What the ECB has done is the first time a central bank has gone NEGATIVE to try to force people to spend. There have been NEGATIVE interest rates in a quasi situation with attempts to support a currency peg. This has been the case in Denmark. We also saw rates collapse in Switzerland when the […]

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in response to Hillary Clinton’s unproductive remarks comparing Putin to Hitler,  he slapped her down saying that “it’s best not to argue with women.” Putin simply dismissed Hillary’s comments concerning Russia’s actions in Ukraine. Putin’s remarks were made during an interview with France’s TF1 television and Europe 1 radio, during which […]

Six governments tap Vodafone calls without warrants or any court oversight according to the first global disclosure on the subject. Vodafone is in Europe, Africa and Asia, unlike Verizon, which is only in the USA. This disclosure is important for its demonstrates the lack of privacy on a grand scale. This is all about money […]

QUESTION: Will you have to change your/Socrates opinion due to this extraordinary step? I please you to give as an idea, as Socrates seems to be currently not updated. ANSWER: We actually have a very comprehensive interest rate database. Above is a picture of world interest rates but based upon capital concentration back to 3000BC. That […]

Real bad news enough for Microsoft is emerging over this entire spying of the NSA. A state-backed news report broadcast on China’s CCTV that has now branded the operating system as a threat to China’s cybersecurity, and suggesting it is being used to spy on Chinese citizens. The NSA is destroying America’s reputation and its […]

QUESTION: Martin, Continued blessings for publishing your remarkable insights.  Will the banks pass on their negative interests rates to the depositors? What will be the effect of depositors removing their cash from the banks? Thanks M ANSWER: In the US, the talk behind the curtain is to impose negative interest rates on the consumer. Banks have […]

QUESTION: Mr. Armstrong – Is today (June 5th 2014) the first time in history that negative interest rates have been imposed by a central bank (or similar authority)? I don’t recall from your writings.  I know that you’ve written that the current student debt situation has never been encountered before. I have a feeling that today […]

QUESTION: Thank you for your blog.  You put a lot of work and knowledge into it.  Again, thanks. When you talk about $19 Trillion in pensions in the USA I take that to mean “pensions.” But then you said “retirement accounts” or retirement savings”, which may include IRAs. Do you foresee all forms of tax-advantaged savings […]

A reader in China has contributed this observation: COMMENT:  Hi Martin,   Just a personal observation for you. Turns out governments think the same.   Prices in real estate has been dropping here in Hangzhou city, Zhejiang, China. A combination of factors have caused a lower confidence in the real estate market in the city. […]

My personal healthcare at NJ Blue Cross has gone from $511 per month to about $1200 and I now have full maternity coverage – something I really needed.. It was up there with the Terrorist Insurance the City of Philadelphia wanted no doubt because somebody’s brother-in-law or crime had their hand in it.  I can’t […]