Written by Jim Rickards in conjunction with David Stevenson of Agora Lifestyles (who are also the publisher), The Big Drop explores the economic future of Britain and relevant investments.
What is the product?
The Big Drop is a follow up book by well known author and global finance expert Jim Rickards. The book is something of a follow up to his previous best sellers, Currency Wars and The Death of Money, both of which provided a look into a possible economic future. The Big Drop also explores this but the focus is more on Britain as opposed to the United States. The focus is on an upcoming event that could destabilise the pound and how this would have an impact on British financial markets. To be fair to Jim Rickards, all of this is an interesting proposition and it is clear that this is a topic that he knows well and is well researched.
This aspect of The Big Drop is a fantastic read and well worth it. Unfortunately the influence of David Stevenson seems to really come in when you start looking at the other aspect of The Big Drop which is the financial advice. There is plenty of advice on offer on how to make money through this cataclysmic event and the companies and investments that will be more profitable as a result of an economic downturn. This is something that is heavily pushed in the promotional material as well with The Big Drop being sold in a similar method to survivalist guides (just with a focus on finances rather than the physical). As well as The Big Drop you also get a number of bonus reports from David Stevenson based around investment advice.
What is the investment vs. the rate of return?
At the time of writing, Agora Lifestyles are advertising The Big Drop as a free product however there are a number of hidden costs involved with this. The most transparent is the fact that you have to pay postage and packaging which at £4.95 is a fair price for a hard cover book. What is rather skimmed over is the fact that you are also being signed up for a 30 day free trial to Strategic Alliance. A newsletter from Jim Rickards and Agora Lifestyles. This comes at a cost of £97 for the year.
Does the product provide value for money?
If you make sure that you only pay the postage and packaging then The Big Drop is definitely value for money however if you end up forgetting your subscription to strategic alliance then you are likely to feel ripped off.
Conclusion
The Big Drop is an interesting read and not a bad book by any stretch of the imagination. Jim Rickard is well informed and this is passed easily on to you as a reader. The biggest issue that I have with The Big Drop is that David Stevenson seems to be using it mostly as a platform to push his own investments. In the rather lengthy disclaimer for The Big Drop, it states “Investment Director: David Stevenson. Editors or contributors may have an interest in shares recommended”.
This naturally creates a conflict of interest for anybody who is looking for sound investment advice. Personally, I think that The Big Drop is worth a read, however I wouldn’t rush into the investment advice that it offers.
Leave a Reply