Gold hit the big “quadruple digits” while we were all relaxing on Labor Day. To be sure, it was just the December contract, which has since pulled back to US$997. But we haven’t seen US$1,000 since February, back when we had an insolvent financial system and a meddling government printing trillions like toilet paper.

The markets may be stuttering…with the euro suffering in overnight trading and stock indices down over a percent at today’s open…but a continued rally still seems the foregone conclusion du jour. We’re not necessarily going to question it.

They’re tearing down houses out west…as you’ve probably heard. It’s cheaper than going through all the necessary steps to get the houses mortgaged out, so banks are just bulldozing McMansions.

High yields don’t always mean high value, says Matthew Collins. Some Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) now yield an attractive 16%. But commercial real estate is in a perilous position right now. And Matthew says investors should resist the temptation to go bottom fishing just yet. Later in the year, there could be some great opportunities to cash in on a recovery bounce.

We are all being deceived by the nature of our banking system, says Matthew Collins. Fractional reserve banking is corrupt. And with the Fed at the heart of the scam, it’s no wonder things are so messed up. Matthew says it’s time we stand up and demand answers.