Making Money Minute with Ron Hiebert - Financial Books For X-MAS

At this time of year, I like to recommend books that would be great stocking stuffers for the investment nerd on your shopping list. How To Listen When Markets Speak by Lawrence McDonald is one of my favourites. If you are concerned AI is in a bubble, or the negative impact that out of control spending is having on the economy and the markets - this book is for you. It focusses on strategies that protect your assets during times of inflation and financial duress. McDonald is not a conspiracy theorist or gold bug. The book is full of practical interviews with some on the smartest investors on Wall Street. Great Read.

Making Money Minute with Ron Hiebert - Book Recommendation

Listeners often ask what is the best financial book I have read this year? Hands down it would be “How Not To Invest” by Barry Ritholtz. He expands on the approach Charlie Munger and Warren Buffett have always taken. That is trying to invest by being less stupid. Their view, is that fortunes are often built, not on what you did right, but on what you didn’t get wrong. It is a well researched, enjoyable read, and will provide insights for even seasoned investors, on critical mistakes to avoid.

Making Money Minute with Ron Hiebert - Time To Be Cautious

Nvidia makes high end computer chips that are essential for robotics, artificial intelligence and other sophisticated scientific applications that form the backbone of the new economy. Investor enthusiasm has pushed the value of this companies shares past the 5 trillion dollar mark. Put in perspective, that is more than the combined value of all publicly traded industrial stocks in the US. We are again, hearing phrases like “this is a new era” or “it is different this time,” to justify techs, out of this world prices. I am not a doom and gloomer - just getting cautious.

Making Money Minute with Ron Hiebert - The Trades Are A Great Career

It used to be that the route to a solid, good paying, secure, middle class lifestyle, started with a college degree. Lately, the rising costs of higher education have made the trades a much more compelling option. You can earn while you learn and often finish the program with little or no debt. The trades also offer security. It is very difficult to substitute the work trades do, offshoring those tasks to lower wage countries. Plus, the trades are one of the least likely, to be replaced by AI and robotics. If you are a young person, making a career choice, the trades offer a compelling opportunity.

Making Money Minute with Ron Hiebert - Bitcoin Loses

The recent price drop saw Crypto currencies lose about 1.2 trillion dollars over the last couple of months. Bitcoin alone gave up a 1/3 of its value. This has left a lot of grim and dejected investors in crypto land. But should all this volatility come as a surprise? Bitcoin selloffs as recently as 2018 and 2022, saw drops of 75% and 80%. Which if repeated, could take Bitcoin prices down to $25,000 US. I am not saying we are in crypto winter. Just offering a reminder that huge price drawdowns are part of the game when investing in digital currencies

Making Money Minute with Ron Hiebert - Uranium’s Energy Density

One of the attractions of uranium is its energy density. A little goes a very long way. The energy gotten from a kilogram of wood will power a light bulb for a day and a half. The energy derived from a kilogram of oil, or coal, will light that same bulb for four days. One kilogram of uranium, will power a light bulb, day and night, for the next 25,000 years. Policy makers are just starting to realize that tiny amounts of uranium can replace huge amounts of coal, wood and oil. Fuels which generate large amounts of CO2.

Making Money Minute with Ron Hiebert - America’s Fix Won’t Be Easy

America has been in a stupor the last twenty years. They have allowed themselves to get to a point strategically, where they have to import 90% of their uranium and almost the same percentage of rare earth minerals. They run massive trade and budget deficits which require foreigners to use their surplus dollars to buy huge amounts of government debt to make it work. Their pension system will run out of funds in less than seven years. To fix this mess will take time and require pain and financial sacrifice from everyone. A reality, that the American voter, is in complete denial.

Making Money Minute with Ron Hiebert - Uranium

The uranium sector looks like it is finally waking up from decades of slumber. The world has come to grips with the fact that nuclear is the only untapped technology capable of generating abundant energy 24/7, without producing Co2. The streamlining of the nuclear approval process, the development of small modular reactors and an increase in electricity demand point to a uranium supply deficit. We need to produce about 20% more to meet demand. It will take at least a decade to bring on enough mine capacity to satisfy the deficit. How far prices can rise in the meantime - is anyone’s guess.

Making Money Minute with Ron Hiebert - Market Cycles

I have never seen anyone believe that tides levels will keep going in one direction forever because it is different this time. People have watched tides, cycle in and out twice a day for generations. That is what tides do. Markets do the same thing, just not with as much regularity. In spite of this frequency, investors are always shocked when overpriced markets go down and undervalued ones go up. The biggest mistake investors make is thinking in one direction. Markets are cyclical and move in waves - not straight lines.

Making Money Minute with Ron Hiebert - Playing With Fire

History shows that in times of conflict, countries often withhold interest payments on domestic bonds held by their enemies. United States, froze payments on dollar-denominated debt to the Japanese before World War II, and did the same to Russia after the Ukraine war began. The downside in doing this, is fewer people wanting to own your debt or currency. When you are a massive borrower like the US, fear of retaliation and confiscation aren’t big selling features. America is playing with fire, biting the hand of people who support them