Postcards: Why is EVERYTHING $500?

Why is everything $500 nowadays? Did we just skip past the part where things cost $50? Plus we talk about our recent recommendation in UUUU that is just getting started. ͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­͏   ­ Forwarded this email? [Subscribe here]() for more You are a free subscriber to Postcards from the Florida Republic. To upgrade to paid and receive the daily Republic Risk Letter, [subscribe here](. --------------------------------------------------------------- [Postcards: Why is EVERYTHING $500?]( Why is everything $500 nowadays? Did we just skip past the part where things cost $50? Plus we talk about our recent recommendation in UUUU that is just getting started. [Garrett {NAME}]( May 17   [READ IN APP](   Market Update: It’s the “Third Friday” of May, and we’re heading into the final hour. Markets are very choppy, and we’re now setting our sights on Quad Witching in one month. Energy and materials are coming back off the mat, and next week is looking positive for a continuation of the run on gold, BTC, and other monetary inflation defenses. I must say… this feels A LOT like 2007-08 when commodities rallied and helped sink us into recession. But don’t worry. The economy is “strong as hell…” or something. Dear Fellow Expat: Last week, we assessed the cost of boarding our dogs for four days while we travel to New York… $500. My wife took my daughter to Epcot Center… $500 the month prior. Crack in the windshield? A little more than $500. Dinner for four at a mildly upscale restaurant? $500. Two new breakers installed in the garage? $515. A new ice machine in the fridge… $380 for parts… but $125 for labor ($505) Everywhere you look… it feels like we skipped past the part where things cost $200 to $250. And that $500 range… that’s being conservative for some other life elements. My dog ate a bag of sand… and that cost me $700. But then my dogs went to a new vet for an annual check-up. $575… There was a time when $50 hurt. It felt like they were taking a finger to hand over to a repairman for a simple thing... Now they’re taking the whole arm. This is the “Official chart” of U.S. services inflation. There’s a shortage of people who know how to do things (South Park did a whole episode on this). But there’s also just the reality - which people like Paul Krugman refuse to face - that we printed too much damn money - and services inflation has gotten out of control. It is STILL at 5.2% annually. TradingEconomics.com And that’s if you want to believe the official numbers. As I’ve repeated, the Chapwood Index, which tracks the real cost of living in major cities, has projected [double-digit annual PERCENTAGE increases yearly since 2017](. I could go on… but it’s gonna cost you $500. [Upgrade to paid]( Going Nuclear Last week, we discussed the Biden Administration’s decision to ban nuclear fuel in the United States. Here’s what I wrote on May 8, 2024 The speculation comes from news that the Biden Administration moved to restrict Russian uranium to force the U.S. to cut its dependence on foreign producers. Over the years, cheap foreign sources of uranium have made opening new mines in the U.S. particularly challenging. Countries like Kazakhstan can offer uranium at prices that make expanding domestic production difficult for producers, especially considering the steep regulatory hurdles that must be met.  Biden’s efforts aim to bolster domestic production by incentivizing producers with higher prices, which should, in turn, promote additional investment in mining critical minerals. Russia supplies nearly 25% of the United States' nuclear fuel. Banning Russian imports is expected to cause some supply constraints in the near term, with the White House estimating that uranium prices could rise by as much as 20%. It’s a law now. And… hoo boy… the cost of things is increasing some more. Copper, which is in basically everything, hit $5.00 today. If you own anything with copper siding, don’t be shocked to see it missing in a little while. Tesla’s already dealing with copper thieves targeting their charging stations, another blow to the terrible Green Transition mandates. Gold prices have exceeded $2,400, and silver is now above $30. It’s not well known, but a Tomahawk missile - which we are making at breakneck speed - requires 500 ounces of silver. Next week, I’ll tell the story about how the U.S. War Department raided government silver supply and “borrowed” 14,000 ounces to make the Atomic Bomb they dropped on Hiroshima (true story). The Uranium development is exciting. And it’s something we’ve been all over for the last week. On Friday, May 10, we recommended [Energy Fuels (UUUU)]( to readers at Republic Insider. Not only was there a solid catalyst for U.S. production for this company in Rare Earths, but this mandate was well-timed around one of the largest insider-cluster buying patterns we’ve seen in years. [Be sure to check out the company presentation](. It wasn’t a ton of buying… but it was who bought shares. Upper-mid-level management contributed a few thousand dollars each to complement the CEO's $150,337 purchase. That’s relevant because the last time we saw a big cluster purchase was in 2020. And shares did this… Looking ahead, it’s always wise to pay close attention to what the [MANY at a company are doing with their money instead]( of just a few random directors. Since our recommendation, UUUU is up 11%, and we’re looking for much more in the weeks ahead. Today, we just made our latest recommendation on insider activity. If you want to sign up, we’ll have a free letter on Insider Activity on Monday. [Be sure to join right here.]( Stay positive, Garrett {NAME} Disclaimer Nothing in this email should be considered personalized financial advice. While we may answer your general customer questions, we are not licensed under securities laws to guide your investment situation. Do not consider any communication between you and Florida Republic employees as financial advice. Under company rules, editors and writers cannot recommend their positions. The communication in this letter is for information and educational purposes unless otherwise strictly worded as a recommendation. Model portfolios are tracked to showcase a variety of academic, fundamental, and technical tools, and insight is provided to help readers gain knowledge and experience. Readers should not trade if they cannot handle a loss and should not trade more than they can afford to lose. There are large amounts of risk in the equity markets. Consider consulting with a professional before making decisions with your money.   [Like]( [Comment]( [Restack](   © 2024 Garrett {NAME} 548 Market Street PMB 72296, San Francisco, CA 94104 [Unsubscribe]() [Get the app]( writing]()