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The US controls Venezuelan oil and has blockaded Iranian oil.   The US has blockaded the Strait of Hormuz. About 50% of China's oil came through this strait.   The US has established a security agreement with the Indonesia. About 80% of China's oil travels through Indonesian Straits.   The US has eliminated the cheap oil to China from Iran and Venezuela.   The US controls the shipping lanes for about 80% of China's oil supplies.   These actions weakens the BRICS.   The world runs on oil. Control of the majority of the world's oil supply ensures oil is purchased with US dollars.    The petrodollar insures dominance of the US dollar as the world's reserve currency.

When negotiating a salary or a raise, most people don't know what they are up against.   Many companies purchase data from payroll processors and other sources to optimize salary expenses.   This info often includes previous job incomes and what increases you recieved. The info obtained by companies include address changes, credit card utilization, delinquent debt, and past due balances. This data aggregation determines the lowest salary you will accept.    The salary offered is typically about 3-6% above your minimum number. This is just enough to feel like you are negotiating.   Veena Dubai, a law professor, completed extensive research on algorithmic wage discrimination and found that when many employers in the same market use the same data vendors, it creates price-fixing of labor.   The company has the advantage with all the data. They know what you will settle for. You think you are negotiating. The system even accounts for your counter in advance.   You think your salary is based on the position; your knowledge and experience. It isn't. It is based on your desperation.   Salary optimization requires information. The primary source is a product called the Work Number. You can contact Equifax and freeze your info.    Take back control of your personal info, freeze your info and maybe even your salary negotiations!

Millions of illegal aliens flooded into America during the Biden administration and previous years.    They were given cash, food, shelter, and many other benefits.    There is even a scholarship specifically for illegals. The Dream US is the nation's largest program for undocumented immigrant students. Illegals get $33,000 for a bachelor's degree. They have awarded over 12,000 scholarships to date.   The lynchpin for these giveaways is the Individual Taxpayer Identification Number or ITIN. This is a quasi-Social Security number given only to foreigners.   ITIN's also enable illegal aliens to purchase homes, often financed with taxpayer dollars. Our government even advised illegal aliens on how to buy homes against American citizens. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau advertised that some lenders had mortgage programs tailored for ITIN holders without proof of legal residency on their website.   This put illegal aliens in direct competition with American citizens.The US already had a housing shortage. This competition further drove up housing prices.    The H-1B visa is marketed as a global talent program, yet 71% of all approvals go to one country, India.   This is not global. This is a pipeline from one country to outsource cheap labor.    Companies must sign a form under oath they can't find qualified Americans to hire an H-1B worker.   The top 5 companies over the past 15 years stated 314,100 times no American were available. They fired 99,000 Americans at the same time.   Dream Home Mortgage advertises H-1B Visa mortgages with no US credit.    This further creates more competition for homes with US citizens and drives up prices.     JP Morgan recently released a study titled "Annuities Improve Outcomes"   The study compared a number of scenarios replacing the bond portion of a 60/40 equity/bond portfolio to variable annuities and fixed-index annuities.   The likelihood of success of not running out of money in retirement was lowest with the 60/40 equity/bond portfolio.    Variable annuities improved the likelihood of success.   Fixed index annuities provided the highest likelihood of success of not running out of money in retirement in every scenario.   The JP Morgan study did not compare using the best fixed index annuity products available.    Contact Ferenc at [email protected] or 268-268-4422 to find the best index annuity product available for your situation.

Included in the Census:  - Illegal Aliens  - Green Card Holders  - Work Visa Holders  - Student Visa Holders Why should we have representatives representing this wave of foreigners?   There is Daycare fraud, EBT fraud, Hospice fraud, Medicaid fraud, Medicare fraud, Medical Transportation fraud, SNAP fraud, but we are supposed to believe there is no election fraud?   We are told about 20 million illegal aliens entered the US during the Biden administration. When ICE is deployed, airport lines plummet, building sites become ghost towns, class sizes shrink, emergency rooms are not full, and traffic jams are eliminated. I think the 20 million number is bogus. There are credible estimates that there are as many as 100 million illegal aliens in the US.   H-1B was sold as the "best and brightest". H-1B visa employees are paid an average of 15% less than US workers at the same jobs. 87% of H-1B's are entry-level positions. About 94% of H-1B applicants were approved from 2009 - 2025. It has become a system for cheaper labor. Many US citizens, especially younger Americans are struggling to find or keep jobs. Less people are able to save, buy a house, or start a family. This makes the American Dream more difficult and hurts our economy.    Every dollar spent on foreigners is a dollar stolen for Americans.   Americans did not vote for a flood of foreigners to take our jobs and create a welfare state.   We have suffered the highest inflation in a generation. If we deported the illegals and reduced legal immigration, food, housing, and nearly everything else we need to live would be cheaper. Insurance rates would decline. The government would spend less on welfare. The government deficit could be eliminated. Government debt could possibly be reduced. Fraud would decline. Our streets would be safer. Emergency room wait times would be reduced. Class sizes would be smaller. There would be less traffic jams. Airport lines would be shorter. Nearly every aspect of US citizens' lives would improve.   This negatively impacts our economy. This creates uncertainty and instability. Uncertainty creates volatility. Protecting your assets becomes more important. Index products provide unlimited upside gains with no downside market risk. There are index annuity products that have averaged 10-11% average annual returns for the past decade while the principle is guaranteed.    There is a common misconception that if you want guarantees you have to give up strong returns. That is not true.

The government is not serving its purpose when it is not protecting and benefiting its citizens. When it actively prioritizes anyone over citizens, those policies need to be changed. If the government makes citizens' lives more difficult, challenging, or less safe, anyone involved needs to be replaced.   Housing has never been more unaffordable.  - Government contributed to the problem by spending too much. - Excess government spending increased inflation. - 49% of Americans are struggling to pay their rent or mortgage. - The government allowed too many people into the country. This is stressing housing supply.   The labor market is weakening - A record 100+ million working-age adults are not working in the US according to the Federal Reserve. - Amazon received 10,000+ H-1B visa approvals and fired 14,000 American citizens in 2025. - US companies often pay foreign born workers 20-35% less than US citizens. Some work visas don't require companies to pay employment taxes. - A majority of recent STEM college graduates have been unable to find jobs in their field. - A weak labor market can lead to recession.   DOGE, Nick Shirley, and others have uncovered staggering amounts of government-related fraud. - Every dollar stolen from Medicare results in less for a sick child. Money stolen from Social Security risks low-income seniors.  - Anyone who really cared about the poor or elderly would be the loudest against fraud. - Instead, Elon Musk and Nick Shirley have been attacked by leftists and Democrats. - Who is benefitting from the fraud? Those who are defending the fraud by attacking anyone who exposes it.   Government fraud threatens our society - Western civilization is founded on the rule of law. - We elect representatives to create and enforce the laws. - When people in government favor non-citizens to gain and maintain power, citizens feel used and abused. - When foreigners who barely speak English, don't assimilate, and often hate us yet are diving expensive cars, buying beautiful homes, and clearly scamming the system, it creates anger. - If you work hard, pay your taxes, play by the rules and are barely getting by, you feel like a fool. - If enough people start feeling this way, society will unravel rapidly.

Initially I was against the Iran War. I realized it was a knee-jerk reaction to forever wars.   Below are the reasons why gradually have come to support it. 1. Trump is different than previous presidents. 2. Iran is the #1 sponsor of terrorism in the world 3. This is about China and oil, not just Iran. China's primary allies for oil was Venezuela and Iran. Wars need oil. This weakens China militarily. 4. Strengthens dollar as world reserve currency and weakens the BRICS currency. Without access to Venezuelan and Iranian oil, China is forced to purchase oil in US dollars. 5. Demonstrates US strength. US military and technology is impressive. This discourages bad actors. "Speak softly and carry a big stick" Teddy Roosevelt. 6. Good for the US. It is America First. This sets up the US for global economic and military dominance.

Ferenc Compares Index Annuities with the new Hybrid Annuities   1. A common myth is that if you want guarantees, you have to sacrifice strong growth. This is no longer true.   2. Ferenc shares a new client case that compared an Index Annuity with a Hybrid Annuity.                                            Hybrid Annuity                                          Index Annuity           Growth:                       Limited: capped at 11-17% annually         Unlimited: no cap          Downside Protection:  Partial: 10-20%                                         Full: principle guaranteed       Annual Fees:               2.5%                                                         None   3. If you have an annuity that has had under 7% returns the past couple of years, you have a subpar product with poor returns. You should consider comparing a superior product.   4. If you have an early surrender penalty, bonuses of 22-29% are available to offset the penalty with strong index options.

Ferenc Dispels Several Myths and Misconceptions with Index Annuities and Index Universal Life Policies including:   1. If you want guarantees, you don't have to sacrifice strong returns. If you own an index product with poor returns, you are invested in the wrong indexes. 2. Unlimited upside with no downside risk is "too good to be true". Ferenc explains insurance companies invest the interest, not the principle. This provides indexes with 10-12% 10-year average annual returns while guaranteeing the principle.  3. Limited access to funds. Index Universal Life provides significant access to funds, tax-free growth, and access. Traditional qualified accounts (IRA/401k's) withdrawals are taxed. Large withdrawals typically create large tax liabilities. Index annuities early surrender penalties are typically far less than the tax liability. Index annuities are an excellent fit for traditional qualified accounts. 4. Market Value Adjustments are reducing early surrender charges significantly. Most of my clients surrender charges recently have been eliminated in a year or two. This provides full liquidity quickly.

Ferenc shares several interesting recent client meetings. Many listeners will gain valuable financial insights.       1. An annual review with a client who received 20% return with their index annuity this past year.      2.A review with a client that invested in index annuities and high cash value policies in 2007, then guaranteed lifetime income later. Very interesting story through the Great Recession..      3. Planning meeting that potentially doubled income for retirement.   US household debt has hit new records. It has doubled in the past 20 years. This will likely lead to a weak economy, possibly a recession.    Average rent has declined in markets that are overbuilt. Some markets have dropped 20%. The Brookings Institute estimates there are 300,000 fewer people in the US than the previous year.This was the first time in 50 years that more immigrants left America than entered it. Brookings projects about 1,000,000 will leave in 2026. Rents will likely continue to decline.   Housing buyer demand has hit the lowest level on record. In 2005, the median income was $46,000 and the median house price was $184,000. In 2026, the median income is $59,000 while the median house price is $450,000. In 20 years, income increased 20% and house prices increased 150%.   Homebuilders continue to build new homes. The number of unsold completed new homes have hit the highest level since 2011. Building permits hit a five month high. Despite increased inventory, homebuilders are continuing to build. Home prices are likely to continue to decline.   Realtor.com states one of the following needs to occur for homebuyer demand to return:      1. Mortgage rates fall to 2.65%.    2. Household incomes rise 56% to a median of $132,171.    3. Median home prices drop 35% to a median of $273,000.

Gold dropped 5% while Silver fell 10% in one day recently. The S&P 500 Index has stayed in a range between 6800 and 7000 since the beginning of the year. 2026 may become known as the year of volatility.   This is not a surprise. I stated about a month ago that gold and silver had increased in value so quickly that it was unsustainable. I also stated it would be a good time to lock in some gains. When assets increase in value rapidly, they typically correct and have a period of volatility.   The US economy is in a period of historical change. This creates uncertainty. Uncertainty leads to volatility. A correction is probable.   Index products allow you to participate in potential upside gains while protecting your downside. This is the best time in 40+ years for index product returns.    There are 100's of index's. Ferenc has access to proprietary software that shows the one, 5, and 10 year returns. Contact Ferenc at [email protected] to review the index performance report to choose the highest performing indexes. Earn unlimited upside potential with no downside risk!

Gold prices have dropped suddenly after a historic increases over the past year. Silver plunged 26% in one day, the largest drop in history.   Gold and to a lessor degree silver prices had increased dramatically due to concerns about inflation and excess money printing by the Federal Reserve. Leverage exaggerated the rise in prices and the crash. As prices dropped, many investors faced margin calls which forced them to sell at any price and created a cascade. This is a common cycle of asset bubbles and when the bubble bursts.   This changed when Trump announced Kevin Warsh as the new Federal Reserve Chair. Kevin served as a Federal Reserve Governor from 2006 thru 2011, during the Great Recession. He was highly critical of the Federal Reserve continuing to print money after the crisis was over. He eventually resigned his seat in protest.   This appointment shocked the markets and signaled a major change in future Federal Reserve policy. The current asset bubble in the stock market, real estate, precious metals, and cryptocurrency was largely created by money printing. Kevin Marsh will likely stop excess printing and sell down the Federal Reserve assets.    Volatility is expected as the economic policy changes are implemented. This could be a bumpy ride, even stomach churning for investors.    If you want to participate in future potential upside gains without the stress of potential significant losses, index products could be the best solution for you.   Index products allow unlimited upside potential gains with no downside market risk. Principle is guaranteed. We have several indexes that have generated about 7-11% average annual returns the past 10-20+ years. Some have earned up to 27% in one year recently! All with no cap, no fee, and no downside losses.

A household needs $132,000 income to afford the median home. Only 31% of households can afford the median home.   The median age of homebuyers is 59. The average age of first-time homebuyers is 40.    77% of households earning $132,000+ already own their home.   Therefore, 50% of the housing market is chasing the 7% of total homebuyers that can afford a home that do not already own.   This will not end well for real estate values.   Our government gave illegals loans for homes and welfare to pay for them. This contributed to increasing home prices. That left millions of Americans unable to buy a home.     These illegals built up equity that taxpayers paid for. Many have more money in equity than the average American who was stuck paying rent.   Where in immigration law does it say you can enter illegally and stay as long as you don't commit a violent crime? Who voted for this? No one. Yet American are supposed to ignore this?

Trump just issued an executive order to ban large institutional investors from purchasing single family homes. He stated "A person sweats, works, buys one house and can't take depreciation".   The average age of first time homebuyers is 40, the highest ever recorded. The average age of all homebuyers is 59. Homebuyers over the age of 70 outnumber buyers under 35. This is not a healthy market.   Trump's ban will likely reduce home prices in the short term.    Lennar, the second largest homebuilder in the US, has dropped prices 27%, below pre-pandemic prices. New home inventory especially in the Southeast are at all-time highs. The homebuilders felt comfortable building homes because if they were unable to sell to a homebuyer institutional buyers would purchase the property.   The US dollar as reserve currency status has been strengthened.   It is based primarily on the petrodollar. The US and Saudi Arabia agreed to price its oil in US dollars in exchange for military protection and economic cooperation. The relationship was strengthened recently by Trump. This ensures steady demand for the dollar.   In 2019 the US became a net exporter of oil. This further strengthens the US dollar in oil trade.   All major oil benchmarks, West Texas Intermediate and Brent Crude are priced in US dollars.   US and Venezuelan combined oil reserves account for over 50% of the total world's oil reserves. As long as the US controls Venezuelan oil, the US will dominate the world oil market. The US has prevented China from controlling Venezuelan oil. This is a significant hit to China and the BRICS currency.

The mortgage lock-in effect may be starting to ease.   There are more mortgage holders with 6%+ rates than sub 3% mortgages for the first time since 2020.    As more existing homeowners have higher interest rates they may be more willing to sell their homes. More houses for sale likely will lead to reduced prices.   Lennar, then second largest homebuilder in the US, were selling homes for $500,000+ in 2022. Now, they are selling new homes for $375,000. This is is a 27% price drop in 3 years.   Inventory influences housing prices.   Housing prices are projected to decline an additional 10% in areas that inventory is at or above pre-pandemic levels. Pandemic boom areas are projected to decline an additional 20%.

Will Trump's proposal to ban large institutional investors from buying single family homes reduce housing prices.   His statement "People live in homes, not corporations" sounds good on the surface.    The housing affordability crisis was caused by:   1. The Federal Reserve reduced interest rates too low for too long. This created an asset bubble.  2. Many homeowners/real estate investors have significant appreciation subject to capital gains if they sell. 3. Many homeowners are "locked in" with historical low mortgage interest rates. 4. Shortage of single family homes.   When the government tries to solve a problem it typically creates another unintended problem. The solution is not to ban a class of investors. The best solution is for the government to get out of the way.   If the government really wants to improve housing affordability they should:   1. Reduce taxes, fees, zoning rules, and delays for home builders who build affordable single family homes. This will increase inventory. 2. Offer a capital gains tax holiday for homes owned for 5-10+ years. Many homes would become available.