Print the page
Increase font size

Posted August 17, 2020

Byron King

By Byron King

Caveat Emptor

Regarding Fridays missive about Robinhood, a reader writes: Thanks for your input and advice.

I read that a young man who traded with Robin Hood recently committed suicide as he had lost a lot of money with them.

Are you aware of this and why he was so desperate as to kill himself. Was this perhaps due to trading with options or some other reason?

Sadly, a twenty-year old took his life in June, believing he had a negative balance over $700,000 on the Robinhood app. According to Barrons, The negative balance appears to have been a notification having to do with a portion of an options trade, and did not represent an actual liability. Again, terribly sad.

And for more on news consumption, a reader makes a distinction

I stick to newspapers because they have journalistic standards the fake news (Fox, Breitbart, Rush Limbaugh, Alex Jones, etc.) all lack. I don't need to read or hear about unsubstantiated conspiracy theories from very unreliable sources.

Hmm do you agree? Think print media has a leg up when it comes to truth in journalism?

Check back Wednesday for more of your opinions including a particularly vitriolic response aimed at The Rundown.

Send your opinions to, TheRundownFeedback@SevenFigurePublishing.com.

Your Rundown for Monday, Aug. 17, 2020

The Other Precious Metal Rally

While the price of gold consolidated last week, silvers price is up over 3% this morning.

Over the past month, in fact, silver has surged to prices not seen in seven years when it caught a bid last week over $29 per ounce. All told, silvers up 39% since mid-July.

So whats behind silvers revival? The drivers behind silvers surge are threefold

First, central banks money printers are operating at maximum capacity, injecting cash into economies to staunch the pandemics fallout. (So-called monetary easing.)

And everyday folks are getting uneasy about easy money And hard assets are looking better and better.

Second, bond yields are ludicrously low, and in some instances, heading into negative territory. So investors are scrambling for yield. (How about 39% returns in four weeks? Yes, please.)

Third, a weak U.S. dollar has investors piling into silver.

But does silver have room to grow?

CNBC reports: The fact that the silver price is still only halfway to its record high of over $48 in April 2011, while gold has already topped previous records, is helping attract investors to the former.

Get in while silvers still on the way up.

Market Rundown for Monday, Aug. 17, 2020

S&P 500 futures are up 17 points to 3,378.

The price of oil stands pat: $41.98 for a barrel of West Texas crude.

Gold is up 1% to $1,970.20.

Bitcoin is up $78.75 to $11,996.29.

Send your comments and questions to, TheRundownFeedback@SevenFigurePublishing.com.

Hope your week gets off to a great start. Well have more to say Wednesday.

For the Rundown,

Aaron Gentzler

Aaron Gentzler

Jim Rickards: Slower Inflation Isn’t Lower Inflation

Jim Rickards: Slower Inflation Isn’t Lower Inflation

Posted July 17, 2026

By Matt Insley

Wall Street celebrated a cooler CPI report. Jim Rickards says the most dangerous form of inflation may be the one no government report measures.
Corning’s Second Act

Corning’s Second Act

Posted July 14, 2026

By Matt Insley

Artificial intelligence may dominate the headlines, but one 175-year-old American manufacturer is helping build the infrastructure behind the AI boom.
Lindsey Graham’s Unusual Portfolio

Lindsey Graham’s Unusual Portfolio

Posted July 13, 2026

By Matt Insley

Lindsey Graham wasn’t known for beating the stock market. Instead, he spent a career investing in American power. We explore what his legacy reveals about today's Republican Party.
Jim Rickards: Inflation Is Misunderstood

Jim Rickards: Inflation Is Misunderstood

Posted July 10, 2026

By Matt Insley

Jim Rickards breaks down three drivers of inflation and explains why money velocity matters.
Poker > Wall Street

Poker > Wall Street

Posted July 08, 2026

By Matt Insley

Zach Scheidt shares the poker lesson that transformed his investing approach and explains how to build asymmetric opportunities into your portfolio.
A Butcher. A Veteran. A Steelworker.

A Butcher. A Veteran. A Steelworker.

Posted July 06, 2026

By Matt Insley

The Rundown readers weigh in on patriotism, inflation, manufacturing, markets and Memorial Day, offering thoughtful perspectives from across America.