairs in 1942.

2. Veterans of the attack can be laid to rest at Pearl Harbor.

Survivors of the attack have the option to join their lost comrades and make Pearl Harbor their final resting place. Crew members who served on board the USS Arizona during the attack — the ship that experienced the most devastating damage — may choose to have their ashes deposited by divers beneath one of the sunken Arizona’s gun turrets.

Roughly 30 Arizona survivors have chosen this option and less than a dozen of the 355 survivors are still living. Other military survivors can choose to have their ashes scattered wherever their ship was located during the attacks.

The Pearl Harbor Honor Guard presents arms at the burial at sea for Chief Yeoman Guy Pierce, who was aboard the USS Utah during the Pearl Harbor attack, Dec. 6, 2003.

​3. The USS Arizona still leaks fuel.

The day before the attacks, the USS Arizona took on a full load of fuel, nearly 1.5 million gallons. Much of that fuel helped ignite the explosion and subsequent fires that destroyed the ship, but — amazingly — some fuel continues to seep out of the wreckage.

According to the History Channel, the Arizona “continues to spill up to 9 quarts of oil into the harbor each day“ and visitors often say it is as if the ship were still bleeding.

​4. Service members stationed in Hawaii took care of the memorial during the 2013 government shutdown.

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/pearl-harbor-anniversary-facts_n_5661ce33e4b079b2818e67b0#

87 Best Retirement Quotes: Including Funny, Short and Inspirational

87 Best Retirement Quotes: Including Funny, Short and Inspirational

Personal Finance - Janice Friedman - May 28, 2019

Do you ever think about your golden years after you leave your career? Here are some juicy retirement quotes that will help you think more about it in a different way.

Are you ready to retire? A mention of the word retirement automatically provokes many thoughts to people around. Some think of the graceful age where you enjoy all that you’ve been working for, whereas some only think of problems.

Still, some may not even want to picture it out of fear of the old age and also the loss of that fulfilling career. Various retirement quotes can change your perspective about retirement and maybe paint a different lovely picture.

Whichever the case, retirement should be happy, fulfilling, as well as healthy life later after you have saved enough to sustain you for the rest of your life.

For me, when I think of retirement, I can’t manage to think of anything less than a happy, relaxing, wealthy life full of vacations.  The hard work and painful savings of the youthful years ought to pay fully for that comfortable retirement.

List of the Best Retirement Quotes

I have compiled a good number of words of wisdom or better, what I like to call the best retirement quotes that will brighten your day.  This list of retirement quotes has been compiled from various people whose words of wisdom couldn’t go unnoticed.

Inspirational Retirement Quotes

1. “Just because you are getting older and have retired doesn’t mean that you should have less confidence in your abilities. Think about the experience and knowledge that you have gained by all the years you have worked” -Theodore W. Higginsworth

2. “Retirement: It’s nice to get out of the rat race, but you have to learn to get along with less cheese.” – Gene Perret

3. “Planning to retire? Before you do, find your hidden passion. Do the thing that you have always wanted to do.” – Catherine Pulsifer

4. “Age is only a number, a cipher for the records. A man can’t retire his experience. He must use it. Experience achieves more with less energy and time.” – Bernard Baruch 

5. “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” – Lyrics from “Closing Time” by Semisonic

6. “What does retirement mean now that there are so many opportunities for learning, for caring, for serving? We can redefine aging.” – Rachel Cowan, Wise Aging

7. “Retirement is a new beginning, and that means closing the book on one chapter to begin the next.” Sid Miramontes, Retirement: Your New Beginning

8. “Retirement gives you the time literally to recreate yourself through a sport, game, or hobby that you always wanted to try or that you haven’t done in years.” – Price, Stephen D.

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://millionairemob.com/retirement-quotes/