There’s a Different Way
There’s a Different Way
Notes From the Field By James Hickman (Simon Black / Sovereign Man) November 6, 2026
A friend of mine got legal residency in New Zealand a couple of years ago as global tensions rose around wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. He was only half joking about why. His reasoning is that if WW3 breaks out and the nukes start flying, he would want to be in New Zealand.
But he’s not picking up his life, abandoning all caution, and permanently moving to a new country. He just has a plan, and the basics in place.
Tomorrow’s Election Changes Nothing About The National Debt
Tomorrow’s Election Changes Nothing About The National Debt
Notes From the Field By james Hickman (Simon Black/Sovereign Man) November 2, 2026
Johnny Moon was homeless and unemployed in the early 2000s. A high school dropout with a bad drug habit, Moon was hardly someone that banks would consider creditworthy.
And yet, over the course of a single year, he was able to borrow more than $600,000 to buy five different investment properties.
It’s Hard To Reform A Country That No Longer Shares Values
It’s Hard To Reform A Country That No Longer Shares Values
Notes From the Field By James Hickman (Simon Black / Sovereign Man) October 30, 2026
On September 17, 1787, 81 year old Benjamin Franklin sat in a room in Philadelphia with a speech in his hand that he was too weak to deliver.
A fellow delegate read it to the Constitutional Convention for him.
Franklin had reservations about the draft Constitution. His speech admitted there were “several parts of this constitution which I do not at present approve.”
Brazil’s Massive Crash Is A Sign Of Things To Come In The West
Brazil’s Massive Crash Is A Sign Of Things To Come In The West
Notes From the Field By James Hickman (Simon Black / Sovereign Man) October 29, 2026
On Sunday night, Brazil re-elected its left-wing president, Lula da Silva. On Monday morning the São Paulo stock market fell so hard at the open that the exchange halted trading for the first time since the pandemic. When trading resumed, Brazil’s stock market kept falling.
6 Attitudes That Breed Financial Failure
6 Attitudes That Breed Financial Failure
By Kentin Waits WiseBread
Financial success or failure is often the result of attitudes — both conscious and unconscious — that affect our behavior. No amount of budgeting and self-control can help us when we’re up against ingrained ideas about money management, spending, and debt. If you’re having a tough time shifting your financial behavior, maybe it’s time to change your mind about money. Here are six common attitudes that work against us financially.
Plan B Options for folks on Social Security
Plan B Options for folks on Social Security
Notes From the Field By James Hickman (Simon Black / Sovereign Man) October 27, 2026
In the early morning hours of February 7, 1937, a young American named Stirling Dickinson got off a train in central Mexico and rode into San Miguel de Allende on a mule-drawn cart.
He and a Princeton classmate were months into a trip around Mexico looking for a quiet place to write, and a Mexican opera singer had told them to try San Miguel.
A Condo in this Ghost City Gets You Ten Years Residency
A Condo in this Ghost City Gets You Ten Years Residency
Notes From the Field By James Hickman (Simon Black / Sovereign Man) October 22, 2026
On March 6, 2016, Malaysia’s prime minister, Najib Razak, turned up for the grand opening of a city that did not exist yet, two kilometers off the coast from Singapore.
It was called Forest City, and the plan was enormous. One of the largest property developers in the world came in to build four artificial islands in the strait and put a “smart, green” city of 700,000 people on them, at a cost of roughly $100 billion.
Avoid These 4 Common Mistakes When You Get Rich Overnight
Avoid These 4 Common Mistakes When You Get Rich Overnight
September 4, 2025 by Laura Bogart GoBankingRates
You’re about to score a financial touchdown. Maybe you’ve crushed it at work and landed a sweet promotion. Perhaps you’ve won a lottery or stumbled into a side hustle that suddenly pays off. As you near the end zone, heart pounding, head full of dreams, you can’t afford (literally) to fumble. Whether you’re blindsided by unexpected taxes or tripped up by bad financial advice, you have a lot to lose if you drop the ball.
16 Retirement Mistakes You Will Regret Forever
16 Retirement Mistakes You Will Regret Forever
From saving too little to taking withdrawals from your retirement account too early, there are plenty of ways that current and future retirees can sabotage their golden years.
By Bob Niedt Contributions by Kathryn Pomroy, Alexandra Twin Last updated October 7, 2026 In Features
As more and more baby boomers and Gen Xers anticipate a happy retirement, thoughts turn from worry over the workday slog to concerns about how to bankroll their golden years. How prepared are you? How much money do you need to retire? The 2026 Planning & Progress Study by Northwestern Mutual says that number is $1.46 million.
Should Paper Checks Be Abolished Like The Penny?
Should Paper Checks Be Abolished Like The Penny?
Good Partner Tue, September 8, 2026 Jay L. Zagorsky
While Americans are writing fewer checks, they haven't abandoned this means of payment.
Germany is getting rid of paper checks at the end of 2027. Australia is bidding them farewell by 2030. U.S. President Donald Trump followed up his order killing off the penny with an executive order stopping check writing by the federal government.
Should the U.S. follow these other countries and broadly eliminate the ability to write checks?
The Surprising Risk Of Having Too Much Cash
The Surprising Risk Of Having Too Much Cash
September 17, 2026 Fidelity
Investing in stocks and bonds may reduce some types of risk and enhance return potential.
There are many wonderful attributes of cash and short-term investments. Money held in a bank account or in a short-term investment like a money market fund is generally easy to access. The risk of volatility or loss is extremely low—or even nonexistent. Many short-term options, like money-market funds or short-term CDs or Treasurys, even pay interest.