Weekly Article 07/09/2026 - ADV Sound Familiar

Here We Go Again! According to our president the ceasefire is over. No surprise to me.

On top of the disaster that the Iran war is, there are more threats of violence to Greenland, Cuba, and total disrespect even for our European friends like Spain, Italy, and others.

It appears to me that when you have nothing to offer but brute force- you use it. This is a clear sign that the American empire is in its last hurrah and could collapse at any time.

The exact actions that are taken to demand allegiance and obedience are what is leading to our ultimate demise as a superpower. Just think if you were a foreign country that has been bullied and coerced. Would you feel warm and fuzzy or would you be looking for allies to take on the bully? Think BRICS, MBridge and trading in local currencies to avoid coercion.

I really have to take exception to our “news” outlets who are promoting a narrative rather than giving us any news. Opinions and propaganda masquerade as news to have the populace think and act, a certain way.

We hear that Iran’s military is wiped out. WE WON! Later on, there are satellite images of destroyed American bases, advanced radar systems destroyed and pentagon acknowledgement that the damage is so severe those bases hit may not be rebuilt.

If things were so great, why is there a news blackout in Israel with journalists being incarcerated for trying to report reality. Reality is that Iran is hammering Israel also. There is plenty of video proof if you look in the right places.

This is extremely important because it gives us a clue as to where this may be leading. More war, more spending, more inflation, and ultimately more pain for Main Street. Just like we are misled to think the job market is great and inflation is in our minds, the misinformation is off the charts. This leads many to be complacent people until it is too late.

For decades it was believed that the stock market gave us a gauge as to how the economy was doing. Today, with all of the manipulation and “money printing” the “markets” are nothing but a casino with NO resemblance to the underlying economy.

I have written that the “printing” produces NOTHING. Taking it one step further, it not only produces NOTHING but actually disincentivizes production of real goods. This is why it is so inflationary. More cash is produced without any corresponding goods to back it up with.

Cash was actually invented so that a person that produced bread could get currency to buy supplies and other necessities of life. The product of his labor was sold, and he was able to buy food, clothes, etc. The actual exchange was his finished product for another finished product. The cash was just a means of exchange. The cash was just an intermediary.

Fast forward to today and globally we have central banks conjuring up hundreds of trillions in currency units with NO CORRESPONDING ASSETS to be used in daily life. What could possibly be more inflationary?

The continued war will make the “printing” situation worse because not only will more currency units and debt be needed to pay for the war, but necessary inputs like oil, fertilizer, and materials to produce computer chips and plastics are also being trapped and leading to shortages.

As written by Murray Rothbard (famous Austrian Economist) Money, per se, cannot be consumed and cannot be used directly as a producer’s good in the productive process. Money per se is unproductive, it is dead stock and produces nothing. In other words, they can conjure up unlimited amounts of cash, but it actually disincentivizes production. It is human nature to take the easy way out. Why work or produce when we can conjure up cash? Ultimately it leads to where we are today.

Japan is collapsing as the Yen is crashing while interest rates are rising. It is a matter of time before either rates skyrocket or they “print” to save the bonds. If they do “print” it is likely the Yen will join the rest of failed fiat currencies. We are likely not far behind.

The Yen is weakening against all major currencies. I have often said they compare currencies to give the illusion of strength. If measured in GOLD, you would get a far clearer picture. I have often said that gold is a rock. It does nothing but hold its value. The price just reflects the diminishing purchasing power of the currency.

Once the currency starts falling it tends to accelerate unless the circumstances that led to the weakness are changed. History says once a country starts “printing” it grows exponentially until an ultimate demise of its purchasing power.

It is not important that you need 162 Yen to buy a dollar. What is important is that when looking at the gold price in Yen the trajectory is clear:

Yen Needed to buy 1 OUNCE of Gold:

· In 2016 it took 190,000.00 Yen to buy an ounce.

· In 2021 it took 200,000.00 Yen to buy an ounce. 10,000 more Yen in 5 Years

· In 2025 it took 480,000.00 Yen to buy an ounce. 280,000 more Yen in 4 Years

· Today, it takes $669,000.00 Yen to buy an ounce.189,000 more Yen in 1 Year

OUCH! This is a currency collapse brought on by years of conjuring up cash and propping up stock and bond markets and issuing unimaginable amounts of debt. SOUND FAMILIAR?

If we did not possess the world’s reserve currency, we would already be in this situation. With the rest of the world moving towards local currencies and settlement ultimately in GOLD and natural resources (HARD ASSETS) the clock is ticking.

Be Prepared!

Any opinions are those of Mike Savage and not necessarily of those of RJFS or Raymond James. Expressions of opinion are as of this date and are subject to change without notice. The information in this report does not prove to be a complete description of securities, markets or developments referred to in this material. The information has been obtained from sources deemed to be reliable, but we do not guarantee that the foregoing material is accurate or complete. Any information is not a complete summary or statement of all available data necessary for making an investment decision and does not constitute a recommendation. There is no guarantee that these statements, opinions, or forecasts provided herein will prove to be correct.

Commodities are generally considered speculative because of the significant potential for investment loss. Commodities are volatile investments and should only be a small part of a diversified portfolio. There may be sharp price fluctuations even during periods when prices are rising overall.

Precious Metals, including gold, are subject to special risks including but not limited to price may be subject to wide fluctuation, the market is relatively limited, the sources are concentrated in countries that have the potential for instability and the market is unregulated.

Diversification does not ensure gains nor protect against loss. Companies mentioned are being provided for information purposes only and is not a complete description, nor is it a recommendation. Investing involves risk regardless of strategy.