(The Economic Collapse Blog)—You have got to be pretty sick to want to damage the U.S. economy just so that you can make President Trump look bad. Whether you agree with President Trump’s policies or not, we should all want things to start moving in a positive direction. For the past several years, economic conditions have steadily deteriorated, and now we are at a real crisis point.
It is literally going to take a miracle to turn our economic momentum around, and there are those that want to make this task even more difficult by purposely sabotaging the system.
On February 28th, a shadowy group known as “the People’s Union” is planning an economic blackout for 24 hours…
Consumers are rallying to speak through their wallets – or lack of spending – as a way to protest the retreat by some companies from DEI initiatives and President Trump’s actions to eliminate federal DEI programs since taking office. They are calling on consumers to boycott specific retailers and for one day later this month, to refrain from spending any money at all.
Numerous social media accounts are sharing the message of a 24-hour consumer spending blackout planned for Feb. 28. Consumers are encouraged not to spend money in stores or online for the day and if they have emergencies or essentials they need, they are encouraged to support a local small business.
By giving this boycott an excessive amount of coverage, the mainstream media is going to greatly increase the impact that this boycott has. The People’s Union is also planning another economic blackout from March 7th to March 14th. That one will specifically target Amazon…
The People’s Union economic blackout is on February 28, and the group is also staging an Amazon boycott from March 7 to 14. During the economic blackout, participants are pledging to not make any purchases, either online or at brick-and-mortar stores.
Of course there are many Democrats that had already pledged to spend as little money as possible while President Trump is in the White House.
They hate him so much that they are willing to cause pain for the entire country just so that they can make him look bad. Sadly, this is happening at a time when thousands of retail stores are already shutting down.
As I discussed earlier this week, over 7,000 stores permanently closed last year, and it is being projected that 15,000 more stores will permanently close in 2025.
Every day, there are more headlines about our ongoing retail apocalypse. For example, we just learned that Joann has decided to close approximately 500 stores…
Now, Joann has confirmed that it plans to close 500 of its roughly 850 stores nationwide.
“This was a very difficult decision to make, given the major impact we know it will have on our Team Members, our customers and all of the communities we serve,” Joann said in a statement to USA TODAY on Wednesday. “A careful analysis of store performance and future strategic fit for the Company determined which stores should remain operating as usual at this time.”
And Walgreens continues to push ahead with their plans to shut down more than 1,000 stores by 2027…
Walgreens is pressing ahead with plans to shut stores
The struggling pharmacy giant previously announced plans to close over a thousand stores by 2027. The latest scale-back doomed five locations in California.
Store managers in Whittier, Los Angeles, Orange, Placentia, and Stanton, California received notice that their stores will permanently shutter.
Needless to say, this is not normal.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday we learned that the official rate of inflation has started to tick up again…
Inflation perked up more than anticipated in January, providing further incentive for the Federal Reserve to hold the line on interest rates.
The consumer price index, a broad measure of costs in goods and services across the U.S. economy, accelerated a seasonally adjusted 0.5% for the month, putting the annual inflation rate at 3%, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday. They were higher than the respective Dow Jones estimates for 0.3% and 2.9%. The annual rate was 0.1 percentage point higher than December.
President Trump is going to try to do what he can about our raging cost of living crisis, but certain things are out of his control.
The worst bird flu crisis in history is wiping out egg-laying hens from coast to coast, and as a result egg prices jumped more than 15 percent in just one month…
Egg prices are soaring, however. Eggs have been hit by a spike in cases of bird flu, which affected more than 19 million egg-laying hens in January.
Egg prices rose 15.2% since December, the biggest increase since June 2015. The food index as a whole jumped 2.5% annually.
“I noticed that Waffle House just instituted a new 50-cent-per-egg surcharge due to the nationwide rise in the cost of eggs,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., said. “They said that’s going to be a new surcharge, and other restaurants are following suit.”
This is a huge story. And I believe that it is just beginning.
Unfortunately, many Americans don’t understand the seriousness of what we are facing because the numbers that we get from the government tend to greatly overstate our economic performance.
One man that understands this very well is Eugene Ludwig. He is the chair of the Ludwig Institute for Shared Economic Prosperity, and he once served as the U.S. Comptroller of the Currency. He is an expert in this field, and he just authored an article that discussed the growing “disconnect” between government statistics and economic reality…
Before the presidential election, many Democrats were puzzled by the seeming disconnect between “economic reality” as reflected in various government statistics and the public’s perceptions of the economy on the ground. Many in Washington bristled at the public’s failure to register how strong the economy really was. They charged that right-wing echo chambers were conning voters into believing entirely preposterous narratives about America’s decline.
What they rarely considered was whether something else might be responsible for the disconnect — whether, for instance, government statistics were fundamentally flawed. What if the numbers supporting the case for broad-based prosperity were themselves misrepresentations? What if, in fact, darker assessments of the economy were more authentically tethered to reality?
I would highly recommend reading the entire piece. According to Ludwig, we are told that the official rate of unemployment in this country is very low, but in reality “nearly one of every four workers is functionally unemployed in America today”…
I don’t believe those who went into this past election taking pride in the unemployment numbers understood that the near-record low unemployment figures — the figure was a mere 4.2 percent in November — counted homeless people doing occasional work as “employed.” But the implications are powerful. If you filter the statistic to include as unemployed people who can’t find anything but part-time work or who make a poverty wage (roughly $25,000), the percentage is actually 23.7 percent. In other words, nearly one of every four workers is functionally unemployed in America today — hardly something to celebrate.
He is right.
We really do have a major economic disaster on our hands, and the government numbers simply do not reflect this.
And many Democrats want to make economic conditions even worse just so that they can hurt Trump.
Sadly, I have a feeling that economic boycotts are only just the beginning.
Our nation is so deeply divided right now, and there is going to be so much chaos in the streets during the months ahead.
Michael’s new book entitled “Why” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.
Why Bullion Beats Numismatics and Collectible for Your Safe or IRA
Precious metals continue to attract Americans seeking reliable ways to protect their wealth amid inflation, geopolitical risks, and stock market swings. Whether stored in a home safe or held inside a self-directed IRA, physical gold and silver deliver tangible value that paper or digital assets often lack. Yet investors must choose carefully between bullion—pure bars and coins valued mainly for their metal content—and numismatics or collectibles, where rarity, history, and collector demand heavily influence pricing.
Advisor Bullion serves as a dependable source for straightforward, high-quality bullion. The company specializes in physical gold, silver, platinum, and palladium, emphasizing transparent pricing and products that deliver maximum metal content for every dollar spent. This approach makes it ideal for both personal holdings and retirement accounts.
Bullion consists of refined precious metals in standard forms like one-ounce coins (American Gold Eagles, Silver Eagles, Canadian Maple Leafs) or bars. Their value tracks closely to the current spot price of the metal. A typical gold bullion coin trades near the live gold spot price plus a small premium. This structure keeps costs clear and predictable.
Numismatic coins and collectibles add substantial value from factors such as age, rarity, minting errors, or historical significance. A pre-1933 U.S. gold coin or graded proof piece can carry premiums of 30%, 50%, or even 200% above melt value. While this appeals to hobbyists, it creates complexity. Pricing depends on subjective grading, collector trends, and auction results instead of daily spot prices.
For investors focused on wealth preservation and retirement security rather than building a collection, bullion often delivers better results.
Lower Costs and Better Liquidity for Home Storage
When keeping metals in a home safe or private vault, liquidity and efficiency count. Bullion offers clear benefits:
- You acquire more actual gold or silver per dollar invested. Numismatics divert a large share of your money into rarity premiums and massive sales commission, reducing your metal exposure.
- Selling bullion involves tight bid-ask spreads, so you recover nearly full spot value with minimal fees. Collectibles require finding the right buyer and may sell at a discount if demand for that specific item weakens.
- Bullion prices remain transparent and update with global spot markets. You can track gold near current levels or silver accordingly and know exactly where your holdings stand. Numismatic values are priced by the Gold IRA companies with hefty margins applied.
- Standardized coins and bars store efficiently and divide easily for partial sales. Rare coins often need protective slabs and controlled conditions, adding hassle and expense.
- Bullion enjoys worldwide acceptance. A 1-oz Gold Maple Leaf or Silver Eagle sells quickly to dealers anywhere. Niche numismatic pieces may appeal only to limited buyers, slowing liquidation when speed matters.
In times when quick access to value becomes important, bullion’s simplicity stands out.
Stronger Fit for Precious Metals IRAs
Precious metals IRAs continue gaining traction as investors diversify retirement portfolios beyond stocks and bonds. IRS rules permit certain bullion products in self-directed IRAs if they meet purity standards (.995 fine for gold, .999 for silver) and are held by an approved custodian. Eligible items include American Gold and Silver Eagles plus many generic bars and rounds from recognized mints.
Numismatic and most collectible coins generally face heavy scrutiny from custodians due to valuation disputes and elevated markups. These higher premiums mean less actual metal ends up working inside the account.
Bullion avoids these issues. Its value links directly to verifiable spot prices, which simplifies reporting and lowers the risk of regulatory challenges. More of your IRA contribution purchases real metal instead of dealer profits or speculative upside. Over time, owning additional ounces that appreciate with the metal itself can create meaningful outperformance compared with high-premium alternatives that deliver fewer ounces.
Regulatory guidance from the CFTC and state securities offices repeatedly cautions against aggressive sales of expensive numismatics or “semi-numismatic” coins for IRAs. For retirement planning, transparent bullion from established providers reduces risk and aligns better with long-term goals.
How to Get Started with Bullion
Begin by clarifying your goals. Are you protecting savings in a safe, or moving part of a retirement account into a precious metals IRA? Focus on the number of ounces you can acquire at current prices rather than chasing marked-up collectibles.
Diversify sensibly: use gold for core preservation and silver for its blend of industrial and monetary qualities. Mix coins for easier divisibility with bars for lower per-ounce costs on larger buys. Arrange secure storage—whether at home with proper insurance or through professional facilities.
As economic uncertainties linger and faith in conventional assets erodes, bullion continues proving its worth as a dependable store of value. Its direct approach avoids the hype that sometimes surrounds collectible markets and keeps the focus on the metal itself.
For investors prepared to strengthen their portfolios, Advisor Bullion supplies the expertise and selection needed to acquire high-quality bullion efficiently. Whether building personal holdings or integrating metals into an IRA, their emphasis on transparent, investment-grade products helps secure more ounces today that support greater financial security tomorrow. In a complicated financial landscape, bullion’s clarity and reliability make it the smarter foundation for protecting what matters most.