CBDCs Threaten Your Wealth and Freedom

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What Every Canadian Needs to Know Before Cash Disappears

Peter J. Merrick, TEP and I are writing a book titled It Starts With Gold, set to be released on March 17th, 2025. In the book, we examine strategies to protect wealth and financial independence at a time when governments and financial institutions are moving toward central bank digital currencies. This article previews some of the urgent risks and solutions we cover issues every Canadian must understand before the financial system changes forever.

Peter and I have spent years studying wealth preservation, economic history, and advanced financial planning strategies to protect Canadians from risks most never see coming until it is too late. One of the greatest risks today is the accelerating push for CBDCs. These are not just a technological upgrade to money. They are a fundamental shift in who controls wealth and how much financial freedom individuals will have in the future.

The impact goes far beyond banking. CBDCs will reshape how Canadians save, invest, spend, and even think about their money. This article offers both a warning and a call to action for Canadians who want to preserve their independence before these changes become permanent.

What is a Central Bank Digital Currency?

A CBDC is a digital version of the Canadian dollar, issued directly by the Bank of Canada. Unlike cash or even regular digital deposits at private banks, a CBDC bypasses traditional financial intermediaries, creating a direct link between every Canadian and the central bank. Every transaction is tracked, controlled, and potentially reversed in real time.

The Bank of Canada, along with central banks worldwide, is rapidly developing this technology. What Canadians are not being told is that CBDCs are not about innovation. They are about control. Peter and I make it clear in It Starts With Gold that once cash disappears, personal wealth no longer belongs to the individual. It becomes a conditional privilege, subject to government policy.

Programmable Money: A Direct Threat to Freedom

CBDCs are not simple digital replacements for cash. They are programmable, meaning the government can control how, when, and where money is spent. This is not a theory. The Bank of England, the European Central Bank, and the Bank for International Settlements have openly discussed these capabilities.

Peter and I explain in It Starts With Gold how programmable money will lead directly to purchase restrictions on items like gasoline, meat, firearms, or politically disapproved products. Automatic taxation will apply wealth taxes, carbon taxes, and fines without notice or recourse. Spending controls will lock funds if purchases do not align with government goals, while account freezes could instantly punish individuals for attending protests, donating to independent media, or posting critical opinions online.

With programmable money, financial freedom becomes conditional.

The Nigerian Example: A Warning Canadians Must Not Ignore

In 2022, Nigeria launched the eNaira, its CBDC. Nigerians overwhelmingly rejected it, choosing physical cash instead. In response, the government removed cash from circulation. Businesses collapsed, food shortages erupted, and protests turned violent. Despite the chaos, the government declared the eNaira a success because usage increased under duress.

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Peter and I discuss this case in detail in?It Starts With Gold?because it reveals the likely roadmap for countries like Canada. Forced adoption is not off the table, and Canadians who wait until CBDCs arrive will have no off-ramp.

Digital ID: The Mandatory Partner to CBDCs

CBDCs cannot function without a national digital identification system linking every transaction to a specific individual. This system is already under development in Canada under the banner of financial inclusion.

This means no anonymous transactions, a permanent financial surveillance record, and automatic penalties applied based on your carbon footprint, spending choices, or political affiliations. Peter and I explain in It Starts With Gold how combining CBDCs with digital IDs eliminates the concept of private financial life.

The Social Credit Connection: China’s Model in Canada

China’s social credit system already demonstrates what happens when financial privileges are tied to government-approved behaviour. Low scores mean restricted travel, blocked loans, and exclusion from basic services.

During the 2022 Freedom Convoy, Canada demonstrated the first steps toward financial social control, freezing bank accounts without court orders. With CBDCs, this level of control could become instant and permanent.

Climate Control Through Financial Control

CBDCs will also allow for personal carbon budgets, limiting purchases based on government-defined environmental goals. Some credit cards already track carbon footprints. CBDCs would enforce compliance directly.

Peter and I emphasize in It Starts With Gold that this is not climate policy. This is economic and social engineering disguised as environmental responsibility.

Wealth Confiscation Made Automatic

History is clear. When governments face unsustainable debt, they confiscate wealth. In 1933, the United States seized gold. In 2013, Cyprus raided bank deposits.

CBDCs make this process instantaneous. Negative interest rates will be applied directly, wealth taxes deducted without notice, and transaction limits will prevent capital flight. The Bank for International Settlements has already proposed using CBDCs to enforce negative interest rates.

Watch The Following Video for Full Details

How to Protect Yourself: Building the Four Critical Pillars of Financial Survival

Peter and I explain in It Starts With Gold that financial survival in the age of CBDCs requires more than awareness. It requires action. To stay ahead of the inevitable financial confiscation and collapse, and not just survive but truly succeed, Canadians must act now. De-risking every aspect of financial life is not optional. It is absolutely essential. The path forward begins by building what Peter and I call the Four Critical Pillars of Financial Survival:

1. Gold and Precious Metals: Gold and silver provide the ultimate, unshakable foundation for wealth preservation. These tangible assets offer timeless protection that transcends the volatility of digital and fiat currency assets. Gold and silver are private, universally recognized as money, and sit entirely outside the reach of governments and central banks. Physical gold and silver shield wealth from currency devaluation, financial surveillance, and outright confiscation. History has repeatedly shown that gold retains its value when governments debase their currencies or when financial systems fail. In an era of programmable money, holding physical gold and silver is no longer just wise—it is essential.
2. Alternative Investments: Diversification beyond public stocks and bonds is critical to building financial resilience. Alternative investments include private equity in operating businesses, private real estate, private lending, and resource-based investments. These private assets are held outside the public financial system, which limits government visibility and makes them harder to tax, seize, or restrict. During times of financial instability, alternative investments tend to outperform because they are tied to real assets and cash flows, not speculative market sentiment. They also offer greater privacy and reduced exposure to financial repression.
3. Active Discretionary Private Portfolio Management: Professional management, focused specifically on de-risking wealth, is essential in uncertain times. This approach ensures assets are held within a secure custodial relationship, meaning clients retain direct ownership of their investments. Unlike traditional brokerage firms that pool client assets together with their own, this custodial structure keeps client holdings legally separate from the firm’s corporate assets. This significantly reduces counterparty risk while ensuring full transparency and fiduciary oversight. Combined with active risk management aligned to long-term goals, this creates a much more resilient and protective platform than conventional public market strategies.
4. Financial Instruments Offered by Mutual Life Insurance Companies: Mutual life insurance companies provide long-term stability and resilience through participating whole life policies and similar instruments. Unlike stockholder-owned insurers, mutual life companies are owned by their policyholders, meaning the focus is on financial security, not quarterly profits. Participating whole life insurance offers stable, tax-efficient growth, creditor protection, and seamless wealth transfer across generations. This unique structure makes mutual life insurance policies an essential pillar for anyone serious about preserving family wealth through economic and political instability.

These?Four Critical Pillars of Financial Survival?are far more than investment strategies. They are lifelines to financial security and sovereignty. Together, they form the ultimate defence against the Financial Industrial Complex, a system increasingly designed to confiscate wealth through inflation, taxation, and financial surveillance. By embracing these Four Critical Pillars, Canadians can ensure their wealth not only survives but thrives, even as unprecedented uncertainty, corruption, and economic threats accelerate.

A Partnership for Holistic Wealth Management

For Canadians ready to de-risk their wealth, Peter and I, through my partnership with one of Canada’s leading independent private wealth firms, offer professional investment management combined with comprehensive wealth planning solutions. This partnership provides access to sophisticated strategies traditionally reserved for the ultra-affluent, all delivered from a fiduciary-focused, client-first perspective.

The approach follows a capital preservation first philosophy. Instead of chasing market highs or speculating on short-term trends, the focus is on generating consistent, tax-efficient returns that are uncorrelated to the ups and downs of public markets. This method relies on direct asset ownership within a secure custodial relationship. Assets are not pooled or commingled with the firm’s own holdings, ensuring clients maintain clear, independent ownership of their investments at all times. With this custodial model, clients retain full transparency and control, significantly reducing counterparty risk while enhancing long-term security.

This private wealth approach also provides access to exclusive opportunities in alternative investments, including private equity, private real estate, and private lending. In addition, clients benefit from allocations to precious metals, commodities, government-sanctioned flow-through tax-efficient structures, and tax-minimizing corporate insurance solutions offered through mutual life companies. Each component is selected specifically to fortify, secure, and de-risk family, business, and estate wealth against financial system instability, economic threats, inflation, and rising taxes.

Complimentary Portfolio Evaluation

For Canadians concerned about CBDCs, financial confiscation, inflation, and rising taxes, I am offering a complimentary portfolio evaluation. This evaluation focuses on de-risking your portfolio, introducing private alternatives, reducing exposure to vulnerable assets, and enhancing privacy and control. To schedule your evaluation, email me at [email protected] or use my Calendly Link.

The Final Word

CBDCs are not modernization; they are control. Financial independence will no longer be a right; it will become a privilege granted only to those who comply. Peter and I clearly explain this in?It Starts With Gold. The window to prepare is closing. Canadians who act now, by diversifying into gold, private alternatives, and protected structures, will hold the upper hand when the rules of wealth are rewritten.

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Disclaimer

The information provided is for educational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, investment, legal, real estate, estate planning, wealth planning, financial planning, tax planning, insurance, or any other financial-related advice. It should not be viewed as a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any financial products or assets. All investments, including stocks, bonds, private equity, private real estate, alternative assets, and precious metals, carry inherent risks, including loss of principal. Markets are unpredictable, and past performance does not guarantee future results. Diversification may reduce risk but does not ensure protection against loss. Real estate and precious metals are subject to market volatility, economic conditions, and illiquidity. Alternative investments, such as private equity, private real estate, and private debt, often involve complex legal structures, longer time horizons, and higher risk, requiring careful consideration and professional advice. Insurance, estate planning, wealth planning, real estate, and tax planning decisions, as well as any financial strategies, must be tailored to the unique circumstances, goals, and risk tolerance of each individual. Tax and legal implications vary by person and jurisdiction, and changes in laws can affect outcomes. It is crucial to consult with licensed financial, legal, tax, insurance, real estate, and mortgage professionals before making decisions. Forward-looking predictions are the opinion of the author and do not constitute financial advice. By using this information, you acknowledge it is general in nature and not a substitute for personalized advice, and you agree that the authors and affiliated entities are not liable for any financial losses or consequences from reliance on the content provided.

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