Long time readers know Zero Hedge is my “go to” website for real-time economic information; and more importantly, truthful commentary.  That is, except for the Precious Metals sector; which until recently was its “blind spot.”  Today, Zero Hedge no longer ignores Precious Metals suppression, that’s for sure.  However, they don’t dedicate a great deal of effort to discussing it – as Zero Hedge’s operators are not in the business of discussing PMs per se; but instead, the flaws of the entire global financial system.

Precious Metals itself are but a microcosm of a much broader realm; and thus, for expert, unadulterated analysis, one needs to search a bit more deliberately.  There are a number of “good, smart people” in our space – each with varying degrees of expertise, motivation, and agenda.  Obviously, Eric Sprott, James Turk, and Jim Sinclair come immediately to mind; as do Egon von Greyerz, Andrew Maguire, Jeff Nielson, Bix Weir, Jay Taylor, Chris Duane, and a handful of others.  And let’s not forget Bill Murphy and Chris Powell of GATA, who jump started the crusade to expose PM corruption before most realized it existed.  However, not all commentary is free; and few, if any sources, offer it daily.

As for the bullion industry itself, it remains one of the most opaque financial businesses in the Western Hemisphere.  In large part, the lack of transparency is a function of four decades of brainwashing Americans – and even Europeans – that dollar, euros, and other fiat trash represent “money,” whilst gold and silver are “barbarous relics.”  Moreover, as is the case with the mining industry itself, bullion dealers have been woefully lacking in the marketing of not just their products, but business models.  And thus, the average person not only has no clue how to purchase precious metals, but where they can be found.

As gold and silver have been in bull markets since the turn of the century – notwithstanding this year’s vicious Cartel attacks – the bullion industry’s cumulative marketing efforts have been, to say the least, subpar.  Trust me, I know; as I’ve been purchasing physical gold and silver since 2008.  There are only a handful of names I’ve entrusted my capital to, and fewer still that deploy significant capital to market themselves.  And no, I’m not speaking of advertising on Precious Metals-specific websites; but appearing at investor conferences, writing blogs, appearing on radio shows and podcasts, hosting Webinars and Audio Blogs, and having Marketing personnel specifically devoted to education and customer service.

More than a decade ago, David Schectman had the vision to write economic newsletters for Miles Franklin clients.  Fortunately, he’s darn good at it; and thus, gained a significant following.  Remember, as difficult as Precious Metals retailing is now, it was a lot more difficult than; and thus, the ability to differentiate Miles Franklin in this manner was crucial not just to its success, but survival.

Fortunately, global communications have become vastly more accessible to small businesses in recent years; particularly as internet usage and protocol expanded.  All bullion dealers to some extent have utilized this opportunity, but some more than others.  Over the years, Miles Franklin’s quarterly newsletters became daily; and once the capability was available, we started emailing them to clients and archiving on our website.  And with the hiring of myself in 2011 and Bill Holter in 2012, we garnered a broad, diverse team of writers with decades of experience in economics and financial markets – particularly, precious metals.

When I joined the firm in October 2011, we started publishing two daily newsletters – and dramatically increasing our public speaking and podcast appearances.  However, earlier this year, we realized that our efforts needed to be better coordinated to optimize the result; and hence, the current Miles Franklin Blog was born.  Not only are our writings more concise, but published simultaneously – and uploaded in real time to our website.  A great deal of time and cost has been expended in these efforts, which we hope you appreciate.  And as anyone that has had an issue with the blog knows, we take all criticisms – and compliments – seriously, addressing them in as timely a fashion as possible.

As the blog gained momentum, we have been adding new features to its “product line”; such as Audio blogs and the new “Miles Franklin Minute.”  Thus, at any given point in the day, you’re likely to see new postings of all kinds – from blogs, to interviews and appearances, to informational videos.  In my vision, the Miles Franklin Blog will become the “Zero Hedge of Precious Metals” – where PM enthusiasts congregate to learn about not only new developments on the economic front, but the bullion industry itself.  And as always, our brokers – and officers – are available daily to answer your questions – at 800-822-8080.