This page is not about get-rich-quick schemes. It is about understanding incentives, time, compounding, and risk — and using them to your advantage over decades. Most people fail to build wealth not because they lack intelligence, but because they follow bad incentives, short-term thinking, and emotional decisions encouraged by modern financial culture.
This content is educational only. It is not financial, legal, or tax advice. You are responsible for your own decisions. These are the personal views of Ted Lee — a retired financial advisor, deep-sea diver, soldier, and UN peacekeeper who has traveled widely and continues to study how money and power actually work.
Foundation
Core Principles of Getting Rich
You Must Own Productive Assets
Wealth comes from ownership, not wages. Wages pay bills. Assets compound. Businesses, stocks and ETFs, real estate, Bitcoin, commodities — these build generational wealth.
Time Matters More Than Skill
Starting early beats being smart. Compounding rewards patience and consistency, not brilliance. The most powerful financial decision you can make is to start now.
Inflation Is the Invisible Tax
Holding cash long-term guarantees loss of purchasing power. Wealth requires assets that outrun monetary debasement. Governments have strong incentives to inflate — always.
Volatility Is the Price of Admission
If an asset never scares you, it probably will not make you rich. Real returns demand real risk. Understanding this distinction separates investors from savers.
Timeline
Wealth by Life Stage
Where you are in life shapes what you should prioritize. These are not rules — they are useful frameworks for thinking about the right moves at the right time.
18–30
Survival & Learning
- Learn how money actually works — not how schools teach it
- Avoid lifestyle inflation the moment you earn more
- Take intelligent, asymmetric risks early
- Invest in yourself and your earning capacity first
30–50
Accumulation
- Maximize ownership of productive assets
- Use leverage carefully and deliberately — not emotionally
- Diversify income streams beyond a single employer
- Ignore short-term market noise; stay focused on decades
50+
Preservation
- Reduce unnecessary risk — you have less time to recover
- Focus on income generation and capital protection
- Optimize taxes and estate planning for your heirs
- Think seriously about geopolitical risk to your assets
Framework
A Simple Wealth Strategy
This is one example framework, not a rule. The goal is not to be right every year. The goal is to survive every year and compound over decades.
Productive Equities
For long-term growth
Hard Assets
As insurance against systemic failure
Selective Leverage
Only where risk is clearly asymmetric
Cash
Only as optionality — not as savings
Common Questions
Is this approach risky?
Not understanding money is riskier. The real danger is following conventional advice without questioning the incentives behind it. Banks want deposits. Governments want tax compliance. Neither institution is primarily interested in your financial independence.
How much money do I need to start?
Less than you think. Consistency matters more than initial capital. A small amount invested every month for twenty years beats a lump sum invested once at the wrong time.
Why not just save?
Saving preserves effort. Investing multiplies it. In an era of structural inflation driven by government spending and central bank money creation, saving in a bank account is a slow guaranteed loss.
For more related thinking, see: Invest, Borrow, Die · Step Up vs Deem · Using Debt to Grow Wealth · Compare IBD to Smith Manoeuvre · Understanding Fiat Currency
Geopolitical Risk
Protecting Your Wealth in a Two-Sphere World
This section connects geopolitical analysis to practical wealth protection. In my view — and I want to be clear this is my personal perspective, not professional advice — the financial wars have already started.
Why the Financial Wars Have Started
The unipolar economic order that rewarded concentrated U.S.-dollar portfolios for thirty years is fracturing. Sanctions — once a rare diplomatic tool — have become a first-resort financial weapon used by Western governments. The expansion of OFAC sanctions programs grew from 120 designations in 2001 to over 900 by 2024. The freezing of $300 billion in Russian central bank reserves, and growing trade restrictions, have transformed the U.S. dollar from neutral international infrastructure into a geopolitical weapon.
When governments weaponize the financial system against each other, ordinary citizens and investors get caught in the crossfire. Rules that you thought were permanent can change overnight. Assets you thought were safe can be frozen. That is not a conspiracy theory — it has already happened to governments, central banks, and individual account holders.
This analysis is consistent with research from world.tedlee.ca on the shifting global order, and with assessments from institutions like BlackRock and Vanguard referenced in the sources at the bottom of this page.
Three Structural Shifts You Need to Understand
1. De-Dollarization. BRICS+ nations are building alternative trade settlement systems to reduce dependence on the U.S. dollar. India is settling Russian crude purchases in yuan and dirhams. Central banks globally are increasing gold reserves while reducing USD Treasury holdings. This weakens the structural demand for dollars that has supported USD-denominated asset prices for decades.
2. Commodity Bloc Formation. BRICS+ members collectively control over 40% of global oil production, plus major shares of natural gas, grains, metals, and minerals. As trade fragments along bloc lines, commodity supply disruptions and price spikes become more frequent — feeding persistent inflation that erodes cash savings and fixed-income portfolios.
3. Institutional Fragmentation. Growing trade restrictions have created counterparty risk in Western financial institutions for any investor exposed to cross-bloc assets. If you keep everything in one institution, one currency, and one jurisdiction, you are making a concentrated bet that this specific system remains stable forever. That is not a bet I would make today.
Sanctions Are a Failing Tool When Overused
In my experience of watching global politics for many decades — including a year in the Sinai and Gaza Strip as a Canadian UN peacekeeper — overusing sanctions accelerates the very fragmentation they are supposed to prevent. Countries that are sanctioned are incentivized to build alternative systems. Over time, those alternatives become the foundation of a parallel financial order. We are watching that happen right now.
Bail-Ins: When Governments Come for Your Savings
Most Canadians have never heard the term "bail-in." A bail-in is what happens when a bank is failing and the government forces the bank's creditors — which includes depositors — to absorb the losses by converting their deposits into equity (shares) in the failing bank. Instead of a government bailout using tax dollars, the bank's customers become its involuntary shareholders.
This is not a theoretical scenario. Bail-ins have already been used in Cyprus (2012–2013), where depositors with accounts over €100,000 had a significant portion of their savings converted and seized. Canada actually passed bail-in legislation in 2016 as part of the federal budget. The framework exists. It has never been triggered for a major Canadian bank — but the legal mechanism is in place.
In extreme scenarios of financial system stress — not impossible ones, given what we have seen in 2008, in 2020, and in the current geopolitical environment — governments may also impose capital controls. Argentina has done this repeatedly. Cyprus did it. Russia did it in 2022. These are sovereign tools that can be deployed faster than most people think possible.
I am not predicting this will happen in Canada. I am saying: the history of the 20th century shows us that it can happen anywhere, and it is not prudent to have 100% of your wealth in institutions that are legally subject to those mechanisms.
Personal View
Keeping a Portion of Your Wealth Under Your Own Control
This is the section most financial advisors will not discuss with you. My personal view — based on what I have read, seen, and learned — is that a meaningful portion of your wealth should be under your direct physical control, outside the banking system.
I want to be very clear: this is my personal perspective from experience. It is not advice. Speak to a qualified professional before acting on anything here.
Cash in Small Bills
In an emergency — power outages, bank system failures, natural disasters, sudden capital controls — cash is king. Not digital cash. Not a debit card. Physical currency, in small denominations, that you can use for day-to-day transactions with anyone, anywhere.
What does "small denominations" mean? In Canada, think fives, tens, and twenties. Not hundreds. If you hand someone a $100 bill in a crisis and they cannot make change, the transaction fails. Small bills allow flexibility.
I am deliberately not specifying how much to hold because everyone's situation is different. The point is to have some — and not to keep it in a bank safe deposit box. Safe deposit boxes are bank property. They can be sealed, frozen, or inaccessible during a bank holiday or system emergency. Keep your emergency cash at home, in a proper safe.
Silver and Gold — Coins vs. Bars
Physical precious metals are the oldest form of savings insurance in human history. They have no counterparty risk — there is no institution that can fail, no system that can be hacked, no regulatory authority that can freeze them if they are in your possession.
Silver coins are my preferred choice for day-to-day utility. A one-ounce silver coin (such as a Canadian Maple Leaf or an American Silver Eagle) has a recognized face value, is highly liquid, and can be used as a medium of exchange in small transactions in an emergency. If you show up at a farmer's market in a currency crisis with silver coins, people know what they are.
Gold coins are better for storing larger amounts of value compactly. One ounce of gold holds more value than one ounce of silver in a much smaller physical space. Canadian Gold Maple Leafs are .9999 pure and are recognized worldwide. For larger value concentrations, gold bars are an option — but they are less flexible for transactions due to their size.
A practical balance, in my personal view, is to have more silver than gold for liquidity, and more gold than silver for concentrated value storage. The exact ratio depends on your situation. The important thing is to hold it yourself, physically, in a secure location.
Physical gold and silver are available through the Royal Canadian Mint, reputable local dealers, and online dealers. Do your research. Buy recognized government-minted coins where possible — their purity is guaranteed and their liquidity is highest.
Safes: Don't Make the Common Mistake
If you are going to store physical valuables at home, the safe you use matters enormously. Here is the most common mistake people make: they buy a cheap safe from a big-box hardware store or a department store.
These safes offer a false sense of security. There are freely available YouTube videos demonstrating how some low-quality gun safes and home safes can be opened using a strong magnet — in under a minute — by exploiting cheap solenoid lock mechanisms. They can also be opened with a screwdriver, a pry bar, or simply by being carried out of the house entirely if they are not bolted down.
My personal recommendation is to:
- Use a specialist safe manufacturer, not a mass-market brand sold at hardware chains. Look for safes rated by independent testing bodies (UL ratings are one standard). Ask a locksmith or security professional for advice in your area.
- Have the safe professionally anchored to the floor and/or wall. A safe that can be carried out is not a safe — it is a container.
- Consider concealment as a secondary layer of security. A hidden safe is harder to find than a prominent one. Diversion safes can help misdirect, but your primary unit should be a proper rated safe.
- Learn about fire ratings if you plan to store documents. A fire-resistant safe is a different product category from a burglary-resistant safe. The best safes offer both.
Do your research before purchasing. The internet has excellent resources on safe ratings, and locksmiths who specialize in security are worth consulting. This is one area where spending more money upfront is clearly justified.
Bank Safe Deposit Boxes: What You Need to Know
I want to be direct about this: I do not recommend using a bank safe deposit box as the primary storage for your emergency wealth. Safe deposit boxes are physically located in bank branches. If the bank closes, is in a bank holiday, or is subject to a court order, you may not be able to access your box when you need it most. In some jurisdictions, safe deposit box contents can be seized or inventoried under specific legal circumstances.
For assets you may need in a financial emergency, you want access that does not depend on the banking system being operational.
Global Lessons
Lessons from Ex-Pats and Global Mobility
Over the years I have spoken with people who lived as ex-pats in places like Dubai, Singapore, and various European countries. When political situations changed suddenly — as they do — some of these people had to leave quickly. Their bank accounts were accessible. Their Bitcoin wallets went with them on a USB drive. But their apartment, their car, their stored goods, their safe — those things stayed behind.
Fixed assets tied to a single jurisdiction carry concentration risk that is easy to ignore until a crisis makes it unmistakable. The lesson I take from these conversations is straightforward: do not put everything in one basket, in one country, under one legal system.
Multiple Citizenships and Residencies
Having more than one citizenship or permanent residency is the ultimate optionality play. It is not about evading taxes or hiding money — both of which are illegal. It is about having genuine choices when rules change in ways that disadvantage you.
Countries compete for wealthy and skilled residents through citizenship-by-investment programs, digital nomad visas, and retirement visa programs. Portugal, Malta, Panama, Paraguay, and many others have well-established frameworks. Some require significant investment; others require only time and residence.
I am sharing this as an informational perspective, not immigration or legal advice. If this concept interests you, consult a qualified immigration lawyer who specializes in international citizenship planning. This is a complex area where good professional guidance is worth paying for.
The core principle: sovereignty over your own life includes geographic optionality. A person with two or three citizenship options has more practical freedom than a person tied to a single passport — regardless of how good that passport is today.
Defensive Framework
Seven Wealth Protection Strategies
The following are defensive positioning concepts, not stock picks or recommendations. Each addresses one or more of the three geopolitical risks (currency risk, inflation risk, and institutional risk) outlined in the full protection analysis page.
1. Gold & Precious Metals
Gold has outperformed most major asset classes over the past five years. Central bank buying driven by de-dollarization is structural, not speculative. Physical gold, Canadian Mint products, or ETFs like CGL (iShares Gold Bullion, CAD-hedged) are accessible within registered accounts. Silver adds industrial demand upside.
2. Real Return Bonds
Canadian Real Return Bonds pay a coupon adjusted for CPI, directly protecting purchasing power. Available via XRB (iShares) on the TSX. In a world where bloc competition makes inflation structural rather than cyclical, these are a core defensive holding for preservation-stage investors.
3. Canadian Energy & Resources
Canada straddles both spheres — a G7 member whose commodities are in demand from both blocs. Canadian energy producers, miners, and agricultural companies benefit from commodity leverage, while paying dividends in CAD. This is a "hedge both ways" position.
4. Bitcoin & Digital Assets (Self-Custody)
Bitcoin sits outside both spheres — not controlled by any central bank, not subject to SWIFT restrictions, not correlated with either bloc's institutional architecture. In a two-sphere world, a non-sovereign self-custodied store of value has a structural case. The risk is volatility. Position size accordingly.
5. Emerging Market Exposure
BRICS+ now accounts for approximately 41% of global GDP (PPP) and is growing faster than the G7. A weakening USD provides an additional tailwind for emerging market equities. A modest EM allocation diversifies away from concentrated G7 exposure. Higher risk, but structural growth.
6. Reduce U.S. Equity Overweight
For a Canadian investor in the preservation stage, reducing overweight U.S. equity positions and rebalancing toward inflation-protected bonds and hard assets aligns with the two-sphere risk profile. Consider whether a 50%+ U.S. equity concentration still makes sense given current conditions.
7. Broad Commodity Exposure
Commodities like oil and natural gas are components of CPI — their prices rise when inflation rises, making them a direct inflation hedge. Canada as a net energy exporter benefits from elevated commodity prices. Canadian-listed commodity ETFs provide direct exposure.
For a full breakdown including the three-risk framework and detailed strategy explanations, see: Protect Your Wealth in a Two-Sphere World ↗
Reference
Asset Protection Matrix
How each asset class maps to the three key geopolitical risks. This is an educational framework, not a recommendation to buy or sell any specific asset.
| Asset Class | Currency Risk | Inflation Risk | Institutional Risk | Canadian Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physical Gold / Silver | ✅ Strong | ✅ Strong | ✅ Strong | Canadian Mint, dealers |
| Gold ETFs (CGL, MNT) | ✅ Strong | ✅ Strong | ⚠️ Moderate (custodial) | TSX, TFSA, RRSP, RRIF |
| Real Return Bonds (XRB) | ⚠️ Moderate | ✅ Strong | ⚠️ Moderate | TSX, registered accounts |
| Canadian Energy Equities | ✅ Strong (CAD income) | ✅ Strong | ⚠️ Moderate | TSX, dividend-eligible |
| Bitcoin (self-custody) | ✅ Strong | ✅ Strong | ✅ Strong | Bull Bitcoin, Bitcoin Well, hardware wallets |
| Emerging Market ETFs | ✅ Strong | ⚠️ Moderate | ⚠️ Moderate | TSX-listed (XEM, ZEM), registered accounts |
| Commodity ETFs | ✅ Strong | ✅ Strong | ⚠️ Moderate | TSX-listed, registered accounts |
| Cash / GICs | ❌ Weak | ❌ Weak | ⚠️ Moderate | Guaranteed, but losing purchasing power |
Starting Point
A Simple Action Plan
This is one example framework for a Canadian investor in the preservation stage. It is not a rule — it is a starting point for thinking. Always consult qualified professionals before acting.
-
1
Review your U.S. equity concentration. If more than 50% of your portfolio is in U.S.-dollar equities, you are making a bet that the unipolar order continues. Consider whether that bet still makes sense given current geopolitical conditions.
-
2
Add inflation protection. Real return bonds (XRB) and commodity exposure directly hedge the structural inflation that bloc competition creates. This is different from transient cyclical inflation — it is structural.
-
3
Hold hard assets as insurance. Physical gold, silver, and Bitcoin are not speculations in this context — they are insurance against monetary system disruption. Position size should reflect your risk tolerance, not your conviction about price direction.
-
4
Favour Canadian assets where appropriate. Canada is a net energy exporter that benefits from elevated commodity prices. Canadian equities pay dividends in CAD and avoid USD conversion risk in a de-dollarization scenario.
-
5
Diversify custody. Don't keep everything in one institution, one jurisdiction, or one currency. The two-sphere world rewards resilience and optionality. Self-custody of some assets is a legitimate risk management strategy.
-
6
Study history. Capital controls, bail-ins, currency resets, and asset seizures have happened throughout the 20th century in countries that their citizens considered stable. Understanding this history is not pessimism — it is preparation.
Core principle: The goal is not to be right every year. The goal is to survive every year and compound over decades. In a fragmenting world, survival means diversification across asset classes, currencies, and custody methods.
Further Education & Resources
Get Started — Bitcoin & Sound Money
These are services I have used personally and am comfortable referring readers to. The referral links below support this site at no cost to you.
Maple Bitcoin School (Skool)
Deepen your understanding of Bitcoin and sound money principles. This is an educational community, not a trading group or investment service.
Sign Up for Skool (Not to Buy Bitcoin) →- Click the link above to open the signup page.
- Create your account using your email and a secure password.
- Confirm that the referral code Ted Lee appears on the signup or promo field.
- Complete registration and follow any on-screen steps to qualify for the free trial period.
If the referral code doesn't appear automatically, copy and paste: https://www.skool.com/maplebitcoin/about?ref=fe87c0c46c0e412aa2a6397f5e3c2d5a
Bull Bitcoin
Now available in Canada, Europe, Mexico, Costa Rica, Argentina, and Colombia. A non-custodial Bitcoin exchange — meaning they do not hold your coins after purchase.
Sign Up with Referral Link →- Click the link above to open the signup page.
- Create your account using your email and a secure password.
- Confirm that the referral code btc_vancouver appears on the signup or promo field.
- Complete registration and follow any on-screen steps to qualify for the bonus.
If the referral code doesn't appear automatically, copy and paste: https://app.bullbitcoin.com/registration/btc_vancouver
Bitcoin Well
Available for both U.S. and Canadian users. Another non-custodial exchange option.
Sign Up with Referral Link →- Click the link above to open the signup page.
- Create your account using your email and a secure password.
- Check the box that you have a referral code: ve7lee
- Complete registration and follow any on-screen steps to qualify for the bonus.
If the referral code doesn't appear automatically, copy and paste: https://bitcoinwell.com/referral/ve7lee
✦ Earn sats as your friends buy/sell — Give 500, get 500 Bitcoin Well Points for each friend you refer.
References
History, Sources, and Further Reading
The following publicly available sources informed the analysis on this page and on protect.html. I encourage every reader to study these sources directly and form their own conclusions. Do not take my word for it — or anyone else's.
Geopolitical & Market Analysis
- 1. world.tedlee.ca — "The Shifting Global Order," 2026. Link ↗
- 2. BlackRock Investment Institute — "Geopolitical Risk Dashboard," March 2026. Link ↗
- 3. Vanguard Canada — "Canada 2026 Q2 Outlook: Resilience amid geopolitical crosscurrents." Link ↗
- 4. VanEck — "Gold Price & Investment Outlook: 2026 & Beyond," February 2026. Link ↗
- 5. Canadian Mining Report — "Gold Market Outlook: Key Catalysts Behind the Current Rally," April 2026. Link ↗
- 6. Benefits Canada — "Canadian institutional investors taking a measured approach amid geopolitical volatility," March 2026. Link ↗
- 7. Morningstar — "Commodities vs. Gold: Which Is the Better Inflation Hedge?" June 2025. Link ↗
- 8. MTFX Group — "The Shift Toward De-Dollarization: What Canadian Businesses Need to Know," November 2025. Link ↗
De-Dollarization & BRICS Data
- 9. Techi.com — "De-Dollarization 2026: BRICS Oil Trade, Hormuz Yuan Toll & Petrodollar Decline," March 2026. Link ↗
- 10. European Parliament Research Service — "Expansion of BRICS: A quest for greater global influence?" 2024. PDF ↗
- 11. Konrad Adenauer Stiftung — "BRICS expansion," 2024. Link ↗
- 12. IMF / BRICS Brazil Presidency — "BRICS GDP outperforms global average, accounts for 40% of world economy," April 2025. Link ↗
Related Pages on This Site
⚠️ Important Legal and Financial Disclaimers
This page is for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing on this page constitutes financial, investment, legal, tax, or accounting advice, nor does it constitute a solicitation, recommendation, endorsement, or offer to buy or sell any securities, commodities, cryptocurrencies, or other financial instruments.
The author, Ted Lee, is not a licensed financial advisor, investment dealer, portfolio manager, or tax professional. The author's mutual funds licence (BC/AB) and insurance broker licence (BC) are both retired and no longer active. The author does not manage money for others and is not registered with any securities regulatory authority.
Past performance is not indicative of future results. All investments involve risk, including the potential loss of principal. The value of any investment may fluctuate, and investors may receive back less than they invest. Cryptocurrency investments are particularly volatile and may result in significant or total loss.
Gold, silver, Bitcoin, and other assets discussed on this page carry their own specific risks including but not limited to: price volatility, liquidity risk, custodial risk, regulatory risk, theft or loss (in the case of self-custody assets), and changes in tax treatment.
Canadian tax treatment of the assets discussed on this page varies and may change. Consult a qualified Canadian tax professional regarding the treatment of capital gains, deemed dispositions, registered account eligibility, and estate planning implications in your specific province of residence.
Before making any investment decision, you should consult with a qualified, licensed financial advisor, tax professional, and/or lawyer who is familiar with your specific financial situation, objectives, and risk tolerance.
The author may hold positions in some of the asset classes discussed on this page, including but not limited to Bitcoin, gold, silver, Canadian equities, and ETFs. This creates a potential conflict of interest. The author receives no compensation from any ETF provider, brokerage, or financial institution mentioned on this page, other than referral bonuses where explicitly noted.
External links are provided for reference only and do not constitute endorsement. The author is not responsible for the content, accuracy, or availability of linked third-party websites.
© 2026 Ted Lee. All rights reserved. Educational content only. Not financial, legal, or tax advice.