Editor’s Commentary: Our economy is currently in what I like to call a “Humpty Dumpty” state. Right now, it’s sitting on the wall, that wall being the various bricks that prevent us from being crushed under the weight of $31 trillion in national debt. For example, the petrodollar is a huge brick in that wall, and if that ever changes the wall will collapse and America along with it.
Will there be a great fall soon? That’s hard to say, but on thing is absolutely certain: If our Humpty Dumpty economy does have a great fall, all the nation’s horse and all the nation’s men will not be able to put it back together again. It’ll make The Great Depression seem like a minor fiscal blip, as I discussed in a brief for The JD Rucker Show. Here’s Michael Snyder from The Economic Collapse Blog to explain more…
Is your job safe? Right now, we are witnessing so much turmoil is so many different sectors of our economy. The housing market is crashing, the cryptocurrency industry has imploded, the tech industry is laying off workers at an extremely frightening pace, and some of our most important retailers are heading into bankruptcy. The information that I am about to share with you is deeply troubling. It has become exceedingly clear that our economy is in huge trouble, and I fully expect that our problems will accelerate even more as the year rolls along.
Let me start by pointing out what is currently happening at Microsoft. It is one of the wealthiest companies in the entire world, but due to a shift in “macroeconomic conditions” executives have decided that it has become necessary to lay off 10,000 workers…
Microsoft announced thousands of job cuts this week, becoming the latest tech company to pluck its workforce as the global economy slows.
The software company confirmed Wednesday its reducing workforce by 10,000 people through the end of the third quarter of the 2023 fiscal year.
The cuts come “in response to macroeconomic conditions and changing customer priorities,” the company’s CEO Satya Nadella released in a statement to its employees Wednesday.
If even Microsoft is laying off thousands of workers, is any job in the private sector truly safe?
Meanwhile, some of the biggest names in the retail industry are plunging into bankruptcy now that the holiday season is over.
On Tuesday, it was Party City’s turn…
Party City filed for bankruptcy protection Tuesday, weighed down by competition and years of financial losses.
The largest party goods and Halloween specialty retail chain in the United States said in a regulatory filing that it reached an agreement with debtholders to cut its $1.7 billion debt load.
Even more alarming is the fact that it is being reported that a bankruptcy filing for Bed Bath & Beyond has become “likely”…
Bed Bath & Beyond has been in discussions with prospective buyers and lenders as it works to keep its business afloat during a likely bankruptcy filing, according to people familiar with the matter.
The retailer is in the midst a sale process in hopes of finding a buyer that would keep the doors open for both of its major chains, its namesake banner and Buybuy Baby, said the people, who weren’t authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
So many brick and mortar retailers are really struggling right now, and many of them are blaming competition from Internet retailers such as Amazon.
But if Amazon is doing so well, why did they start laying off approximately 18,000 workers on Wednesday?…
Earlier this month, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy told employees in a blog post that the company was laying off about 18,000 people as it seeks to cut costs and would begin contacting impacted employees on Jan. 18.
“Amazon has weathered uncertain and difficult economies in the past, and we will continue to do so,” Jassy said in the Jan. 4 post. “These changes will help us pursue our long-term opportunities with a stronger cost structure.”
The wave of layoffs that we have been witnessing in the tech industry is truly unprecedented.
Prior to this week, more than 25,000 tech industry workers had already been laid off this year, and this comes on the heels of the massive layoffs that we saw last year…
According to the data tracking website, more than 101 tech companies around the world have laid off 25,436 employees so far in 2023. Most of the layoffs have taken place in the United States, accounting for 22,400 employees fired.
The number of workers being laid off from tech companies is a trend that is continuing since 2022, when 154,336 workers were fired from over 1,000 tech companies around the world, according to the data.
But at least the tech industry is in far better shape than the cryptocurrency industry is.
Let me share four major announcements that have all happened within the past 10 days…
#1 It is being reported that Genesis Global Capital “is laying the groundwork for a bankruptcy filing”…
Genesis Global Capital is laying the groundwork for a bankruptcy filing as soon as this week, according to people with knowledge of the situation.
The cryptocurrency lending unit of Digital Currency Group has been in confidential negotiations with various creditor groups amid a liquidity crunch. It has warned that it may need to file for bankruptcy if it fails to raise cash, Bloomberg previously reported.
#2 Crypto.com announced that it will be laying off “20% of its workforce”…
Crypto.com announced plans to lay off 20% of its workforce Jan. 13. The company had 2,450 employees, according to PitchBook data, suggesting around 490 employees were laid off.
CEO Kris Marszalek said in a blog post that the crypto exchange grew “ambitiously” but was unable to weather the collapse of Sam Bankman-Fried’s crypto empire FTX without the further cuts.
#3 Coinbase has decided “to cut about a fifth of its workforce”…
On Jan. 10, Coinbase announced plans to cut about a fifth of its workforce as it looks to preserve cash during the crypto market downturn.
The exchange plans to cut 950 jobs, according to a blog post. Coinbase, which had roughly 4,700 employees as of the end of September, had already slashed 18% of its workforce in June saying it needed to manage costs after growing “too quickly” during the bull market.
#4 The founder of cryptocurrency exchange Bitzlato has actually been arrested. Apparently he was laundering money on a scale of epic proportions…
The founder of the Hong Kong-based cryptocurrency exchange Bitzlato was arrested early Wednesday in Miami in connection with a vast money laundering operation, accused of transmitting more than $700 million in illicit funds in the past four years.
Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said Anatoly Legkodymov, 40, a Russian national, oversaw a major “high-tech financial hub that catered to known crooks,” including cybercriminals and drug dealers seeking to process dirty money.
The cryptocurrency industry will never look the same again after all of this turmoil.
On top of everything else, the Saudis appear to be poised to make a major move that could literally change everything.
At the yearly gathering of the World Economic Forum in Davos, the Saudi finance minister decided to drop a bombshell…
Saudi Arabia is open to discussions about trade in currencies other than the US dollar, according to the kingdom’s finance minister.
Needless to say, this could potentially completely undermine the dominance of the petrodollar.
Of course we cannot afford to have that happen, because the dominance of the dollar is one of the only things that is keeping our system afloat.
At this point just about everything is moving in the wrong direction for the U.S. economy, but most people still do not understand the bigger picture.
A lot of the “experts” assume that we will just suffer through a temporary recession and then things will eventually return to normal. I wish that was true.
Unfortunately, our entire system is starting to crack and crumble all around us, and those that are currently running things are not going to be able to put it back together again.
***It is finally here! Michael’s new book entitled “End Times” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.***
About the Author: My name is Michael and my brand new book entitled “End Times” is now available on Amazon.com. In addition to my new book I have written six other books that are available on Amazon.com including “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. (#CommissionsEarned) When you purchase any of these books you help to support the work that I am doing, and one way that you can really help is by sending copies as gifts to family and friends. Time is short, and I need help getting these warnings into the hands of as many people as possible.
I have published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe. I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but I also ask that they include this “About the Author” section with each article. The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions.
I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is definitely a great help. These are such troubled times, and people need hope. John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” If you have not already done so, I strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.
Article cross-posted from The Economic Collapse Blog.
Alternative video sources:
We Are Witnessing an Enormous Wave of Bankruptcies and Layoffs During the Early Stages of 2023 https://t.co/uFkMhcIzpI
— JD Rucker (@JDRucker) January 21, 2023
Bypass Big Tech Censors
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.
Not sure how these layoffs hurt the American economy. Big tech replaced American workers with green cards from India long ago. Displaced workers will return to India . The reduction in outflow of dollars may actually help the economy.
The worst part about all of this is it is a planned attack. All this is being done intentionally. The Great Reset requires this kind of action. Only when the world economy has collapsed can the elitists be in a position to step in and take over. All of the world needs to fight back. Globalism is NOT the answer!!
The worst part about all of this is it is a planned attack. All this is being done intentionally. The Great Reset requires this kind of action. Only when the world economy has collapsed can the elitists be in a position to step in and take over. All of the world needs to fight back. Globalism is NOT the answer!!
Their biggest fear is that we turn it all off and don’t partake in the new world order. The chip tech needs us to keep it alive. America needs to isolate if it is causing our early demise. People will make commerce no matter where they live. I don’t see us all sitting at home waiting for big tech to deliver us our ration of Solent Green. This will either get our rumps in gear or perish. I’m cheering on man not chip to dictate my destiny. Just say no to soft tyranny.
We have been in a recession since at least the last two quarters of 2022. However, by reporting inaccurate “hiring” and other business data, corporations helped sell the idea that GDP was still marginally positive (thus “officially” there could be no declared recession since GDP didn’t go negative) and the “democrat fiscal policies” were “working”. However, as soon as the midterms were done and the leftist fraud machine ensured that they continued to maintain their power in the the legislature and in state governments, the truth is coming to light – overdue massive layoffs and bankruptcy; marking the beginning of the left’s predicted 2023 “minor recession” (which will actually be a great depression).
HyperBidenstagflation accelerating. Fasten your seatbelts. It won’t be a soft landing.