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Asset Protection

Why Rare Strategic Metals for Asset Protection?

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Over the last few years there has been a flurry of news reports discussing how important the rare earth metals are to the world economy and technology of today. We have heard how China controls over 95% of the production of the rare earth metals. The rare strategic metals are a group of metals also vital to the world economy that do not make it to the headlines because they are a much smaller market and most are not traded on the LME, (London Metals Exchange). This market is quietly gaining attention among private investors.

Similar to the rare earth metals, rare strategic metals are 95% or more controlled by China. In the 1990´s China made the decision to focus on the metals, and quickly put many mines out of business throughout the world. In 1992 Deng Xiaoping, President of China said, ¨The Middle East has its oil, China has rare earth metals¨. In 2010-2011 China restricted exports of these rare strategic metals by 70%. The Chinese have decided that they no longer need to export the metals. The demand for rare strategic metals within China´s borders are enough to use up 100% of all metals produced. China can now tell companies to produce their high tech products in China with low priced local metals or risk being cut off from metals by producing their products in other countries.

The rare strategic metals are a very inelastic group of metals. These metals are mined primarily as a bi-product of other metals like copper and zinc. This makes it very difficult to increase the amount of metals mined. It is not profitable for mining companies to open mines for the sole purpose of mining these relatively low profit metals as far as mining is concerned.

Demand for these metals is growing exponentially. Smart phone sales, solar power, LCD screens, national defense, Apple iPads, aviation, hybrid vehicles and nuclear energy are all using these metals. National Geographic calls these elements, ¨The Secret Ingredient of almost Everything¨.

The convergence of growing demand and restriction of exports out of China has produced an opportunity of grand proportions for people who see the future use of technology and alternative energy growing. One company out of Germany stepped up and saw the trend. Schweizerische Mettallhandels and its partner for the America´s Swiss Metal Assets saw an opportunity to assist forward thinking clients in setting aside some of these rare strategic metals in their own portfolios.

Swiss Metal Assets has designed the product around small portions of the metals so that most clients can afford to enter the rare strategic metal market. Previously only large companies or institutional investors could afford entry in to this little known market. The metals are put in, ¨Baskets¨, of metals used in certain industries. Swiss Metal Assets purchases the metals from Haines and Maassen a metals trader who has been in business since 1948 supplying German companies with metals.

  1. The Key Industries Basket contains 6 metals
  2. The Solar and Energy Basket contains 3 metals
  3. The Construction and Engineering Basket contains 6 metals
  4. The Defense Basket contains 5 metals
  5. Gold
  6. Silver

The process of storing these rare strategic metals for your portfolio is relatively simple.

  1. Buyer chooses what baskets of metals to purchase.
  2. Basket is filled by, Haines and Maassen in Germany.
  3. Baskets are transported to Switzerland to be added to the vault in the tax free zone.
  4. Buyer decides to sell.
  5. Baskets are liquidated through Haines and Maassen free of Swiss taxes.
  6. Funds are transferred into preferred currency/bank of the seller.

This product was designed to assist in sheltering client assets from the uncertainty of the world currency and financial markets. The team at Swiss Metal Assets can also set up an IRA account for interested parties. If this is something that interests you please contact the team at Swiss Metal Assets.

By: Randy Hilarski - The Rare Metals Guy

Why Buy and Store Metals Offshore

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Offshore Storage Facilities for Rare Earth and Industrial Metals

Today more than ever it is important for a person to diversify the location of their assets. If you are one of my readers there is a good chance that you believe in Precious and Rare Metals as a form of protection against inflation, and governmental shenanigans. Metals give a person piece of mind like very few other investments can.

Some of the benefits of Metals include.
  1. Paper assets can depreciate to zero, Metals will not.
  2. Metals are a hard asset that can be handled, free of third party interference.
  3. Metals are a store of value.
  4. Metals are both a form of money and used in industry.
  5. Metals are highly liquid.

Why take your metals offshore? Inflation according to the US government is running close to 3% and banks are paying a paltry 1-2% for interest. People are increasingly worried about government seizure of their paper assets and hard assets. Recently Portugal decided to take over its pension funds until the financial crisis passes. As we know once a government takes over something they rarely give it back. How long do you think until nations like the USA, UK, Germany, Canada and Australia start invading their pension funds? In 1933 the US government under the leadership of Franklin D. Roosevelt required US citizens to turn their Gold in for currency. Do you think that the governments of today are any less bold?

The four main benefits of offshore investing include.
  1. Asset Protection
  2. Confidentiality
  3. Tax Sheltering
  4. Diversification

There are many different ways a person can buy and store metals internationally. A client could buy and store in their personal name. They could store their metals in an offshore IRA. They could purchase their metals through a company that they control. They could use a Trust or an offshore structure that they control. This opens up a wide range of opportunities for the savvy metals buyer.

In the spring of 2012 we are tentatively scheduled to open our latest storage facility in Panama. We have had many clients asking us if we knew of an option for them to store their metals closer to home. Our waiting list of clients looking to take advantage of this opportunity continues to grow. It will be located in the Panama Pacifico Free Zone which is the old Howard Air Force Base in the Canal Zone. Currently we have our facility in Zurich, Switzerland in the Swiss Free Zone. If you would like more information to buy Metals or to be added to our Panama storage wait list please feel free to contact myself or the team at Swiss Metal Assets.

Customers ask, How would I transport the Metals to Panama? Brinks is the logical choice for me. They offer door to door service for the client. You can learn more on their website.

The financial situations are getting more and more complicated for nations throughout the world. Don´t you think it is time that you protected your assets?

By: Randy Hilarski - The Rare Metals Guy

Asset protection with special metals - not just rare earths are in demand!

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The trend toward physical assets such as special metals will be long term and sustainable," Gunther Maassen

Translated from the original German Article that can be found here:

http://www.foonds.com/article/16165//fullstory

Due to the distrust of paper money system escape investors more and more into real assets. Besides real estate , precious metals and commodity exchanges traded commodities , however, there are other commodities which are increasing the interest of investors. Namely Special Metals Exchange Express spoke with the manager of the venerable German metal dealer Haines Maassen (www.hain-maassen.com) Mr. Gunther Maassen.

BE: Mr. Maassen, you will see an increased interest from investors, including you offer specialty metals investing?

For about four years recorded Haines and Maassen an increasing demand from investors for specialty metals such as indium, gallium and hafnium.

BE: Why do you advertise on a site for commodity investors? Should this be expanded in a targeted area?

Haines & Maassen has over 60 years and active trading in the metal during this period was continuously expanded the offering plate. This particular segment is not promoted specifically, but we have adapted to the needs of this industry and adapted our offerings accordingly. We see our role as a family but in the metal trade, and not as a financial investment advisor.

BE: Is it worth an investment at all in special metals? If an investor wants to sell the purchased metals again, how great the loss is due to the trading range?

Since we are not investment advisors, we want to leave the decision up to our customers. The fundamentals of supply and demand shall, however, seems to indicate that the sustained demand for many of these elements exceed the bid. When individual elements are signs of a significant shortage. Leading research institutions around the world, for example, predict a significant shortage of indium in the next 10-20 years. Include items such as tantalum, hafnium, and tellurium show depletion trends. The trading range in the metal trade the usual manner 10 to 20% higher.

BE: Is it for your company at all interesting to supply retail customers or are you collaborating with distributors for small deliveries to private homes?

Even as larger trading company, we look forward to every customer and ensure a competent, based on years of service experience. Each customer, whether he now buys 1 kg or 100 kg of indium, tantalum is just treated as an industrial consumer. For several years we have worked successfully with companies that have created the special baskets for consumers. Leading role in this market is the Schweizerische Metallhandels AG / Switzerland, which brought the first company to a sustainable system for investors in the market. This trained and experienced intermediaries has developed standardized solutions to investors to provide with smaller sums, the opportunity to participate in the development of strategic special metals.

BE: Is there or are you planning it, the metals are VAT-free to keep investors in a bonded warehouse ?

No, this service leaves Haines & Maassen companies like the Swiss metal trading SMH AG, which take on a pioneering role in this field. We see our task in the expert advice and supplies to customers. This has meant that our company has occupied in the commercial sector is not more than 70% of jobs with academics. Chemists, economists, certified interpreter and aspiring metallurgist to join our team. . This allows us a targeted advice at a high level.

BE: Which of you offer metals were the highest price increases in recent years?

There are a number of metals such as rare earths (neodymium, cerium, lanthanum, …) and tellurium, tantalum, indium, gallium, hafnium, and that have experienced including price developments of more than 100%. Appears much more important to us, however, that the price developments of several of these elements in the long term exceed the inflation rate and thus suitable as a value assurance.

BE: Which you can see because of the supply situation and the future demand (particularly by new technologies), the highest price appreciation potential?

This would I got the book “Strategic Metals for investors,” by Michael and me Vaupel point, which is launched in early November. Here it is precisely this question at the center. Of promising innovations will be closed to the required raw materials, which then permits a conclusion on price trends. We specifically do not want to move a single metal in the foreground, but on the contrary believe that a healthy mixture of different metals, the better alternative. BE: Which metals has China as the rare-earth quasi-supply monopoly , China has some metals offer a market share exceeding 50%. about 90% antimony, bismuth, germanium, about 67% about 67%, 60% indium, about 67% silicon and tungsten over 80%. These are just the elements in which China holds more than 50%. There is also a long list of substances for which the People’s Republic plays a significant role.

BE: Some metals are toxic or dangerous now. Is not that problematic when investors rush to such materials and store them at home? Or. even allowed all metals to be delivered?

Yes, clearly this is problematic and it is forbidden even in a single well. The delivery of some metals to individuals such as arsenic, selenium and tellurium are not only forbidden, but also jeopardize the customer. The transport is subject to restrictions. Here it is important that it is made ​​clear in the consultation, where the boundaries of a private storage are located.

BE: What are the traded you metals for investors at all in question and which are ruled out?

This question is very complex and I would again like to the book “Special Metal for Strategic Investors” link. There are plenty of metals that can store private (indium, tantalum, etc.), and there are metals that can be stored without problems by specialist companies (gallium, tellurium, etc.). When no sense can be considered elements that can fail either due to technical reasons (explosive, very toxic ..) or claim due to a relatively low price, very substantial storage space would be (lithium, manganese …).

BE: Why are entirely at your rare earths?

Excluded from the program they are not, if a customer wants to purchase rare earths we can offer him.

BE: Which of the traded you metals are traded on commodity exchanges?

To reach Western markets, these are only molybdenum and cobalt in the form of oxides. In China, there are over 200 raw evil, but they are for the West not accessible or meaningful.

BE: Do you think the interest in physical metal investment for temporary or if the stay a permanent plant-fixed point?

I am personally of the opinion that the trend towards be physical forms of investment is long term and sustainable. Haines & Maassen has set himself definitely on this development and the capacity significantly. For about six months, we have another large warehouse, which predominantly serves the industry as a reloading and packaging facility.

BE: How serious is the market for metals from the perspective of potential investors?

Romp around many charlatans of the matter actually have no idea (push-columns, rushing into this, what’s currently on the market)? Unfortunately, there are black sheep in every industry. It certainly makes sense to find out exactly and above all, the costs can be expected for an investment of over 10 years. It is often cheaper to pay a few percent at the beginning to press for more and ongoing costs. Especially when storage costs are frightening models that cause within 5 years, considerable cost.

BE: Mr. Maassen, thank you for your time!

Source: http://www.foonds.com

Swiss Metal Assets appears on Deutsche Welle Television Show