{"id":1784,"date":"2025-10-22T15:24:57","date_gmt":"2025-10-22T15:24:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advisor.wellington-altus.ca\/trivestwealthcounsel\/?p=1784"},"modified":"2025-10-22T15:57:58","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T15:57:58","slug":"october-2025-the-illusion-of-control-how-the-fed-became-the-market","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advisor.wellington-altus.ca\/trivestwealthcounsel\/october-2025-the-illusion-of-control-how-the-fed-became-the-market\/","title":{"rendered":"October 2025: The Illusion of Control: How the Fed Became the Market"},"content":{"rendered":"

INSIDE<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

The Illusion of Control: How the Fed Became the Market<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell\u2019s recent admission \u2014 that the Fed would lose control over interest rates if it couldn\u2019t pay interest on reserves \u2014 highlights a deeper structural shift in monetary policy. The Fed has injected so much liquidity into the system that traditional market mechanisms for setting rates have broken down, leaving the central bank reliant on artificial tools to maintain control. Its balance sheet has grown so large that shrinking it risks destabilizing the financial system, and Powell\u2019s suggestion that balance sheet contraction may soon end signals not victory, but surrender. The economy is now so dependent on central bank liquidity that any attempt to withdraw it threatens everything from gross domestic product (GDP) to asset prices. Meanwhile, the U.S. Treasury has quietly taken the reins of financial conditions, with the Fed enabling it. This isn\u2019t just about interest rates\u2014it\u2019s about the erosion of trust in the system\u2019s independence and sustainability. The real risk isn\u2019t volatility, but the illusion that policymakers are still in control.<\/span><\/p>\n

Modern Mechanics: Why Portfolios \u2014 Like Classic Cars \u2014 Need More Than a Tune-Up<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Rebuilding a 1968 Mustang with his father taught Martin more than just mechanics \u2014 it taught him the value of upgrading legacy systems with modern solutions. That same philosophy now guides his approach to portfolio construction. With sovereign debt under pressure, bond markets in historic drawdowns, and governments increasingly treating deficits as optional, traditional fixed income strategies are no longer fit for purpose. Structured notes, gold, and modern defensive tools are today\u2019s equivalent of disc brakes and fuel injection \u2014 designed not to win races, but to make the ride safer and more reliable. Investors must stop treating their portfolios like museum pieces. In a world where fiscal discipline is fading and central banks are losing control, it\u2019s time to stop tweaking and start upgrading.<\/span><\/p>\n

Disciplined Optimism in a Risk-On Market<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

We remain constructive but disciplined by remaining true to our consistent approach to managing risk and return. This melt-up is real, but so are the risks. Elevated valuations, policy uncertainty, and geopolitical instability require careful navigation. Our portfolios continue to emphasize: diversification across geographies and asset classes, exposure to high-quality growth and value stocks, selective positioning in international equities and currency-aware strategies, and tactical use of structured notes to manage downside risk and enhance yield.<\/span><\/p>\n

Please reach out to any of our team members should you have any comments or questions about markets, your portfolio or just wanting to catch up. All the best, and keep investing wisely!<\/span><\/p>\n

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October 2025: The Illusion of Control: How the Fed Became the Market<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell made a revealing comment in early October: \u201cIf our ability to pay interest on reserves and other liabilities were eliminated, the Fed would lose control over rates.\u201d While he acknowledged that the Fed\u2019s net interest income has temporarily turned negative due to the rapid rise in policy rates, he emphasized this is \u201chighly unusual\u201d and expects it to return to positive territory soon.<\/span><\/p>\n

Still, the admission is striking as it underscores how the Fed\u2019s control over monetary policy now hinges on artificial mechanisms like interest on reserves, rather than traditional market dynamics. This shift raises important questions about the sustainability and independence of rate-setting in a system increasingly reliant on engineered tools.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s why that matters: The Fed has pumped so much money into the banking system that banks now have more cash than they need. So instead of borrowing from each other, they just park their excess money at the Fed, which pays them interest. This means the usual market for overnight bank lending has dried up.<\/span><\/p>\n

As a result, the Fed isn\u2019t just influencing interest rates anymore, it\u2019s setting them directly by deciding how much interest to pay on reserves. That\u2019s what Powell means when he says the Fed would lose control if it couldn\u2019t pay interest: without that tool, there\u2019s no longer a functioning market to naturally set rates. The Fed has effectively become the market.<\/span><\/p>\n

This marks a fundamental shift. Powell\u2019s comment confirms what many have long suspected: the system is too fragile to return to the days of old. The Fed\u2019s balance sheet has grown so large that shrinking it without triggering financial instability is no longer feasible. The U.S. central bank has essentially trapped itself, just like the U.S. federal government, which can\u2019t roll back pandemic-era spending without political and economic fallout. The system expands, then insists it can\u2019t contract without causing harm. That\u2019s simply not sustainable, and the rally in gold markets is telling you this much.<\/span><\/p>\n

When Powell says we \u201cmay be approaching the end of balance sheet contraction in coming months,\u201d he\u2019s not declaring success. He is signalling that the illusion of control is fading. The financial system has become so dependent on liquidity that pulling it back risks breaking key components, including credit markets.<\/span><\/p>\n

Treasury demand and the shadow banking system<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Since 2008, every expansion of the Fed\u2019s balance sheet has been a rescue mission not just for liquidity, but also for confidence. Every attempt to shrink it has tested whether the system can stand on its own. It can\u2019t. The U.S. economy is now fully addicted to easy money. Trying to unwind that addiction risks collapsing GDP, tax revenues, pensions, housing prices, and equity markets \u2014 all at once.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Fed\u2019s balance sheet no longer moves in predictable cycles, it ratchets upward with each crisis. Instead of returning to previous levels, every intervention sets a new baseline. The 2008 financial crisis introduced permanent risk insulation, the pandemic response in 2020 cemented it and now, in 2025, the Fed is quietly acknowledging that this elevated baseline isn\u2019t temporary; it has become the new foundation of the economy.<\/span><\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t just about interest rates or balance sheet size. It\u2019s about trust and how quickly that trust is eroding. The belief that the Fed can safely withdraw support is cracking. This round of quantitative tightening (QT) has already stalled regional bank lending, drained liquidity from the Treasury market and triggered a quiet funding crisis.<\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2019re now in a strange place: The economy doesn\u2019t guide the Fed anymore; instead, the Fed\u2019s own beliefs guide the economy. That\u2019s why markets often move before policy does, as gold rallies, bitcoin tightens and real assets react before the Fed even speaks.<\/span><\/p>\n

Powell\u2019s words are a quiet confession: Tightening now causes more damage than easing can fix.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

The \u201cend of balance sheet contraction\u201d isn\u2019t a strategy, it\u2019s surrender. Whatever the Fed calls its next move \u2014 \u201cliquidity support,\u201d \u201cmarket operations,\u201d or \u201ctemporary QE\u201d \u2014 it will be another expansion. Because the alternative is collapse.<\/span><\/p>\n

But the worst part is that the Fed isn\u2019t acting alone. When it chose to shrink its balance sheet through runoff \u2014 letting bonds mature \u2014 instead of outright sales, it handed control of financial conditions to the Treasury. Janet Yellen understood this, and Powell enabled it. The Fed\u2019s policy committee continues to let the Treasury keep conditions loose.<\/span><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the Fed\u2019s reinvestment policy has quietly added US$200 billion in long-term Treasuries even as it claims to be shrinking its balance sheet. If the Fed stopped buying these long-dated bonds, the Treasury would have to sell them to the public, exposing the scale of the debt and likely shaking asset prices.<\/span><\/p>\n

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But policymakers won\u2019t act. They fear the bond market. Powell even joked that talking about the balance sheet is worse than going to the dentist. Of course it is, because the truth hurts.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Fed\u2019s next move may not be about managing inflation or guiding the economy, it could be more about preserving the illusion that it still holds the reins. But illusions don\u2019t last forever. Eventually, the public and markets wake up. And when they do, they\u2019ll realize the real risk isn\u2019t volatility, it\u2019s the false confidence that central banks are still fully in control, even as their influence relies more on engineered mechanisms than genuine market dynamics.<\/span><\/p>\n

Modern Mechanics: Why Portfolios \u2013<\/strong> Like Classic Cars \u2013 <\/strong>\u00a0Need More Than a Tune-Up<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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In his late teens, Martin and his dad rebuilt a 1968 Mustang from the ground up. It wasn\u2019t just a bonding experience, it was a masterclass in patience, precision and purpose. He learned about the mechanics, the bodywork and the art of breathing new life into something old. But more importantly, he learned the value of modifying legacy systems with modern solutions.<\/span><\/p>\n

They didn\u2019t restore the car to win races, they restored it to make it safer, more reliable, and fun to drive. They added disc brakes, new suspension, fuel injection and proper seat belts to that Mustang. It was still a great drive, but a heck of a lot safer.<\/span><\/p>\n

That same philosophy applies to portfolio construction today, especially when it comes to bonds. The old playbook is no longer working. It\u2019s time to upgrade.<\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2019ve been steadily reducing our sovereign debt exposure in both Canada and the U.S., and that decision is proving increasingly prudent. The U.S. bond market is now in a historic 62-month drawdown, the longest in recorded history. Meanwhile, companies such as Microsoft Corp. have their bonds trading at lower yields than U.S. Treasuries. That\u2019s a clear signal the market is losing confidence in government credit quality.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here in Canada, our federal deficit is projected to exceed $360 billion between 2025 and 2028, nearly triple last year\u2019s budget forecast. The Parliamentary Budget Officer has called this \u201cshocking\u201d and \u201cunsustainable,\u201d noting that federal debt is now growing faster than the economy, a first in 30 years. Despite job cuts in Ottawa, spending remains elevated and quickly returning to 2020 highs. What\u2019s more concerning is the reframing of deficit spending as \u201cinvesting.\u201d That may sound politically palatable, but it doesn\u2019t change the math.<\/span><\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t just a Canadian problem. Governments around the world are increasingly treating budget constraints as optional, and central banks are being asked to mop up the consequences. But the bond market is pushing back.<\/span><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the U.S. government entered its 11th shutdown on October 1, furloughing about 800,000 federal employees and leaving another 700,000 working without pay. This has created a data vacuum that will make it even harder for the Federal Reserve to steer monetary policy. The U.S. deficit remains between six per cent and eight per cent of GDP, with interest payments now consuming 14 per cent of the federal budget. The Treasury\u2019s reliance on short-term debt adds rollover risk at higher rates, a dangerous game in a rising rate environment.<\/span><\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t a temporary dislocation; it\u2019s a regime shift. Investors must adapt to a world where fiscal discipline is eroding and traditional safe havens are no longer safe.<\/span><\/p>\n

Gold markets are already taking notice, with prices pushing past US$4,000 an ounce. Think of gold as your financial EKG: It\u2019s warning us that a heart attack may be looming. And what do governments do? They keep loading up on carbs (deficit spending) and say everything\u2019s fine because they\u2019ll take statins (cut rates). But the bond market isn\u2019t buying it.<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s why we\u2019ve replaced our bond exposure; not with corporate bonds, which are trading at credit spreads near 27-year lows, but with structured notes. These instruments offer asymmetrical payoff profiles, embedded downside protection and the ability to generate income in volatile markets. They\u2019re like the disc brakes and fuel injection we added to that Mustang: modern solutions for legacy risks.<\/span><\/p>\n

Structured notes have allowed us to maintain exposure to market upside while protecting against downside volatility. They\u2019ve been particularly effective in this environment of persistent higher rates \u2014\u00a0 \u00a0albeit coming down a bit \u2014 fiscal uncertainty, and geopolitical tension.<\/span><\/p>\n

We believe investors need to stop treating their portfolios like museum pieces. Just because something worked in the past doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s safe today. Bonds used to be the seat belts of a portfolio but now, many of them are fraying under the pressure of poor fiscal management and distorted monetary policy. It\u2019s time to upgrade. Not just tweak. Not just rebalance. Upgrade.<\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2019re entering a new era, one where fiscal discipline is fading, market signals are flashing red and traditional risk management tools are losing effectiveness. Investors need to rethink their approach. Structured notes, gold, and modern defensive strategies are no longer niche, they\u2019re necessary. We\u2019re not just managing money, we\u2019re modifying legacy systems to make them safer, more reliable, and built for the road ahead.<\/span><\/p>\n

Performance and Asset Allocation <\/strong>\u2013<\/strong> Disciplined Optimism in a Risk-On Market<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

We came across a recently that struck a chord: \u201cOne of the major cheat codes in life is learning how to master the graceful exit.\u201d Whether it\u2019s leaving a party, a conversation, or an opportunity, there\u2019s power in saying, \u201cThis has been wonderful, but I need to go.\u201d No drama, no excuses, just a clear, kind departure.<\/span><\/p>\n

That concept feels especially relevant now. Since spring, liquidity has returned as the Federal Reserve subtly shifts toward easing, fueling optimism. Yet cracks are forming: U.S. regional banks remain stressed, private credit markets are wobbling, and gold \u2014 despite recent weakness \u2014 is still up double digits year-to-date, signalling uncertainty.<\/span><\/p>\n

Globally, conditions are deteriorating. France faces sovereign debt issues, the UK\u2019s tax policy has triggered an exodus of 16,500 millionaires, and Germany\u2019s industrial output is sliding. Canada contends with stagnation, inflation, and political gridlock \u2014 all while jobs are lost under U.S. tariff pressure.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rather than exit entirely, we rebalance. Traditional fixed income offers little refuge, so we\u2019ve replaced most bond exposure with principal-protected structured notes and monthly contingent notes with deep barriers for downside protection and yield. We also maintain exposure to the BMO Strategic Fixed Income Yield Fund, which uses interest rate swaps, credit default swaps, and currency forwards to hedge risk and enhance returns. In early October, Martin met with BMO Global Asset Management leadership and TD\u2019s trading desk to review derivative strategies and hedging on structured notes.<\/span><\/p>\n

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On equities, we\u2019re evaluating low-cost put protection for S&P 500 exposure. In Canada, we\u2019ve significantly reduced oil and gas holdings, favouring defensive sectors like telecom, utilities, and infrastructure \u2014 names such as Telus (T), Canadian Utilities (CU), WSP Global (WSP), and Brookfield Infrastructure (BIPC) for stability and cash flow. For growth, we remain confident in NewGen\u2019s Focused Alpha Fund, which excels in Canadian small- and mid-cap opportunities. Martin recently met with the fund\u2019s managers to review positioning, including junior miners.<\/span><\/p>\n

Last Tuesday\u2019s sharp sell-off in gold and silver \u2014 the largest daily decline since April 2013 \u2014 was overdue after an overbought run. We view it as a healthy pullback and an opportunity for those underweight; we added to positions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, cash remains critical. As notes are called, we\u2019re shoring up liquidity to preserve flexibility and optionality when opportunities arise.<\/span><\/p>\n

Bottom line:<\/strong> The market may still be partying, but now is the time for a graceful exit from certain exposures \u2014 not abandoning ship, but rebalancing, protecting gains, and positioning for what\u2019s next. When the music stops, those who exit with discipline will be best prepared to re-enter with strength.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Our disciplined approach has delivered results. The TWC Risk-Managed Balanced Growth Fund<\/strong> is up 10 per cent year-to-date, slightly ahead of our global passive balanced index at 9.8 per cent. Over five years, we\u2019ve achieved an annualized 9.4 per cent \u2014 well above our six to eight per cent goals-based target \u2014 compared to 6.7 per cent for the passive benchmark.<\/span><\/p>\n

Our barbell allocation \u2014 structured notes replacing fixed income, Canadian dividend exposure, tactical trades in gold, and U.S. equities like Berkshire Hathaway and Google \u2014 has driven performance while managing risk.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Looking ahead, we remain constructive but disciplined. Elevated valuations, policy uncertainty, and geopolitical instability demand careful navigation. Our portfolios emphasize diversification, high-quality growth and value stocks, selective international exposure, currency-aware strategies, and tactical hedging. We\u2019re participating in this rally with purpose \u2014 not blind optimism \u2014 anchored in fundamentals, risk management, and client goals.<\/span><\/p>\n

Research, reads of the month<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n
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Enhancing Stock Selection in a Concentrated Market<\/strong><\/div>\n
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In today\u2019s market, where performance is increasingly driven by a handful of mega-cap names, stock picking has never been more critical. Concentrated markets present opportunities for active managers to uncover undervalued companies outside the index heavyweights, consider the divergence between the \u201cMagnificent Seven\u201d and the rest of the S&P 500, or the overlooked gems in international markets.<\/span><\/p>\n

To strengthen our capabilities in this area, we recently welcomed Steve Rowles to our team. Steve brings deep international experience from institutional asset management roles in Hong Kong and Singapore, and most recently managed a $500 million private client portfolio here in Canada.<\/span><\/p>\n

Steve was recently featured on BNN Bloomberg, where he shared insights into some of the stocks he favours in today\u2019s environment.<\/span><\/p>\n

S<\/strong>&P’s downgrade of France’s credit rating sanctions political instability<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe American financial analysis firm downgraded the country’s sovereign rating from AA\u2212 to A+ on Friday, taking markets by surprise by doing so outside its previously announced schedule.\u201d Read Here<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Has the Debt Spiral Started?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy the U.S. debt cycle is reaching a breaking point, how AI and geopolitics are accelerating structural change, and why we could be witnessing the endgame of the fiat era.\u201d Watch Here<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Understanding the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSOFR is supposed to be a market-based rate, derived from actual transactions in the repo market. But in today\u2019s environment, where banks are flush with reserves and don\u2019t need to borrow, the volume of true interbank lending has collapsed.\u201d Read Here<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

U.S. Credit Spreads drop to lowest level since 1998<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

This will continue as long as the Fed keeps the liquidity flowing. See Here<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Deutsche Bank: Growth of ChatGPT\u2019s Paying Users in Europe Has Stalled<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no doubt AI will change the world and boost productivity. But the path to profit remains unclear. The real challenge isn\u2019t the algorithm \u2014 it\u2019s the business model.\u201d Read Here<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Alibaba Cloud claims to slash Nvidia GPU use by 82% with new pooling system<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAlibaba Group Holding has introduced a computing pooling solution that it said led to an 82 per cent cut in the number of Nvidia graphics processing units (GPUs) needed to serve its artificial intelligence models.\u201d Read Here<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

1929<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAndrew Ross Sorkin\u2019s new book \u201c1929\u201d has wild details of Winston Churchill YOLO trading US stocks before The Great Depression\u201d: \u00a0He traded \u00a3400,000 a week on margin at one point. He was in New York on \u201cBlack Monday\u201d in October 28, 1929. It took years \u201cto recover from financial losses but eventually clawed it back with publishing deals (his largest financial windfall was a book deal for his WWII memoirs).\u201d Read Here<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Druckenmiller on the 2000s Tech Bubble<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI made a lot of mistakes, but I made one real doozy. So, this is kind of a funny story, at least it is 15 years later because the pain has subsided a little. But in 1999 after Yahoo and America Online had already gone up like tenfold, I got the bright idea at Soros to short internet stocks. And I put 200 million in them in about February and by mid-March the 200 million short I had, lost $600 million on, gotten completely beat up and was down like 15 percent on the year. And I was very proud of the fact that I never had a down year, and I thought well, I\u2019m finished.\u201d Read Here<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

No markets don\u2019t always go up <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

There have been extended periods of little to no returns and even negative on a real basis. See Here<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

I Bought $250,000 Worth of Physical Nickels<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, that\u2019s not a typo. That\u2019s 5 million coins. 55,000 pounds of American metal stacked in boxes from a local bank vault \u2014 an asset the government literally can\u2019t print anymore.\u201d Read Here<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

The New Gold Rush<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGold rush in Vietnam as people storm shops to buy and sell the yellow metal, which now trades at over $4,300 per ounce.\u201d Watch Here<\/a> \u201cWhat happened in 2009 that made central banks change from net sellers to massive buyers of gold? It makes one think.\u201d See Here<\/a> \u201cThe Gold\/S&P 500 Ratio \u2013 Does This Look Like a Bubble to You? Current value is -0.45 SD below its 55-year average.\u201d See Here<\/a> Gold outperfoming S&P 500 ETF (SPY) \u201csince it launched in 2004 is mind-melting.. flies in the face of so much conventional wisdom.\u201d See Here<\/a> \u201cThis is wild\u2026from a State Street study of investors with $250K+ in total assets, Millennials have more gold in their portfolios than Gen X or Boomers…\u201d See Here<\/a> \u201cWhat if stock market gains were measured in gold instead of dollars? As John Authers notes, \u2018Denominate U.S. stocks in gold rather than dollars, and they\u2019ve been in decline since the dot-com bubble burst 25 years ago. Stocks elsewhere have done even worse.\u2019\u201d See Here<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Global energy stocks see largest net selling in four months as crude drops<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHedge funds significantly slashed exposure to energy equities in the last week as crude prices fell to multi-month lows, as it extended a selloff that has shaken commodity-linked sectors, according to Goldman Sachs Prime Services.\u201d Read Here<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Private Equity, Credit <\/strong>\u2014<\/strong> Lawsuits and Leverage<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The redemption queue for Fiera\u2019s infrastructure fund is now $700-million and things have gotten tense, with Fiera Infrastructure and its former head suing each other. Read Here<\/a> \u201cA key thing to remember about private loans is the leverage multiple; these loans are never 1:1, but rather 10:1, 15:1, 25:1, or 50:1. The higher tiers of leverage are not provided directly by the issuing bank & post-issuance they are not classified as exposure to said bank, the \u2018counterparty\u2019 exposure on said loan is transferred to the purchasing entity, once subscribed to the issue.\u201d Read Here<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Canada, the duct-tape nation<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThese myths cast Ottawa-centric governance as uniquely noble, ignoring the fact that the Prairies were settled not by Laurentian salons but by waves of immigrants \u2014 especially Eastern Europeans and Scandinavians \u2014 hacking farms out of unforgiving soil\u2026Canada survives not because of a single consensus, but because of successive patchworks \u2014 provisional fixes layered on top of one another. It is duct-tape politics.\u201d Read Here<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Canada \u2018not yet\u2019 a reliable energy supplier, says Indian high commissioner<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAmid efforts to rebuild the long-fraught relationship with India, that country\u2019s new high commissioner says Canada is \u2018not yet\u2019 a reliable supplier of conventional energy, namely oil and gas.\u201d\u00a0 Read Here<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

The Developer, The Pre-Sales, The Irish Buyers, The Vendor Take-Back and It All Blows Up<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI get some of wildest Real Stories you can imagine drop in my lap but this one takes the PRIZE. A Real Estate Disaster Story for the ages.\u201d Watch Here<\/a> Canadian Real Estate Resembles US Bubble, Investors See Major Risk Event. Read Here<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Property ownership may be in doubt in Richmond, B.C. <\/strong>\u201cCity of Richmond is telling homeowners that the \u2018status and validity of their ownership\u2019 is in doubt because a Vancouver Island band said their great grandparents once fished there.\u201d Read Here<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

How Canada got immigration right for so long \u2014 and then got it very, very wrong<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCanadian immigration was stable, popular and uncontroversial. But a series of changes after 2015 broke the national consensus, and the system.\u201d Read Here<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

From BC Bud to Ecstasy, Meth, and Fentanyl<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow Canada\u2019s Vast Landscape and Permissive Laws Were Progressively Exploited by Chinese and Mexican Cartels.\u201d Read Here<\/a> \u201cCanada is flooding New Zealand with meth. From 2020 to 2024, New Zealand seized more meth from Canada than from any other country in the world \u2014 1,200 kilograms with an estimated street value of about $350 million.\u201d Read Here<\/a><\/span>\"\"<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The smartest age in life may be 55 to 60 \u2014 not in your 20s<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRaw cognitive abilities, such as processing speed and memory, often peak early in life. Athletes typically hit their prime before 30, mathematicians make major breakthroughs by their mid-30s, and chess champions rarely stay dominant past 40. However, a new research reveals that overall psychological functioning\u2014including personality traits, judgment, and emotional intelligence\u2014peaks much later, between ages 55 and 60.\u201d Read Here<\/a> Maybe it\u2019s because the older you get you realize that that a wondering mind is an unhappy mind? Read Here<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Escaping Competition and the Most Important Decision <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

You can escape competition through being authentic. Watch Here<\/a> What is the most important decision you can make in your life? See Here<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Here’s how you know someone is highly intelligent<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The three toughest words \u201cI was wrong\u201d but also the most powerful. Watch Here<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

1999 was the peak of modern culture and progress<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis clip from the Matrix explains: Why was 1999 selected as \u2018the peak of your civilization\u2019? Because as soon as we started thinking for you it really became our civilization.\u201d Read Here<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Power of Purpose<\/strong><\/span>
\nA recent study found that having a strong sense of purpose in life can significantly reduce the risk of cognitive impairment, even for those with a genetic predisposition to dementia.<\/span><\/p>\n