It's the Final Countdown

The polls are (mostly) closing soon... Three questions to ask other than 'Who wins?'... It's the final countdown... We will all pay... The Battle for America... Are you prepared?

Most polling places will close in just a few hours...

It's true, as we said yesterday, that some states will accept and count mail-in ballots for roughly 10 more days. So this whole thing could take a while to play out.

But it is happening...

We'll skip the rehash of the early-vote count that we discussed a bit yesterday, as well as the odds of Donald Trump winning a second term rather than Democratic challenger Joe Biden unseating him. No matter how long it takes, we'll know who wins sooner or later...

And in some ways, the result probably won't matter all that much to the "nuts and bolts (dollars and cents)," as one subscriber put it in our mailbag yesterday... We've shown that in various ways over the past several weeks and months.

Don't get us wrong, though... Our heads aren't in the sand. We simply believe that this election's widest-reaching economic result is already inevitable...

Regardless of who wins, we can already see how our federal government plans to "do business" in the long term... the consequences of those decisions on the economy... and the generational forces behind it.

We're not asking anyone to like or dislike what decisions have been or will be made. But you do need to understand them and make sound financial decisions based on the reality of our situation.

It's a future full of more spending... more bills to pay... and more lending to yourself at zero-percent interest rates, so long as the Federal Reserve says so.

We've seen it throughout this year, and we'll see it in the years ahead...

So while 'who wins?' is on a lot of Americans' minds tonight, we want to ask a few other questions...

Let's pay attention to "how much?" and "who pays?" These two questions are probably more practical for investors to consider today – and moving forward.

We admit... the answer to the first question does depend on who takes the White House and control of Congress in this election. There will be differences among how a Republican- or Democrat-controlled government operates, which laws get passed, at what size, and how quickly.

And those details – like how much of the world's supply of gold will be printed in dollars by the U.S. government, for instance, or how much corporations are taxed – may color how large of a position you may want in any particular investment.

But make no mistake, the wind is blowing in the same direction...

We saw this in March, with how quickly Congress decided to send $270 billion in stimulus checks to everyone. It was an idea that was tossed aside amid the depths of the financial crisis a little more than a decade ago.

Not this time.

This is why, as our founder Porter Stansberry said in a recent conversation with former presidential candidate Dr. Ron Paul, the differences between say, the tax plans of Trump and Biden, "are not inconsequential, but they're also not material." More from Porter...

They're not going to change the course of our country's future. And as I'm sure you're very well aware, and as all our readers are, there isn't a choice for us.

Our collective debt is going to continue to skyrocket no matter what.

That brings us to the second question: "Who pays?" – or alternatively, "Who doesn't pay?" in the case of a Debt Jubilee. This is clear...

Every taxpayer will pay – to varying degrees and scales...

And you'll pay even if you don't support the ideas.

A bigger-than-ever government boondoggle will come at us piecemeal in billions and trillions of dollars' worth of programs that will add up to unimaginable numbers over time...

A Debt Jubilee that inevitably happens in or around a populist movement will have unintended repercussions for all Americans...

And it will all probably make us look like Argentina one day, which is decidedly not good unless you think 48% inflation is a great idea. As our publisher Brett Aitken wrote in a special report back in 2018 for our flagship Stansberry's Investment Advisory newsletter...

Hopefully, our next 100 years in the U.S. will turn out better than Argentina's. But these days, it sure feels like the U.S. government wants to repeat Argentina's formula for failure – large debts, excessive regulation, and more socialist tendencies.

But explaining the details of all of that is beyond the scope of this Digest...

The point we want to hit today is that longtime readers know Porter and our research team have been warning for years that this day would come.

Now, tonight, we're closer than we've ever been. And we want to make sure you're ready.

Since the last election, we've said that 2020 would mark a pivotal time for the American economy...

If you tune into any election coverage tonight or over the next few days, you might hear at least some of the better-versed talking heads on political TV mention it (if you're lucky).

It's a simple case of demographics... For the first time ever in a presidential election, the number of voting-eligible, debt-ridden millennials outnumbers voting-eligible Baby Boomers.

That means this younger generation of 83 million people has unprecedented power to swing the election result to their preferred candidate. And we know what most millennials are thinking...

According to a May 2019 article in the Wall Street Journal, "American Millennials are approaching middle age in worse financial shape than every living generation ahead of them."

Having come of age in the wake of the financial crisis and Fed policies that eat away at their dollars whether they know it or not, they're feeling hopeless... think capitalism is to blame... and are hoping for a break.

This is the same group that four years ago latched on to Bernie "There Should Be No Billionaires" Sanders and his socialist policies. At one point in 2016, we remember, Sanders had 84% of the millennial vote.

Wiping out student-loan debt, socialist ideas like Medicare for All and a Universal Basic Income, and on and on, sounded pretty good to this generation back then... and it sounds even better today.

Of course, they don't understand the knock-on effects of what they're asking for...

Here are two big examples...

In the 1930s, in order to pay for growing government programs, President Franklin D. Roosevelt first artificially jacked up the price of gold, cutting the value of Americans' savings in U.S. dollars by 69%.

And Roosevelt led a government that essentially wiped away $700 million per year of its own debts by reneging on commitments to investors in government bonds.

It was a Jubilee, and a short-term Band-Aid... The stock market boomed, but then soon fell 50% in a single year.

Then, in the mid-1960s, as we wrote in the June 3 Digest, "today" happened again. As Porter wrote in our book, The Battle for America...

If you're old enough to remember, think about the anger and resentment of the 1960s.

The Black Panthers' slogan was: "Power to the People." The idols of the day were people like Latin-American guerrilla leader Che Guevara, Malcolm X, and Muhammad Ali. All over the country, there was one clash after another...

Small farmers fought banks and railroads... union workers battled their bosses and federal judges. On college campuses, students fought anyone with authority. Election rallies routinely ended in violence.

Things were so bad, Lyndon Johnson decided not to run for re-election. Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy were assassinated.

Here in Baltimore, the National Guard and Maryland State Police were called into the city in 1968 to quell violence and looting. And at the same time...

A major financial crisis was brewing...

The government had borrowed extraordinary sums, and were having a hard time repaying creditors.

That's because at the time, every dollar was required to be backed by gold. So the government couldn't print unlimited amounts of money out of thin air.

The government was scared again. And as Porter wrote...

It knew there was only one way out... another Debt Jubilee. First, we eliminated the gold backing of every dollar. Then, in 1971, President Nixon completely defaulted on our promise to pay gold for dollars to our foreign creditors.

Once again, the government simply wiped the slate clean.

Today, the big difference is 'unlimited QE'...

As we also wrote in the June 3 Digest...

Millennials will be the country's largest generation of voters for the first time this November. They largely blame capitalism for the world's problems and could usher in a new era of socialist policies, including a Jubilee.

But this Jubilee will be different from the ones in 1933 and 1971, according to Porter.

This time, the Federal Reserve has "unlimited QE" at its disposal and has said several times that it will print digital dollars until its computers break to take care of every stakeholder of the financial system. But the only way that private debt of everyday Americans can be resolved is if it's paid, defaulted, or forgiven...

And you can bet politicians, no matter the affiliation, will never allow tens of millions of our poorest citizens to go bankrupt...

But as we said back in a January 2019 Digest...

The history of socialism is "untarnished by success." Sure, our current "crony capitalist" system is broken, but giving the government even more power is certainly not the solution.

Unfortunately, it appears a whole new generation of Americans is intent on learning this lesson the hard way.

Today, it's the same story, but more timely...

That's why Biden – who is about as far away from a millennial as you can get – has worked to appeal to the younger liberal crowd so much.

He has even referred to himself as a "bridge candidate" to another Democratic candidate for president in 2024, whether it's his running mate Kamala Harris or someone else who emerges as a party leader.

As Porter put in the most recent edition of The Battle for America, this was expected. Porter even mentioned Harris by name years ago as a likely candidate for president. And he said, no matter what...

One thing is certain... For 83 million hopeless, indebted Millennials, something big needs to change. They're looking to the government to make it happen.

And should he win the election, Joe Biden will give them exactly what they want. You'd better get ready for it.

That brings us to a third question to think about tonight... Are you prepared?

No matter who you're voting for (or not voting for), there's something every single investor can do to prepare for what's next... to put their finances in their own hands in a way that most people never will.

Hopefully, you took advantage of our guidance long ago. But if not, or if you're new to our work, we'll end tonight with a brief refresher to make sure your bases are covered.

As Porter wrote years ago in The Battle for America (now in its fourth edition), every investor should do three things to preserve their wealth and hard-earned dollars...

1. Stay away from the most dangerous companies in America today.
2. Protect your retirement accounts with a safe, hedged portfolio.
3. Own "trophy assets" and elite, dividend-paying businesses.

If you do these three things, as Porter said years ago...

You will not only survive the 2020 election and its aftermath – you will be among the select few to profit from it.

Now, these three things may sound easy to do, but we promise you they're not – or at the very least, they're easier said than done.

As any experienced investor can tell you, accomplishing these goals is another story altogether. That's why having a guide or two helps... And it's why our editors do what they do for all of our subscribers every single day.

It's what our Director of Research Austin Root does in our Stansberry Portfolio Solutions products – and why he recently put together our brand-new Election 2020 Portfolio... or what Porter's research team does every month in Stansberry's Investment Advisory... or what our colleague Dr. David "Doc" Eifrig does in his Retirement Millionaire newsletter and other publications to help folks make the most of their nest egg...

We could go on and on.

But before we go any further, we want to nudge you in the direction of Porter's book, The Battle for America, which is about the most prescient and relevant thing we can think of today when it comes to your investments.

In it, Porter not only raised all the issues we've talked about today and the things every investor should do to combat the inevitable outcomes of tonight's election... but most important, he detailed the very best ways to do it.

If you're an Alliance member or subscriber to Stansberry's Investment Advisory, there's no better time to skim through the pages or read it again than tonight to make sure your portfolio is in good shape. You can do that right here.

And for those of you who haven't yet read the book, we urge you to grab a digital copy right now. It can be yours for just $4.95.

Porter looks at the main investments you should own and the ones you should avoid in the years ahead... discusses the largest part of wealth that most Americans overlook – but that could prevent your entire retirement nest egg from disappearing... and much more.

Click here to grab your copy of The Battle for America right now, make your to-do list based on what Porter has to say, and come back tomorrow for more election-related coverage.

We're Headed Toward a Fourth Revolution

Myrmikan Capital founder Dan Oliver explains the implications for the economy depending on who wins the presidential election... and discusses what will likely happen if one party captures both the presidency and control of the Senate.

"We are headed towards a real economic crisis," Oliver says. In fact, he believes the U.S. is on the edge of a "fourth revolution," one during which the price of gold could go as high as $10,000 an ounce...

Click here to watch this video right now. For more free video content, subscribe to our Stansberry Research YouTube channel... and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

New 52-week highs (as of 11/2/20): Almaden Minerals (AAU), Curaleaf (CURLF), Green Thumb Industries (GTBIF), and Southern Copper (SCCO).

In today's mailbag, more feedback on Kim Iskyan's Friday Digest about "soft power." Do you have a comment or question on this Election Day? As always, send us your comments at feedback@stansberryresearch.com.

"One of the reasons I've stuck with Porter so long is that he has such a talented staff of contributors who can combine wit, wisdom and intelligent prose to make investment research both enjoyable and rewarding. In that vein, Doc Eifrig is a 'rock star' in my book but I also really enjoy Ben Morris and Dan Ferris in addition to Porter's own prescient observations. I'm exposed to a variety of opinions and I appreciate that.

"It was with great interest that I read Kim Iskyan's view of the waning of American 'soft power' and I found some valuable observations. However, it left me feeling like there is a real disconnect between those of an 'internationalist' mindset like Kim and those of us who have come to realize that both forms of power only spring from what used to be a deep well of shared ideals, goals, history, values and common culture. That well is drying up and that sentiment was captured poignantly by several readers, most notably Ryszard A., who really put a finger on it.

"I would love to be able to project soft power to further the American 'brand' but we face an increasingly desperate situation in terms of lawlessness and an utter lack of accountability in our cities, universities, government organizations and media (both mainstream and social) that is every bit as significant as the attack on our fiscal sovereignty.

"As usual, in the end it's about the blind pursuit of money and power by a small group of elites (that unfortunately includes many in the investor class i.e. Soros and his ilk) that seeks to savage America's good will at home to further a global agenda that cares little for a strong social fabric.

"The irony, of course, is that strong 'fabric' is both the well water and fertile soil from which America's wealth springs. An increasingly strident leftist globalism knows only of 'zero sum' games that only destroy wealth and lead to serfdom and tyranny.

"Until we win this culture war I say that a greater (hopefully temporary) focus on the homeland is not 'nationalism' but simply a matter of utmost prudence. If it takes a simple businessman instead of a politician to do it, then so be it." – Paid-up subscriber Rex C.

"Dear Mr. Iskyan, thank you for your fine article. The relationship between soft and hard power is not often discussed in the terms you used to frame the subject. However, I dissent from your conclusion that renegotiating bad trade and defense pacts over the past four years has detracted from America's effectiveness. Your Achilles heel is that you mistake Soft Power for Soft-Headedness. No nation can buy respect by doling out endless fortunes of money around the world so that foreign entities will 'like' us.

"We laborers are on the hook for these lost fortunes. Being a chump in major international deal-making demonstrates weakness that global bullies will exploit – every time. We are infinitely better off with all the new arrangements and yet you mourn the loss of the sucker deals that President Trump (whose name you scrupulously avoided) has remedied for superior outcomes.

"There is a bigger subject that is threatening the entire world than hard vs. soft power. Like an alien space ship large enough to block the sun, sovereign debt [and] phony money are the true enemies of peace & prosperity. And we need all the big thinkers like yourself, Porter, and Doc to consider solutions that go beyond throwing our arms up in the air, surrendering to our demise.

"While I think they will likely be proven right in their predictions, it is a morally superior position also to advance a solution, such as some pathway to a balanced budget and paying down the debt. And that is the plan that needs to be rubbed into the face of every politician in every country of the world.

"All that said sir, I hail your contribution to civil discourse on the important relationship between soft and hard power. This is how Americans, indeed all civilized peoples, should engage the issues of our day." – Stansberry Alliance member Bill W.

"Delivering a message like Kim Iskyan's analysis of American 'soft power' took courage (given the audience) and rare deftness to inform without offending or overtly taking sides – Kim, I salute you.

"As a former U.S. Marine officer who was taught that leadership is based on integrity and example, I yearn for America to become a servant leader in the world. Thank you for such a thoughtful piece of writing." – Paid-up subscriber Pete S.

All the best,

Corey McLaughlin
Baltimore, Maryland
November 3, 2020