December 2024
Welcome to the new normal. What, you may ask, is that?
We see it as a world undergoing substantial social, geopolitical, and economic change accompanied by bouts of significant turmoil. This follows our last newsletter, in which we stated... "We have a recipe for what could be the most intense 120 days of geopolitical, financial, and cultural upheaval most of us have lived through." We are now sixty days into this period and what do we see?
Regime change in Syria is underway, further destabilizing the Middle East as Israel occupies territory in Syria for the first time since 1973. This has served to put further strain on a very tenuous cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah. South Korea unexpectedly declared martial law (albeit briefly) and destabilized that region of the world. The conflict in Ukraine rages on with an odd combination of hope for peace talks while simultaneously fearing an imminent escalation by Russia moving to take Kyiv. This is after Russia used limited ballistic missiles in combat for the first time in history. The French and German governments are on the verge of collapse, and recent measures taken in Canada to restrict people's rights have people there talking of substantial political unrest. In Canada? And we haven't even touched the reality that the global financial system continues its relentless march toward a "reset" or whatever else it may be called by the globalists.
Meanwhile, in the United States, the results of the Presidential election are sending shockwaves throughout the world. The degree of policy change being signaled by the incoming administration is something that we have not witnessed in our lifetimes. Despite a significant electoral and popular vote victory, there is every indication that the present administration and those entrenched in the D.C. power structure are going to aggressively resist these changes. Confidence in the mainstream media has completely collapsed, as it has in the justice and healthcare systems. Can the financial system be far behind?
As in our last newsletter, we don't point this out to create fear, but rather that people can deal with what is really happening in the world. That includes the fact that the results of the U.S. election have not, nor will it solve the world's problems. Based on all of the above, we find it unlikely that the claims of a "golden age" emerging in the next four years are anything but certain. That is why we are here to play our role by helping you navigate these times by providing a flexible, accessible, and cost-effective way to manage your financial insurance.
We wish you a safe Merry Christmas and New Year with your friends and family. As history continues to unfold in 2025, we at OWNx are...
Here for you,
The OWNx Team
Gold and Silver
What Do the Charts Say?
Since this summer we have been saying that a sustained rally to new highs indicated a fundamental shift had occurred in the gold market. That is hard to dispute with gold making a run at $3,000 per ounce, which comes as no surprise based on our opening observations. The trend is in place for continued financial, geopolitical, and social turmoil in the coming months and possibly years.
As we turn our attention to the gold chart, we will look again at the two support/resistance points (green lines) and two established uptrend lines. As last month's newsletter said, "this [top] uptrend line is unsustainable over the long term, but could easily carry gold to the $3,000 per ounce mark where we'd expect to see another period of consolidation." Just before the U.S. election, the market was on track for that to happen as the price of gold reached $2,800. However, after the election, gold experienced a sharp reaction and briefly fell below $2,600. In so doing it breached the top uptrend line.
So where does the price of gold go from here? It's difficult to say. With geopolitical instability being what it is, any day an event could cause gold to shoot upward -- or drop significantly. We are in a period of volatility as the world sorts out whether overall conditions will improve or deteriorate, which as of the date of this writing is unknown. Absent a major event, it would not surprise us to see the price of gold become range-bound between $2,500 and $2,800 for the next few months as it meets the lower uptrend line. That would give the market an extended "pause that refreshes" and enable savvy investors and savers to add to their holdings without feeling like they are chasing a runaway market.
For those holding silver, its price remains above the critical resistance level of $30 per ounce. As gold consolidates, it would not surprise us to see the price of silver spend some time in the channel indicated on the chart, between $28 and $30. We believe that this would be a great range to accumulate more metal, as the gold/silver ratio still remains quite favorable. Continuing to accumulate both gold and silver over the coming months either by setting up a regular schedule or buying the dips are two smart and simple ways to own these increasingly "precious" metals.
In today's world...
Gold Price Forecast & Predictions for 2024 and Beyond
An interesting article that looks at a range of gold price forecasts through 2026. "In light of the forthcoming central bank meetings, how will potential interest rate shifts impact the value of gold? Will gold retain its status as a safe-haven asset as the geopolitical turmoil increases? This article examines the historical data, professional analytical assessments, and present scenarios for the 2025–2026 gold exchange rate and the long-term outlook."
Understanding Gold IRA Tax Rules for a Secure Retirement
With year-end tax planning on many people's minds, we thought we'd share one of our articles on Gold IRA tax rules.
OWNx Office closures: December 24th and 25th for Christmas and December 31 and January 1 for New Years.