The Same Groceries Cost 145% More Than in 2020

The Same Groceries Cost 145% More Than in 2020

A 28-item grocery order that cost $64.50 in 2020 reportedly costs $158.30 today. In this episode of The Secret War on Cash, Dean Heskin and Chris Agelastos use that receipt comparison to expose the deeper erosion of household purchasing power. Food is only one part of the pressure. Families are also facing rising rents, higher energy costs, growing credit-card balances and an increase in home foreclosures. Many are no longer cutting luxuries. They are cutting meals, delaying bills and returning to work after retirement because the basic cost of living has moved beyond what their income can support. Dean and Chris also discuss the worsening public outlook on the economy, the political consequences of prolonged financial pain and the challenge facing millions of Americans who remain outside the labor force. When two-thirds of the country describes groceries as unaffordable, the problem is no longer abstract inflation data. It is a direct threat to household stability. The conversation asks a simple question Washington still seems unwilling to answer: What happens when food, shelter and energy all become unaffordable at the same time? Brought to you by Swiss America. Get your complimentary Secret War on Cash Report: Call or text: 1-800-289-2646 Visit: https://www.swissamerica.com/social [https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.swissamerica.com%2Fsocial&data=05%7C02%7C%7C31c993c16f124a1959f908dee687704a%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C639201666585808349%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=6e8LGIh4kx4udvPOYGxKK0LYQm0PuvIxplvG7v8mr1o%3D&reserved=0]

Russia and India Are Cutting Out the Dollar as U.S. Debt Explodes

Russia and India are working to expand trade without relying on the U.S. dollar. At the same time, the United States continues adding trillions to its fiscal deficit. In this episode of The Secret War on Cash, Dean Heskin and Chris Agelastos connect those two developments and examine what they could mean for the dollar’s long-term global influence. Russia and India are increasingly settling trade in rupees and rubles, reducing their exposure to U.S. payment systems, exchange-rate volatility, and sanctions. Their reported goal of reaching $100 billion in trade demonstrates how quickly financial relationships can grow once the dollar is removed from the middle. Dean and Chris then turn to America’s debt problem, including a reported $1.4 trillion fiscal deficit during the first nine months of fiscal year 2026. They illustrate the enormous difference between millions, billions, and trillions and explain why the federal government remains trapped by growing entitlement costs and political resistance to spending cuts. The episode asks a question that becomes harder to avoid with each passing year: What happens when America cannot meaningfully reduce its debt and other nations no longer need the dollar to conduct trade? The discussion concludes with the importance of diversification and the role physical gold and silver may play when confidence in traditional financial systems weakens. Brought to you by Swiss America. Get your complimentary Secret War on Cash Report: Call or text: 1-800-289-2646 Visit: https://www.swissamerica.com/social [https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.swissamerica.com%2Fsocial&data=05%7C02%7C%7C93c395814524437c8ec408dee1e1aa21%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C639196556496142456%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=2P%2BY%2BSj3SMsRQ%2Bv%2B0lW3V3kPU6%2F1UcALdG8%2BHIqhvg4%3D&reserved=0]

Why China Is Dumping Dollars and Stockpiling Gold

China is not merely buying gold. It may be building the financial and industrial foundation for a world less dependent on the United States. In this episode of The Secret War on Cash, Dean Heskin and Chris Agelastos explore reports that China is selling dollar-denominated assets, reducing its exposure to U.S. Treasury securities and importing vast quantities of physical gold and silver. They also examine China’s control over the critical minerals and rare earth elements used in smartphones, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, robotics, electric vehicles, military technology, aerospace and renewable energy. The episode asks several urgent questions: Why has China spent decades accumulating control over strategic resources? How vulnerable is the United States after outsourcing so much mining, refining and manufacturing capacity? Could Hong Kong eventually challenge London and New York as a center of global gold trading? And what happens to the dollar when major countries choose physical assets over fiat currency? China’s strategy did not emerge overnight. It was built over roughly six decades while much of the West focused on short-term costs and quarterly returns. America may now face an expensive race to restore the industrial capacity it allowed to migrate overseas. Brought to you by Swiss America. Get your complimentary Secret War on Cash Report: Call or text: 1-800-289-2646 Visit: https://www.swissamerica.com/social [https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.swissamerica.com%2Fsocial&data=05%7C02%7C%7Cbd1d0b34a404400a5b9208dee1d6de80%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C639196510148076043%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=zeVpnZQcWCi2j5eKwix%2FG1aTdqN2x9X3bbZw6gd%2FJO4%3D&reserved=0]

AI Is Coming for More Jobs Than People Realize

In this episode of The Secret War on Cash, Dean Heskin and Chris Agelastos examine a growing economic threat that reaches far beyond tech headlines: the expanding disconnect between the number of Americans working, the number dependent on government support, and the rapid rise of AI-driven job displacement. They discuss the claim that 111 million U.S. adults do not have a job, the much smaller official unemployment figure, and the questionable categories used to soften the appearance of deeper labor-market weakness. The conversation then turns to the rising cost of government support, which now exceeds $1 trillion annually, and why that burden becomes more dangerous as fewer productive workers support more recipients. Dean and Chris also explore the next phase of the AI disruption story. Instead of just replacing low-skill or entry-level work, AI is now cutting into administrative jobs, coding, customer support, and middle management, while prices for groceries, fuel, and everyday life continue to rise anyway. Key topics include: * the real labor-force problem behind official unemployment * AI layoffs in white-collar and administrative sectors * government support spending and long-term sustainability * why automation does not necessarily lower prices * inflation, job displacement, and shrinking purchasing power * why this could become a much deeper structural problem Brought to you by Swiss America. Get your free Secret War on Cash Report today. Call or text: 1-800-289-2646 Visit: https://www.swissamerica.com/social [https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.swissamerica.com%2Fsocial&data=05%7C02%7C%7Cfa987c75a3c04373913008dedc642935%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C639190519913915203%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=c0Otde6uI61clXH5oaWcqjeNB3soleJn%2Fl8S3WkZ0Qc%3D&reserved=0]

Your Money Can Vanish Faster Than You Think

Dean Heskin and Chris Agelastos examine two related warning signs in today’s financial system. The first is the rise in bank-account scams, with billions reportedly drained from Americans through impersonation schemes, spoofed caller IDs, and pressured electronic transfers. The second is the continued strength of physical gold demand at a time when paper claims on metal remain widespread and Comex gold inventory has fallen sharply. Dean and Chris explain why account-based wealth can feel increasingly exposed in a digital-first system, why scammers are exploiting fear and urgency so effectively, and why some investors are becoming more focused on direct ownership of physical assets. They also break down why paper gold products are not the same as holding real metal, and why shrinking physical inventories could matter if more institutional holders seek delivery at the same time. Key topics include: * bank scams and account-security risk * caller ID spoofing and impersonation tactics * how to protect yourself from fast-pressure fraud * why physical gold demand remains strong * Comex inventory decline and paper-metal exposure * the difference between gold funds and owned metal Brought to you by Swiss America. Get your free Secret War on Cash Report today. Call or text: 1-800-289-2646 Visit: https://www.swissamerica.com/social [https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.swissamerica.com%2Fsocial&data=05%7C02%7C%7Ce61bba49f7d14cdc013f08dedc5f9d77%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C639190500420051687%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=pukgeJH9yJPQyAwsJBdY2HVGULkpqdtkGj%2FJg0eRudk%3D&reserved=0]