15
Jul 2025
How a Florida Fortune Was Lost—and What Could Have Saved It
How a Florida Fortune Was Lost—and What Could Have Saved It
Each passing week delivers fresh headlines echoing the same warning: the U.S. dollar is quietly, steadily losing its purchasing power. Meanwhile, silver and gold are no longer fringe assets—they are reemerging as pillars of protection on the global financial stage.
Just last week, silver hit a 14-year high. A milestone? Absolutely. But what’s more telling is why. Ray Dalio, no stranger to calling out inconvenient truths, recently acknowledged that the continued presence of Quantitative Easing (QE) is artificially inflating the prices of stocks, bonds, and real estate—while simultaneously delaying the natural rise of precious metals. In other words, we are living in a world of manipulated price signals, and eventually, reality will break through.
The Tides of Trust Are Turning
Even Goldman Sachs, one of Wall Street’s most iconic institutions, has begun warning its clients: the long-term outlook for the U.S. dollar is now negative. Why? A dual threat: the de-dollarization movement and the falling share of global trade conducted in dollars. Central banks and sovereign wealth funds alike are signaling what many American families already feel in their bones: trust in the greenback is eroding.
Japan is increasingly being tapped for fiat diversification, and China is openly encouraging greater domestic production of gold and silver—seeing them not just as commodities, but as instruments of financial leadership in the years ahead.
This isn’t a trend. It’s a transition.
History’s Warning from Coral Gables
While preparing a marketing segment for our trust clients in Coral Gables, Florida, we came across a story too important not to share.
Coral Gables is one of the most beautiful, planned cities in the country. Much of its original development was driven by George Merrick, whose family owned over 1,000 acres in the area—a staggering real estate position, even by today’s standards. In fact, those acres now trade for approximately $13 million each.
Merrick, guided by respected advisors and conventional wisdom, invested according to the trends of the time. But the 1920s, like our current decade, were riddled with artificial prosperity. Credit expansion fueled a mirage of growth, sending asset prices into the stratosphere.
And then the bubble burst.
Merrick’s fortune—built through hard work and vision—was decimated. When the dust cleared, he was left with less than $400.
The Asset That Would Have Made All the Difference
Had Merrick allocated even a portion of his wealth to physical gold in 1929, the outcome for his family would have been radically different. Gold didn’t just hold value during the collapse—it surged through the popping of the credit bubble.
A Modern-Day Decision Point
History doesn’t always repeat—but it rhymes. Our current credit bubble may be nearing its own day of reckoning. And when it pops—because eventually it must—only those who have prepared ahead of time will have the opportunity to buy up the assets that others are forced to sell. Real wealth doesn’t evaporate when bubbles pop. It merely changes hands and presents the opportunities of a lifetime.
Gold and silver are not just about portfolio diversification. They are about intergenerational preparation.
You don’t want to look back and realize you saw it coming—but didn’t act.
Let’s Get Practical
We’re here to help. Whether you’re just beginning or ready to make meaningful reallocations, our team will walk you through a personalized strategy to safeguard your family’s future. Because when the time comes, you don’t want to be forced to sell. You want to be in a position to buy—in Coral Gables or wherever your heart desires.
God bless, and God bless America.
Past performance is not indicative of future results.
Each passing week delivers fresh headlines echoing the same warning: the U.S. dollar is quietly, steadily losing its purchasing power. Meanwhile, silver and gold are no longer fringe assets—they are reemerging as pillars of protection on the global financial stage.
Just last week, silver hit a 14-year high. A milestone? Absolutely. But what’s more telling is why. Ray Dalio, no stranger to calling out inconvenient truths, recently acknowledged that the continued presence of Quantitative Easing (QE) is artificially inflating the prices of stocks, bonds, and real estate—while simultaneously delaying the natural rise of precious metals. In other words, we are living in a world of manipulated price signals, and eventually, reality will break through.
The Tides of Trust Are Turning
Even Goldman Sachs, one of Wall Street’s most iconic institutions, has begun warning its clients: the long-term outlook for the U.S. dollar is now negative. Why? A dual threat: the de-dollarization movement and the falling share of global trade conducted in dollars. Central banks and sovereign wealth funds alike are signaling what many American families already feel in their bones: trust in the greenback is eroding.
Japan is increasingly being tapped for fiat diversification, and China is openly encouraging greater domestic production of gold and silver—seeing them not just as commodities, but as instruments of financial leadership in the years ahead.
This isn’t a trend. It’s a transition.
History’s Warning from Coral Gables
While preparing a marketing segment for our trust clients in Coral Gables, Florida, we came across a story too important not to share.
Coral Gables is one of the most beautiful, planned cities in the country. Much of its original development was driven by George Merrick, whose family owned over 1,000 acres in the area—a staggering real estate position, even by today’s standards. In fact, those acres now trade for approximately $13 million each.
Merrick, guided by respected advisors and conventional wisdom, invested according to the trends of the time. But the 1920s, like our current decade, were riddled with artificial prosperity. Credit expansion fueled a mirage of growth, sending asset prices into the stratosphere.
And then the bubble burst.
Merrick’s fortune—built through hard work and vision—was decimated. When the dust cleared, he was left with less than $400.
The Asset That Would Have Made All the Difference
Had Merrick allocated even a portion of his wealth to physical gold in 1929, the outcome for his family would have been radically different. Gold didn’t just hold value during the collapse—it surged through the popping of the credit bubble.
A Modern-Day Decision Point
History doesn’t always repeat—but it rhymes. Our current credit bubble may be nearing its own day of reckoning. And when it pops—because eventually it must—only those who have prepared ahead of time will have the opportunity to buy up the assets that others are forced to sell. Real wealth doesn’t evaporate when bubbles pop. It merely changes hands and presents the opportunities of a lifetime.
Gold and silver are not just about portfolio diversification. They are about intergenerational preparation.
You don’t want to look back and realize you saw it coming—but didn’t act.
Let’s Get Practical
We’re here to help. Whether you’re just beginning or ready to make meaningful reallocations, our team will walk you through a personalized strategy to safeguard your family’s future. Because when the time comes, you don’t want to be forced to sell. You want to be in a position to buy—in Coral Gables or wherever your heart desires.
God bless, and God bless America.
Past performance is not indicative of future results.
