We are not Japanese, we are a society of consumers - It is really hard to cure.Also, Japan is a product-producing country and that why their GDP is high and their ability to devaluate their currency is so limited that deflation is king.

v=WshxmT3Fawo"Derivatives" on any financial institution's books means OPM (Depositor/Investor/Lender/Fed/Treasury) vested deeply in LBOs, "High Yield" Bonds (AKA "Junk"), ETFs, puts/calls in equities/commodities/currencies, and a lot of real "derivatives" (bets based on equations in every manner of index movements) and all other sorts of investments which would make a Depositor or "Investor" run for the hills if it were more clearly described.

However, a 400% markup kinda hurts your 50% currency advantage.

My favored gold market used to be the gold spot in FOREX.

The dollar still holds the plurality position of currencies held in reserves, it is no longer by any means THE reserve currency.

I've looked but can't seem to find any way to change the reporting tools' currency from dollars to south african rand (ZAR), for instance.

They generate between 5% and 7% depending on the currency exchange.

Also realize currency fluctuations can add a risk factor.Good luck 

I was hoping to get opinions on what I should Invest $45k (US currency) on in terms of a SF home or MF?

It involved the seller selling properties for "real" silver dollars (coins) and hence the sales amount was far "less" in those dollars than if "paper / fiat" currency.