OFAC Revokes License of Venezuela’s Minerven for Gold Operations in International Markets

Revocation of License

The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has recently revoked the license of Minerven, the Venezuela-owned gold company, which allowed them to participate in gold transactions in international markets. The license had been eased in October, but it is now being reinstated on February 13. Additionally, oil and gas sanctions are expected to return in April.

Rationale for Revocation

The decision to revoke the license was made due to the Venezuelan government's failure to meet expectations set by the Biden Administration. Despite an agreement to review the participation of key opposition figures in the upcoming presidential ballot, the highest court in Venezuela upheld the prohibition on Maria Corina Machado, a leader of the opposition, from participating in the elections.

Impact on Minerven

As a result of the license revocation, Minerven's transactions will wind down on February 13. If the Venezuelan Supreme Tribunal does not reverse its decisions, further sanctions may be imposed on the company. The U.S. State Department spokesperson, Matthew Miller, also indicated that other sanctions might be reinstated.

Response from the Venezuelan Government

The Venezuelan government, led by President Maduro, has rejected the actions of the Biden administration. National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez defiantly called for the re-enactment of oil, gas, and gold-related sanctions. In response to a statement from National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby, Rodriguez used strong language to express his discontent.

Maduro's government is also engaged in a battle to regain control of approximately $2 billion in gold held in the U.K.

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What are your thoughts on the re-enactment of sanctions on Minerven? Share your opinions in the comments section below.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I have physical gold in my IRA

Not just paper money or coins, gold is money. It is an asset that people have used over thousands of years as money, and a way to protect wealth from inflation and economic uncertainties. Investors today use gold to diversify their portfolios because gold is more resilient to financial turmoil.

Many Americans are now more inclined to invest in precious metals like gold and silver than stocks or bonds. It's not guaranteed that you'll make any money investing gold, but there are several reasons it might be worthwhile to add gold to retirement funds.

One reason is that gold has historically performed better than other assets during periods of financial panic. The S&P 500 dropped 21 percent in the same time period, while gold prices rose by nearly 100 percent between August 2011-early 2013. Gold was one asset that outperformed stocks in turbulent market conditions.

One of the best things about investing in gold is its virtually zero counterparty risk. Even if your stock portfolio is down, your shares are still yours. However, if you have gold, your value will rise even if the company that you invested in defaults on its loans.

Finally, gold is liquid. You can sell your gold at any time without worrying about finding a buyer, which is a major advantage over other investments. Gold is liquid and therefore it makes sense to purchase small amounts. This allows for you to benefit from the short-term fluctuations of the gold market.

What are some of the advantages and disadvantages to a gold IRA

An Individual Retirement Account is a more beneficial option than regular savings accounts. You don't pay taxes on any interest earned. An IRA is a good choice for those who want a way to save some money but don’t want the tax. There are some disadvantages to this investment.

To give an example, if your IRA is withdrawn too often, you can lose all your accumulated funds. You may also be prohibited by the IRS from making withdrawals from an IRA after you turn 59 1/2. If you do withdraw funds, you'll need to pay a penalty.

You will also need to pay fees for managing your IRA. Many banks charge between 0.5% and 2.0% per year. Others charge management fees that range from $10 to $50 per month.

You can purchase insurance if you want to keep your money out of a bank. Most insurers require you to own a minimum amount of gold before making a claim. Insurance that covers losses upto $500,000.

If you decide to open a gold IRA, it is important to know how much you can use. Some providers limit the number of ounces of gold that you can own. Others allow you to pick your weight.

Also, you will need to decide if you want to buy physical gold futures contracts or physical gold. Physical gold is more costly than gold futures. Futures contracts allow you to buy gold with more flexibility. They let you set up a contract that has a specific expiration.

You'll also need to decide what kind of insurance coverage you want. The standard policy doesn't include theft protection or loss due to fire, flood, or earthquake. It does offer coverage for natural disasters. You may consider adding additional coverage if you live in an area at high risk.

Additional to your insurance, you will need to consider how much it costs to store your gold. Storage costs are not covered by insurance. Safekeeping costs can be as high as $25-40 per month at most banks.

If you decide to open a gold IRA, you must first contact a qualified custodian. Custodians keep track of your investments and ensure compliance with federal regulations. Custodians are not allowed to sell your assets. Instead, they must hold them as long as you request.

After you've determined which type of IRA is best for you, fill out the paperwork indicating your goals. Information about your investments such as stocks and bonds, mutual fund, or real property should be included in your plan. It is also important to specify how much money you will invest each month.

After completing the forms, send them along with a check or a small deposit to your chosen provider. The company will then review your application and mail you a letter of confirmation.

You should consult a financial planner before opening a Gold IRA. Financial planners are experts at investing and can help you determine which type of IRA is best for you. They can also help you lower your expenses by finding cheaper alternatives to purchasing insurance.

Is gold a good investment IRA?

If you are looking for a way to save money, gold is a great investment. It can be used to diversify your portfolio. But gold is not all that it seems.

It's been used as a form of payment throughout history. It is sometimes called the “oldest currency in the world”.

Gold, unlike other paper currencies created by governments is mined directly from the earth. That makes it very valuable because it's rare and hard to create.

The supply and demand for gold determine the price of gold. When the economy is strong, people tend to spend more money, which means fewer people mine gold. As a result, the value of gold goes up.

On the flip side, people save cash for emergencies and don't spend it. This increases the production of gold, which in turn drives down its value.

It is this reason that gold investing makes sense for businesses and individuals. If you have gold to invest, you will reap the rewards when the economy expands.

Also, your investments will earn you interest which can help increase your wealth. Additionally, you won't lose cash if the gold price falls.

How much of your portfolio should be in precious metals?

This question can only be answered if we first know what precious metals are. Precious Metals are elements that have a very high relative value to other commodities. This makes them valuable in investment and trading. Gold is by far the most common precious metal traded today.

There are also many other precious metals such as platinum and silver. The price volatility of gold can be unpredictable, but it is generally stable during periods of economic turmoil. It is also relatively unaffected both by inflation and deflation.

All precious metals prices tend to rise with the overall market. They do not always move in the same direction. If the economy is struggling, the gold price tends to rise, while the prices for other precious metals tends to fall. Investors expect lower interest rate, making bonds less appealing investments.

When the economy is healthy, however, the opposite effect occurs. Investors are more inclined to invest in safe assets, such as Treasury Bonds, and they will not demand precious metals. They become less expensive and have a lower value because they are limited.

It is important to diversify your portfolio across precious metals in order to maximize your profit from precious metals investments. Because precious metals prices are subject to fluctuations, it is best to invest across multiple precious metal types, rather than focusing on one.

What is a gold IRA account?

People who wish to invest in precious metals can use Gold Ira accounts as a tax-free investment vehicle.

Physical gold bullion coin can be purchased at any time. You don't have a retirement date to invest in gold.

Owning gold as an IRA has the advantage of allowing you to keep it forever. Your gold holdings will not be subject to tax when you are gone.

Your heirs can inherit your gold and avoid capital gains taxes. Because your gold doesn't belong to the estate, it's not necessary to include it on your final estate plan.

To open a Gold IRA, you'll need to first set up an Individual Retirement Account (IRA). Once you've done that, you'll receive an IRA custody. This company acts as a middleman between you and the IRS.

Your gold IRA custodian can handle all paperwork and submit necessary forms to IRS. This includes filing annual reports.

Once you've established your gold IRA, you'll be able to purchase gold bullion coins. The minimum deposit is $1,000. If you make more, however, you will get a higher interest rate.

You will pay taxes when you withdraw your gold from your IRA. If you take out the whole amount, you'll be subject to income taxes as well as a 10 percent penalty.

You may not be required to pay taxes if you take out only a small amount. There are exceptions. For example, taking out 30% or more of your total IRA assets, you'll owe federal income taxes plus a 20 percent penalty.

You should avoid taking out more than 50% of your total IRA assets yearly. A violation of this rule can lead to severe financial consequences.

How much gold can you keep in your portfolio

The amount of money you need to make depends on how much capital you are looking for. You can start small by investing $5k-10k. Then as you grow, you could move into an office space and rent out desks, etc. Renting out desks and other equipment is a great way to save money on rent. You just pay per month.

Also, you need to think about the type of business that you are going to run. My company is a website creator. We charge our clients about $1000-2000 per monthly depending on what they order. If you are doing this type of thing, it is important to think about how much you can expect from each client.

If you are doing freelance work, you probably won't have a monthly salary like I do because the project pays freelancers. So you might only get paid once every 6 months or so.

Decide what kind of income do you want before you calculate how much gold is needed.

I would recommend that you start with $1k-2k worth of gold and then increase your wealth.

Statistics

  • Instead, the economy improved, stocks rebounded, and gold plunged, losing 28 percent of its value in 2013. (aarp.org)
  • If you accidentally make an improper transaction, the IRS will disallow it and count it as a withdrawal, so you would owe income tax on the item's value and, if you are younger than 59 ½, an additional 10% early withdrawal penalty. (forbes.com)
  • This is a 15% margin that has shown no stable direction of growth but fluctuates seemingly at random. (smartasset.com)
  • The price of gold jumped 131 percent from late 2007 to September 2011, when it hit a high of $1,921 an ounce, according to the World Gold Council. (aarp.org)
  • Indeed, several financial advisers interviewed for this article suggest you invest 5 to 15 percent of your portfolio in gold, just in case. (aarp.org)

External Links

investopedia.com

forbes.com

irs.gov

cftc.gov

How To

Tips for Investing In Gold

One of the most sought-after investment strategies is investing in gold. This is due to the many benefits of investing in gold. There are many ways you can invest in gold. Some people purchase physical gold coins. Others prefer to invest their money in gold ETFs.

You should consider some things before you decide to purchase any type of gold.

  • First, make sure you check if your country allows you own gold. If your country allows you to own gold, then you are allowed to proceed. You can also look at buying gold abroad.
  • Second, it is important to know which type of gold coin you are looking for. You have options: you can choose from yellow gold, white or rose gold.
  • The third factor to consider is the price for gold. It is best to start small and work your way up. When purchasing gold, diversify your portfolio. Diversifying your portfolio should be a priority, including stocks, bonds and real estate.
  • Last but not least, remember that gold prices fluctuate frequently. Keep an eye on current trends.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–
By: Sergio Goschenko
Title: OFAC Revokes License of Venezuela's Minerven for Gold Operations in International Markets
Sourced From: news.bitcoin.com/ofac-blocks-venezuelan-gold-business-warns-about-upcoming-oil-sanctions/
Published Date: Fri, 02 Feb 2024 17:30:10 +0000

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https://altcoinirareview.com/bitcoin-vs-real-estate-the-superior-store-of-value-in-times-of-conflict/

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