The Economy Wasn’t Prepared, You Need To Be
The world has changed in a few fundamental ways this year. The war in Syria began, leading to mass immigration across Europe. During this time Britain became worried about the possibility of high immigration. Due to this, a large number voted for Brexit in a referendum, signaling the start of their journey to leave the EU. Due to the fact that no one expected a Yes outcome, the economy was thrown into turmoil. It wasn’t just the UK that was hit by the sudden change. Every economy across the world felt waves including America. There was a fear that Brexit would plunge the world back into a deeper recession. In a risky move, the financial heads of the world provided a temporary fix. They printed more money and kept investments safe. But, it was clear that the economy was essentially living on borrowed time.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the pond, America had political problems. The road to the presidential elections has been vicious and downright nasty. Both Clinton and Trump have been discredited in the press and media, as well as being condemned by the public. Trump faced backlash over historical cases of sexism while Clinton was accused of an email cover up. This cumulated with the election of Trump as the next President Of The United States. If you think these issues aren’t going to impact your life and your finances, boy are you wrong. On the morning of the election, the world market began to plummet. This will undoubtedly affect people who have saved for years, planned investments and even home buys. It’s time to start thinking about how to keep your finances safe as we enter a brave new world. On this article, we’re going to look at how things will be different in the future and what people must do to prepare.
Buy Land
Ignoring the economy and the political problems for a moment, there’s another issue affecting our world today. We’re talking about over population. By 2050, there’s every possibility that the world population will close on nine billion. That’s roughly two billion over what researchers believe the world can healthily sustain. There’ll be food shortages, water shortages and most importantly of all shortages of land. You may have already noticed that a city near you is expanding at a rapid rate. It’s swallowing up the suburbs, and in some places, house prices might be soaring. So, what does this mean for the average consumer?
You need to get your hands on land. Perhaps you’re already in line to inherit land at some point. You must make sure that this plan stays in place. It is crucial that you have a place to live that you own. If you don’t, then in a few years you’ll find it more difficult to buy a home for yourself. Of course, it’s not just about finding a home to buy. Ideally, you should be looking into purchasing farm land. There are ranches for sale that will allow you to keep your own livestock and grow your own vegetables. If you can do this, you will be able to live on the land and survive. This will be the case, no matter what happens to the world economy. It might seem weird to start thinking about surviving by yourself, but it’s not. Especially when you consider the fact this is exactly what Trump is planning for America. By purchasing land, you are essentially just getting ahead of the game.
Right now, farming might be seen as a dead zone for economic growth. But just wait because when food shortages start to hit, the farming industry will be booming once more. We can’t continue the way we’ve been going forever. Food prices will rise, and if you buy a ranch or farm now, you can be the one to profit.
Savings
When it started to look like Trump was going to be president the value of gold rose dramatically. The economy quickly corrected itself after his acceptance speech. Spectators called it balanced and conciliatory. Despite that, this still points to a lesson that investors need to learn. When it comes to investments gold is the safe haven. If you’re facing an uncertain economic future, gold will keep your money safe. Top investors know this, and that’s why they retreated to this form of investment. They don’t know what Trump is going to do to the economy. Of course, gold isn’t the only investment that you should be considering right now.
If you’ve watched the film The Big Short, you might have noticed a little caption at the end of the film. One of the main investors that won big during the 2008 financial crisis is currently buying water stocks like no tomorrow. There’s a good reason for this. Water is a finite resource and as the population continues to grow it’s going to become more scarce. You might think that water is all around us. After all, most of the world is covered in it. While this is true, roughly one percent of the planet’s water is drinkable. Immediately, that points to a problem. So investing in water could make you very rich in the future. Albeit for a potentially devastating reason.
There is one other fact you need to consider when making investments. You must make sure that you are investing rather than just saving. If you save your money, it’s not as safe as you think. By saving money, you’re essentially putting your finances on hold. After a time they may even start to diminish. Again, this happened during the 2008 crash. You need to work to continue to grow your resources rather than letting them stay stagnant.
Buy Renewable Energy Sources
It is now possible for private individuals to invest in sources of renewable energy. Although the fixed cost is high, it’s a possibility that you do want to consider. You need to make sure that you can power your own home as much as possible. Industrial experts have already warned that power outages could be in our future. This is because everyone from businesses to homeowners are using too much energy on a daily basis. We need to cut back otherwise everyone is going to suffer. By purchasing your own energy source, you can help tackle this issue head on.
The good news is that there are plenty of different energy resources to choose from. For instance, you can invest in solar panels for the roof of your home. Experts advise that this type of green energy resource could power almost all your electrics across a sunny summer. Or, you can opt for a wind turbine. While loud, this is a power source of renewable energy that you can set up on land that you own. It would certainly be worth it if you are thinking about investing in farmland. Going green isn’t just the way to save the planet. It’s about saving you a lot of money and putting your financial future on the right path.
Don’t Rely On The State
Finally, you may get the wrong idea here. It’s not that you shouldn’t rely on the state. It’s that you no longer can. Like it or not, social security is going to run out. It’s just a matter of time because again, due to an excess population, the government can’t afford it. As the elderly population increases, more people will be forced to pay for them when they can’t work. That’s a model that simply isn’t sustainable. As such, when you retire you may find that there isn’t a state pension waiting for you. At least, not on the level that there is right now. This is why it’s important for people to save when they’re young and invest.
Retirement is supposed to be some of the best years of your life. However, this is only true if you have your 401K in place. If you don’t, it can be a nightmarish situation where you’re forced to live in poverty. It’s never too early to start thinking about retirement, as crazy as that sounds. As soon as you get a permanent job, you need to consider this possibility. Make sure you look at different pension options to get the best interest on your money. If you’re living in America, you need to understand part of Trump’s plan focuses on giving power and rights back to the people. But that will only work if you take the responsibility seriously.
As you can see, it’s time to start getting proactive about your personal finances. You need to make sure that you and your family are in a good position to thrive. With the right thinking, this should be possible no matter what state the economy is left in next year. It’s time to start thinking about your finances with the mindset to survive. As the population continues to grow this is going to become increasingly difficult. That’s why you need to start right now.