Visiting North Korea Next Month

Chairman Kim Jong-un has invited Jim Rogers to visit North Korea next month. You can read the Korea Herald article here: Investor Jim Rogers to visit North Korea next month

Jim has been bullish on North Korea for years and considers that a unified Korea would be the most exciting country in the world:

"Korea is probably going to be the most exciting country in the world once North Korea opens which will and very soon. I mean it's right on the Chinese border, 80 million people, natural resources, cheap disciplined labor... It has lots of things going for it." - in November 30th, 2018

Emerging Markets: The Problem With Turkey

The problem from everybody's point of view is that Turkey is in a bad neighborhood. There's nothing wrong with Turkey, I love Turkey but the neighborhood is not particularly stable right now and there are lots of things going on in the neighborhood which could or could not badly affect Turkey.

Related trading tickers: iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index ETF (EEM)

Promising Areas To Invest

“Life is short. Ride hard and far. Make it happen." 

- Jim Rogers

Promising Areas To Invest

Jim Rogers was recently Korean talk show where he talked about promising investment areas like agriculture, pollution control and an Unified Korea. You can read the article here: Agricultural Stocks Surges on Jim Rogers Comments 

Why Governments Prefer Inflation 

Unfortunately governments usually wind up with inflation because it's easier for governments that way. It's easier to print money, it's easier to borrow money, it's easy to spend money and ultimately that leads to more inflation. Inflation makes people unhappy too but governments can at least do something or think they can do something. Deflation makes everybody angry and governments usually cannot do much except revert to inflation again. 

Rising Interest Rates Will Ruin People

Interest rates at least in America have a long history of long, long cycles. We're now headed up again and interest rates are going to go much, much, much higher over the next few decades and it's gonna ruin a lot of people.

Interesting Reading: 

What It Means to Be Principled and Why You Need to Do It

Plus, Peter Schiff says we are in a bear market.

Interest Rates: Latest Commentary

Interest Rates Are Still Very Low

Anybody who thinks these interest rates are high needs to go back and do a little history because these interest rates are the lowest in recorded American history. 

I mean we never had interest rates this low, this long (the last four or five years). So these are anything but high interest rates on a historic basis. 

That's true everywhere in the world. Interest rates were negative in some countries in the world. 

Japan has never had such low interest rates, much of the world has never ever had such low interest rates. So, if you think these interest rates are high please do some homework. 

Inflation and Interest Rates: How It Works

In periods of slow inflation people don't notice it so much. But when inflation starts rising rapidly then people notice it and they take action with their investments and other things as well. 

Certainly when inflation is here and coming back and getting stronger, interest interest rates are going to go higher because people have to be paid more on their money when inflation is here because the money's losing value every day. People want to compensate for that with higher interest rates.

Emerging Markets: India

India Is Going Deeper And Deeper Into Debt

As far as I'm concerned it's another case where it's India is going deeper and deeper into debt.

I know politicians try to buy as many votes as they can and mr. Moody's doing a very good job of preparing for the next election. 

I don't consider it good for India, I don't consider it good for the world and it certainly doesn't make India more attractive to me and perhaps not to other investors either.

Farming In India Has Many Problems

There are structural problems, they have all these rules and laws and regulations supposedly to protect the farmers. 

They make farming worse, it's more difficult to be a farmer in India than many other countries. 

If they would get rid of the regulations, get rid of the requirements maybe Indian farmers would be more prosperous. Giving them a handout is not going to improve Indian farming.

Principles (Ray Dalio)

Interesting principles from Ray Dalio:

"Two people who collaborate well will be about three times as effective as each of them operating independently." : Principle Of The Day (4.5A & 4.5B)

And also why smaller groups seeking answers will perform better than larger groups: Principle Of The Day (4.5A & 4.5B)

Farming In India Has Many Problems

Farming in India has many problems. There are structural problems, they have all these rules and laws and regulations supposedly to protect the farmers. They make farming worse, it's more difficult to be a farmer in India than many other countries.

If they would get rid of the regulations, get rid of the requirements maybe Indian farmers would be more prosperous. Giving them a handout is not going to improve Indian farming.

Interesting reading:

The Best Way To Use Gold

Charlie Munger: The Merits Of Long-Term Investing

Steenbarger: Two Self-Destructive Behaviors