My Holistic Approach to Financial Health in Uncertain Times

Disclaimer:This article reflects my personal insights and opinions based on my own knowledge and experience. It is not financial advice. Please check with a licensed financial advisor before making any decisions to ensure they’re right for you.

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Hi again real money believer,

If the past few years have taught me anything, it’s that relying on a single income or a pile of cash in the bank just doesn’t cut it anymore. Between QE 2.0, rising inflation, volatile markets, holiday credit card bills starting to creep in, and a world moving toward digital currencies and control, it can feel like the financial system is working against us - and it is as this is it's intentional design to keep us poor and "enslaved" within it. In my opinion, the key isn’t panic but rather being aware and taking a holistic approach: protecting wealth with physical precious metals, creating another income stream to reduce income risk, and reducing consumer debt all so as to have more financial independence, choice, freedom and peace of mind.

My article this week is your playbook for not just surviving, but thriving while others remain stuck in the matrix by keeping their heads in the sand (well, snow now). In my opinion, the time to start is now, because waiting could cost you more than you think.

QE and QT — Why 2026 Matters

Late last week, the Federal Reserve (FED) signalled that they will lower interest rates likely for the last time in a while and it's been coined as Quantitative Easing (QE 2.0). In my opinion, this is a clear sign that the money printers will be cranked up even more which also highlights that holding large sums of cash in the bank is not immune to devaluation.

In case you're not familiar with the terms:

QE (Quantitative Easing) is when the FED prints money and buys government bonds to push interest rates down and "stimulate" the economy. Think of it like giving the system an IV drip of dollars where it often boosts markets but your savings in fiat dollars need a shock of defibrulation.

QT (Quantitative Tightening) is the opposite: the FED stops or slow reinvesting, pulls money out of circulation, and interest rates rise. That has the intended effect of slowing growth as borrowing becomes more expensive.

👉 Even with QE 2.0 kicking in, I believe higher rates are likely in the medium term which could mean higher borrowing costs for mortgages (variable and fixed), credit cards, lines of credit and home equity lines of credit, car loans, etc. This can have a negative effect on cash flow. Both the FED and the Bank of Canada have suggested this may be the last of lowering rates for a while. In my experience, these tools serve the "system" and not us so it’s important to take matters into our own hands. this could create urgency to start acting now if you haven't already to protect your finances (savings, wealth, retirement) before these pressures compound.

1. Cash, Bonds, GICs, Savings — Not as Safe as They Seem

Sure, a high-interest savings account (HISA) may feel right and safe and pay about 1.5% interest annually, and a GIC (Guaranteed Investment Certificate) sounds even safer, locking in your money for a set term. The catch however is with true inflation likely 10%+, all of these are putting you behind. In my opinion, thinking you’re being “smart and safe” by parking cash in a HISA or GICs is a fast track to losing purchasing power and the poor house.

👉 Check out my recent article where I go into depth about high-interest savings accounts, GICs, bonds, etc. to outline why I think they aren't safe at all: "Generating Investment Income: A Practical Guide For Every Investor".

Every year, our fiat dollars buy a little less by design. You may feel secure in your savings while earning some interest, but in reality, your dollars and purchasing power are shrinking in real terms. It's not that the costs of goods and services are rising, it's that our fiat dollars are decreasing in purchasing power. This is exactly why precious metals, income-generating ETFs, and other real assets are so important as they preserve and grow wealth when dollars just can’t.

2. Precious Metals — Your Financial Parachute

Physical gold, silver, and platinum are time-tested wealth storage and preservation tools which all people, not just the wealthy, have used for thousands of years. They are paths towards real wealth.

📈 Today’s Prices:

• Gold: $5,922 CAD/oz

• Silver: $85.22 CAD/oz (all-time highs this week!)

• Platinum: $2,412 CAD/oz

It’s not that these metals magically “go up” in value but rather that our fiat dollars are buying less. Inflation and money printing reduce purchasing power, so metals preserve what your dollars are actually worth.

💪 Two-Year Performance (Approx. Oct 2022 – Late 2025):

• Gold: +144 %

• Silver: +150 %

• Platinum: +75 %

💪 How They Compare to Stocks

• Over the last coupe of years, gold and silver have held value even as cash lost purchasing power.

• Silver hitting $85.22 CAD/oz reflects how dollars are losing value, not just a “price spike.”

• In Canada, metals have helped the TSX outperform U.S. indexes, showing tangible assets can outperform during uncertainty.

In my experience, owning physical precious metals alongside carefully-selected income-oriented investments are like wearing a seatbelt. They won’t make the road smooth, but it protects you when things get bumpy like they are these days with potholes everywhere and not just on Carling Ave. for those in Ottawa who know what I mean.

3. Build Another Income Stream — Passive Income Investing

Relying on one income — salary or self-employment — I think is riskier than ever. Clients cut back spending, jobs losses are everywhere even in the public service, and inflation quietly continues to erode at our earnings and savings

I'm a firm believer that one of the easiest and effective ways to build more income diversity is to create a passive income stream using income-oriented investments. Available to everyone in DIY brokerage accounts like Wealthsimple, Questrade in Canada; and Schwab and Robin Hood in the U.S., these ETFs:

• Pay regular dividends (monthly and some even weekly)

• Look for annual yields above inflation, so anywhere from 12% up to 30% and even more

• Often provide potential for capital gains as well

• Reduce dependency on a single income source and give more income which can give more options such as reinvesting, for planned or unplanned expenses, etc.

In Canada, some income-oriented ETF examples I like are BANK, CANY, UTES from Evolve; HYLD, CDAY, SDAY from Hamilton; HHIS, HHIC from Harvest, In the US, I use income ETFs from Roundhill, REX Shares, NEOS,

👉 Example: investing $150,000 CAD in a tax-free account (e.g. TFSA) across these ETFs at an average annual yield of 18%:

• After 5 years → portfolio ≈ $343,000 CAD, monthly income ≈ $5,100 CAD

• After 10 years → portfolio ≈ $785,000 CAD, monthly income ≈ $11,700 CAD

And the best part? All this income is tax-free when inside a TFSA. In my opinion, it’s not just about how much you earn but more about how much you keep. Even if you don’t need the cash, it creates flexibility, lowers risk, and gives options during uncertain times.

4. Slay High-Interest Debt "Dragon" First

Bad debt is like running uphill with a backpack full of rocks and heading into Christmas most of us are tempted to pile gifts, travel, and holiday treats onto credit cards. That’s fine in moderation… until January arrives and interest charges hit on top of everything else happening economically with taxes, inflation, etc.

Often what I stress with clients even before considering physical precious metals is to first off shed any bad financial habits right away to make room for new and better ones which involve:

• Paying yourself first

• Pay down high-balance credit cards

• Reduce personal loan balances

• Shrink any debt charging 10%+

• Establish an emergency fund (to avoid relying on credit cards for unexpected expenses)

• Swap fiat dollars for precious metals on a regular basis (every two weeks or monthly)

• Create another income stream (often with passive income investing)

👉 Every dollar freed from the dragon becomes another soldier in your financial freedom army whether you want to protect and preserve savings and wealth with gold and silver and/or build your own personal pension plan with income-oriented investing all to have more financial security, less stress and anxiety, and peace of mind.

With QE 2.0, inflation, and likely higher rates on the horizon, starting 2026 with debt could make life extra tough.

5. Own Stuff the Central Banksters Can’t Print

The FED and Bank of Canada can and do print fiat dollars, but they can’t print:

• Gold, silver, platinum

• Land or real estate

• Art

• Cash-flowing assets or businesses

• Valuable skills (think pro athletes)

In my experience, these are the real assets that can actually preserve and grow real wealth while the dollar erodes.

6. Be On Guard Of Your Financial Privacy

In my opinion, it’s not just about inflation and QE 2.0 anymore as the financial world is moving towards more digitization and control. Think:

• CBDCs (Central Bank Digital Currencies) — government-backed digital money

• Digital IDs tied to every transaction

• De-banking or frozen accounts for political, social, or “compliance” reasons

Combine this with traditional economic risks like inflation, rising debt, and volatile markets, and it becomes clear that holding everything in cash or a single bank account within the financial system can be risky.

👉 Owning metals, maintaining some privacy with assets outside the system, and generating independent cash flow through income-oriented ETFs are, in my opinion, essential financial strategies for freedom, flexibility, and control.

7. Build Your Own Personal Pension Plan

Relying only on company or government pensions, CPP/OAS, or market accounts is risky when dollars lose value. In my opinion, building your own personal pension plan with a mix of precious metals and income-oriented ETFs can build a stable, consistent and secure wealth protection and generation system for you and your loved ones which can also leave a legacy. Relying on government benefits such as CPP, OAS, etc may not be there when you need them or the way that you thought so why not build your own pension inside your DIY online brokerage account and regain control of your finances and get on track to actually meeting your financial needs and goals.

8. Take Control of Your Financial Education/Literacy

The fact that you are reading this means that you are ahead of 99% of the rest of the world. Too many people delegate their finances to so-called "advisors" who in my opinion are mostly trying to make money from you and not for you. We aren't taught financial literacy in school or at home and the investment industry markets to us that money and investing is scary so you're better off giving it to them to manage for you. Too many succumb to this fear marketing and don't take the time and invest the energy into learning and building their knowledge so they can do it themselves.

👉 Stop delegating your finances as they are the biggest vehicle in making your dreams happens. Regain control of your finances as you are your own best advisor and know what exactly what you want and what's best for you - I can't stress this enough. Find a mentor or coach who's mission is to help educate you, and not sell to you, so you can learn and make decisions for yourself, plus teach your kids and break the cycle of financial illiteracy. That's what I did and it changed my life for the better and you can have the same.

10. Manifest Better Financial Habits and Take Control

By consciously regaining control and building better financial habits — owning metals, creating passive income, managing debt, maintaining privacy, and educating yourself or kids — you reclaim choice, freedom, and independence. You’re less impacted by external noise, rising inflation, QE cycles, or frozen accounts.

Ultimately, it’s about creating security, wealth, and peace of mind outside the traditional financial system — a system that isn’t always designed to serve you. In my opinion, financial empowerment is a holistic practice, and the sooner you start, the more control and freedom you’ll have in your life.

Bottom Line

Protecting your finances (savings, retirement, wealth) today means:

• Limiting excess cash and bonds and GICs that fall behind inflation and lock away your cash for periods of time

• Reducing excess fiat dollars and trading them up for physical precious metals

• Building passive income streams in high-yield ETFs in tax-free accounts

• Reducing high-interest debt

• Diversifying with assets which can't be printed by central banksters

• Maintaining financial privacy in a growing digitized world

• Creating your own personal pension plan

• Learning and applying smart financial habits on a regular basis + teaching your kids

• Manifesting control over your own financial destiny by regaining control of your finances and not delegating to others

Step by step, this holistic approach lets you thrive, not just survive and in my opinion, there’s no better time to start than today.

To your financial health 🥂,

David

The Precious Metals Coach

"Real Money For We The People"

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Before you go, I want to share with you some exciting news about a new project which I am hearing more and more that's needed. I’m putting the final touches on The Precious Metals Coach membership community, and it is being purposefully designing for like-minded people like yourself whom are seeking to build more financial independence, choice, and freedom into their lives.

Keep an eye out in your inbox as I share more info plus a very special intro offer!

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Should you have any questions, shoot me an email at preciousmetalscoach@proton.me.

-David