Disclaimer: Please understand that this article is not written to provide tax or legal advice and I am not providing any such advice. In fact, it disgusts me to think that you need to "figure out the system" to secure what is already yours. This article simply describes my quest for information and knowledge about IRAs and how this information could help me and my father. A few weeks ago, my father mentioned to me his disgust with the performance of his IRA. My response: "You still have an … [Read more...]

As some of you know, I had a rare opportunity to testify August 2nd 2012 before the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy regarding parallel currencies. For a full video of the hearing, click the image on the left. It all passed so fast, and the reality didn't set in until I left the chamber. My first thought upon walking out of the building was really anti-climatic: "I spent all this time over the past week for that?" And to think I could have focused my time and … [Read more...]

Missed the live feed? Catch the full hearing on YouTube HERE or Mr Gray's excerpt HERE. While debriefing from our most recent trip to FreedomFest in Las Vegas, I posed a question: how do we take our movement to the next level? I mean, we have so many people that are paying attention now, but still believe we can petition the government to solve today's social and economic problems. Last week, Congressman Paul's bill to audit the Fed finally came to a vote on the House floor. Though it … [Read more...]

Recently there has been a lot of excitement and discussion about the real value of a penny.  In one article from December of 2011, ABC News(1) talks about the waves of people going out of their way to sort and hoard pennies.  The story mentions one individual who spent upwards of $500.00 on a coin-sorting machine to assist with the process.  Another person made an entire business of sorting and selling them at nearly 50% profit.  This obsession over the smallest unit of our currency got us … [Read more...]

by Jim Wahl The annual Oktoberfest in Mt. Angel, Oregon is a tradition that dates back nearly five decades. Each year several hundred thousand visitors flock to this small town – an influx 100-times that of Mt. Angel’s population of 3,700. Many come for the authentic German atmosphere and culture and the array of culinary treats, not to mention the traditional German beer. But while the entertainment venues will be filled with people, no cash will be changing hands. That’s because … [Read more...]

Some Unconventional Thoughts on Balance Of Trade By Pat Fields A nonchalant comment I’d posted to a thread on Facebook reflecting on a Zero Hedge article relating to bullion bank Scotia Mocatta’s curious accounting for their silver holdings sparked a small brush fire of e-mails among the folks here at AOCS. Particularly, it was my characterization of silver as having the analogical position of a fulcrum, providing a natural balance to the rational valuations of gold and copper and the … [Read more...]

A title like that requires a LOT of explanation and background. First, let me say that it does not please me to write (or publish) this article.  I'm not an "I told you so" kinda guy, and I do not derive pleasure from seeing others struggle, fail, run into bad luck, or fall short of happiness in any capacity.  In fact, I am concerned that my opinion may make the appeal for Bernard von Nothaus that much more difficult (not to mention a future trial).  But as I monitor the wires and read the … [Read more...]

Our MarketPlace, for no good reason, still happens to be the most overlooked component of the AOCS model. First, our core team is missing a MarketPlace Director. Without someone accountable driving the growth of the MarketPlace, it merely wanders aimlessly in the seas of distraction. We still desperately seek the right fit for this position, though it may be possible at time of writing that we actually found it[!]. You'll know when to get excited. But why does the MarketPlace matter? The … [Read more...]