Recently we had one of our blogs posts go viral and capture the attention of the national news.

You can read that account and what we really said in our article, “Sensational Headlines Capture Nation’s Attention.” Here we provide links and excerpts to some of the media coverage:

Friday, December 26, 2013

Paul Bedard of the Washington Examiner was the first to pick up the story in the Washington Examiner in his 12/26/2013 Washington Secrets column entitled, “Be prepared: Wall Street advisor recommends guns, ammo for protection in collapse.”

Three parts of the headline are misleading. I am not a Wall Street advisor; I am in Charlottesville, Virginia. My only connection to Wall Street is having my photo taken at the Bull and eating at the Deli. The article does mildly clarify, describing me as a “Wall Street expert,” true if that means investment advisor. However, future articles referencing Bedard’s article were misled by this description.

Furthermore, I did not exactly recommend guns and ammo. I suggested that two dozen items on the list are more important. This is mentioned in the article when Bedard quotes me as saying, “Firearms are the last item on the list, but they are on the list.”

I did not suggest there would be a collapse. I had written in the first of the series, “There is the possibility of a precipitous decline, although a long and drawn out malaise is much more likely.”

Bedard was accurate in stating, “Marotta said that many clients fear an end-of-the-world scenario. He doesn’t agree with that outcome, but does with much of what has people worried.”

The very popular Drudge Report picked up the story next and featured it above their banner: “Wall Street advisor recommend guns, ammo for protection in collapse.” The original Washington Examiner article was also copied on multiple sites without comment. Over three days, we had a record 30,946 unique visitors to our two sites.

In addition to sending traffic directly to our sites, Drudge Report articles are read and commented on by other bloggers. Here are excerpts from some of those posts.

Wall Street Advisor Recommends Gun & Ammunition In Case Of Collapse by BMartin1776 (12/26/2013)

This IMO is Wall Street advisor David John Marotta’s way of putting warning out unofficially and panicking the markets. If we are not in the eye of the perfect financial storm then we are on the start of one. I say eye of the storm because the economic collapse started years ago in 2007/08, although others will argue it started even longer! Regardless of when it started fact is we are in one, a stealth depression as I have argued for quite some time! Many claim we are in a recovery but I don’t see it with record unemployment, people in poverty and on food stamps, massive debt etc. Being in the middle of the eye of the storm makes more sense. We took the big hit years ago then things calmed down but are we better off? Do you think the Fed pumping $85 billion into the money supply is a good thing? What nation flourishing economically needs its central bank to pump more money into the system?? How did that work out for the Weimar Republic? …

Something is brewing and has been for a long time, Marotta is just another name added to the list of financial experts like Rogers, Dentand Buckner warning 2014 could be the year! Do what you can and prepare, have faith in fellow Americans because this govt will abandon all of us to protect themselves!

Wall Street Expert: Pack Your Guns In Case of Disaster by Sara Noble (12/26/2013)

David John Marotta, a Wall Street expert and Forbes contributor, advised investors to be prepared for a possible financial collapse by packing a ‘bug-out bag’ complete with firearms.

Marotta, President of Marotta Wealth Management, warned that there could be a ‘precipitous decline’ in the US economy though a ‘long and drawn-out malaise is much more likely.’ …

Mr. Obama is putting Americans in danger with his naive and inconsistent foreign policy and with his empowerment of very radical and far-left movements domestically. He’s opened our borders to anyone who wants to cross them and he supports statism. Mr. Marotta is right – pack some heat.

Top Wall Street Advisor: You Need Guns and Ammo for Protection in Collapse by Conservative Outfitters (12/26/2013)

The memo is series of such addressing the potential for a “financial apocalypse.” His view, is that the problems plaguing the country won’t result in armageddon. “There is the possibility of a precipitous decline, although a long and drawn out malaise is much more likely,” said the Charlottesville, Va.-based president of Marotta Wealth Management.

Wall Street adviser recommends food, guns, ammo for protection in collapse by Steve Straub (12/26/2013)

It does not hurt to be prepared! …

What do you think, long and drawn out malaise, precipitous decline, or a return to growth?

Wall Street Advisor Recommends Guns, Ammo For Protection In Collapse by Uncle Dave (12/26/2013)

It seems its not just lunatics, gun nuts, survivalists and tinfoil-hat conspiracy theorists who consider economic collapse a very real possibility in the near future.

David John Marotta, a top financial advisor who frequents the pages of Forbes, has a series on his website in which he advises Americans to take steps in advance of a possible economic collapse. …

Marotta stops short of saying, “The bad thing is coming”. Instead, he says, “The bad thing is probably coming, and you’d be foolish not to prepare for it”.

Frankly, the most terrifying thing Marotta says is the acronym TEOTWAWKI (The End Of The World As We Know It). When a top financial advisor starts using TEOTWAWKI in conversation, it’s probably time to start paying attention …

Ethan’s Christmas Eve (Leave Cash and Gold Behind) by Charles Orloski (12/26/2013)

It’s 12:22 AM, Christmas 2013 over, Evelyn & Ira’s doors locked, a motion-light installed on mantle. Wall Street expert David John Marotta has advised investors about “terrible people in the world,” and recommends purchasing firearms “for protection during collapse.” Imagine .350 Magnums and Glocks stuffed inside family Christmas stockings? Wise Men will be wise to holiday-travel with only frankincense, poppy, & myrrh – leave cash and gold behind.

Wall Street Adviser: Get Guns and Ammo for the Collapse by Lisa Barron (12/26/2013)

Financial adviser and Forbes contributor David John Marotta says while he does not think the end of the world is nigh, he does believe many of his clients have legitimate fears about an impending financial and social disaster.

Friday, December 27, 2013

Wall Street advisor suggests bug-out bags, guns in case of economic disaster by Max Slowik (12/27/2013)

David John Marotta, a Wall Street analyst and contributing writer for Forbes, would like to give people a little bit of helpful advice when it comes to national economics: get your prep on.

No, he’s not crying Chicken Little and he isn’t trying to warn people of an impending socioeconomic collapse. Marotta is just putting it out there, that disasters happen, natural and economic, and that people should have enough on hand to weather any type of storm. Including guns.

As an independent adviser many people have turned to Marotta for tips on what to do if currencies devalue, markets panic or crash and things in general go down the tubes. …

While this sounds alarmist, the past few years have shown us how quickly an economic downturn can lead to violence, rioting, looting and burning; it’s a series of events that have played out all over the world. While the situation in the U.S. is far-removed from places like Greece, Marotta believes that it is not outside of the realm of possibility, and that people should have a plan in place if people start throwing bricks and Molotov cocktails around. …

His advice is familiar to even the most half-hearted prepper. He suggests keeping a well-stocked 72-hour bug out kit ready at all times, including food, water, medical supplies, simple tools and yeah, guns. …

His advice is really more “Better to have it and not need it,” than “The sky is falling,” something most gun owners are likely to appreciate.

If you’re looking for a new source of financial advice from a guy who understands the value of a guns when the situation calls for them, look into Marotta Wealth Management.

How to Prepare for a Financial Apocalypse: Guns & Ammo by Joe Walsh (12/27/2013)

Wall Street expert and financial adviser David John Marotta has sparked concern after writing a note to investors advising them to prepare for civil unrest as the result of a financial meltdown by purchasing firearms and ammunition. Marotta has written a series of posts on the topic of the potential for a financial apocalypse, which he doesn’t think is as imminent as some have predicted. …

Marotta attempts to carefully examine some of the advice — not all of it good — given to prepare people for societal calamity. While he debunks some of the the conventional wisdom regarding preparedness, he does make the case that owning firearms and ammunition are a good tactic. …

He argues that personal protection should be part of a larger preparedness, which includes food, water, and medical supplies.

Don’t Be Scared, Be Prepared by Lonely Conservative (12/27/2013)

That’s the advice by financial expert and Wall Street adviser David Marotta. He’s not really buying into the whole “zombie apocalypse” scenario, but he does acknowledge that with the national debt spiraling out of control, the decline of the dollar, Obamacare, and the NSA things could get bad. His biggest worry seems to be the economic malaise that’s just eating away at everything.

So he isn’t predicting a complete societal collapse, but still believes people should be prepared for short term emergencies like natural disasters and power outages. Some may see his advice as Chicken Little “the sky is falling” rhetoric, but really it’s just common sense, and even the government has made similar recommendations, except for maybe the part about having guns and ammo.

Wall Street advisor recommends guns, ammo for protection in collapse by Rick Moran (12/27/2013)

It’s always smart to prepare for the worst – especially when “the worst” could be very very bad indeed.

One Wall Street advisor is recommending investors put together a “bug-out bag” that includes food, gun, and ammo in case the financial system melts down and a full blown social collapse occurs.

Moran goes on to quote the Washington Examiner article nearly in its entirety and then agrees that a collapse is not inevitable and even if it happened he concludes with:

A financial collapse would be very bad, but would actually lead to neighbor turning on neighbor, and roving gangs of thugs looking to steal food and fuel? No one knows, which makes a “bug out bag” a good investment.

Wall Street Adviser: Stock up on Guns and Ammo for the Collapse by Matt Liponoga (12/27/2013)

It’s not everyday you hear a Wall Street adviser telling America to start packing heat in preparation for whats coming, but that’s exactly what David John Marotta says you should be doing. Marotta says that at all times you should have a “bug-out bag” that includes food, a gun and ammo to help stay alive. This bag should have you prepared for at least 72 hours.

After describing the troubles in the economy Liponoga concludes:

David Marotta does say that he is not expecting a “collapse” exactly, and rather a slow European-like decline, but with instability in the economy, and the government’s reckless decisions, it can never hurt to be prepared for the worst case scenario.

Top Wall Street Advisor Suggest Stocking Up On Guns & Ammo For Financial Collapse by Indie Genius Productions (12/27/2013)

We know preppers have been around for decades, but now a top financial advisor on Wall Street (David John Marotta) suggested stocking up on guns and ammo for the upcoming financial collapse that many preppers are expecting.

The blog does go on to make it clear that:

His memo is part of a series addressing the potential for a “financial apocalypse.” His view, however, is that the problems plaguing the country won’t result in armageddon. “There is the possibility of a precipitous decline, although a long and drawn out malaise is much more likely,” said the Charlottesville, Va.-based president of Marotta Wealth Management.

Marotta said that many clients fear an end-of-the-world scenario. He doesn’t agree with that outcome, but does with much of what has people worried.

Wall Street advisor recommends guns, ammo for protection in collapse by Mr. Colion Noir (12/27/2013)

This is nothing new to some of you, but to some this is a far off scenario that could never happen and people are just being paranoid. I am not a prepper or conspiracy theorist, but I am a realist. I know the possible consequences of not being a prepper are much worse than the funny looks I might receive during an alcohol fueled Sunday Fun-day brunch, where I tell the table about my Bug Out Bag in the trunk of my car. I also know that a conspiracy theory is only a conspiracy “theory” until that “theory” is proven.

Wall Street Advisor Says Buy a Gun In Case of Collapse by Kevin D. Freeman (12/27/2013)

The Headline was on Drudge Report yesterday. The story was carried on Fox News last night. It came from something from yesterday’s Washington Examiner. It seemed shocking that a Wall Street advisor would recommend guns and ammo in case of a collapse. …

What should be most shocking about this is that it was newsworthy enough to not only make The Examiner but also Fox and Drudge Report. The fact is that Americans are woefully unprepared for anything other than a rising stock market and growing economy. Any external attack or internal failure could prove disastrous. And, as we have demonstrated repeatedly and even the head of the NSA has admitted, such attacks are planned and could well prove successful.

Finance Expert: Get Guns, Prepare For “Apocalypse” by Chris Agee (12/27/2013)

In response to a rapidly changing, increasingly dangerous world, many Americans have begun preparing for an eventual widespread disaster. These individuals stockpile essentials and, while some consider the trend foolish, the number of adherents continues to grow.

Perhaps it is unsurprising uncertainty about the future has risen as the Obama administration moves America away from its founding principles. Prominent economist David John Marotta agrees, suggesting all Americans gather food, guns, and other necessities in preparation for a “financial apocalypse.” …

Marotta confirmed that he is worried about the rise of domestic socialism, along with the fact that “the NSA really is abrogating vast portions of the Constitution.”

In the end, he forecasts the possibility of “a precipitous decline, although a long and drawn out malaise is much more likely.”

As a response, he bucks the left’s current anti-gun rhetoric by suggesting there are “some terrible people in this world,” confirming people are “safer when your trusted neighbors have firearms.”

A bag filled with essentials will help Americans survive the first few days of a financial collapse or other disaster.

“A bug-out bag is a good idea depending on where you live even if the emergency is just power outages, earthquakes and hurricanes,” he explained. “And with your preparedness you will be equipped to help others who might be in need.”

It is indeed a shame we live in such a tumultuous time; however, it is the pinnacle of individual responsibility to prepare as much as possible for any eventuality.

Financial Expert’s Survival Advice: Get Armed by Joe Saunders (12/27/2013)

A Forbes columnist who is also the founder of a wealth management firm has one big tip:

Invest in guns – and lots of ammunition.

David J. Marotta, of Marotta Wealth Management in Charlotte, Va., and writer of Forbes’ “Marotta on Money” column, issued the advice in a pre-Christmas note to investors that included lists of what average people should have on hand in the event of a fiscal disaster or social upheaval.

“Firearms are the last item on the list, but they are on the list,” Marotta wrote, according to the Washington Examiner. “There are some terrible people in this world. And you are safer when your trusted neighbors have firearms.”

Marotta says he is no survivalist anticipating a total societal breakdown and “Mad Max” kind of world anytime soon. Just the sort of low, painful decline your basic Obamacare patient can expect in the not-too-distant future. …

The bottom line, though, is being prepared. Whether it’s a natural disaster or the result of the most “progressive” administration in United States history, an emergency is an emergency.

Keeping a “bug out bag” on hand stocked with the immediate necessities of food, water and firepower is an idea for everybody.

Wall Street adviser suggests guns and ammo needed for financial apocalypse by Kenneth Schortgen Jr (12/27/2013)

One day before the Christmas holiday, a well respected Wall Street adviser provided some interesting suggestions to a group of investors wondering about economic turmoil in the coming days. In a memo as part of a series titled, Potential for a Financial Apocalypse, financial adviser and Forbes contributor David John Marotta suggested that in any list of items people should have ready in case of a financial meltdown, is for them to assuredly have both guns and ammunition. …

Marotta’s call to investors to be ready for some form of financial collapse falls in line with several trends forecasters who see 2014 as a year of great turmoil and chaos throughout the global economy. And while the U.S. stock markets are soaring to new all-time highs despite a stagnant economy and the beginning of a Fed taper, most countries outside of the U.S. are already planning on bank failures and the use of customer deposits to ‘bail-in’ insolvent institutions.

Very few people truly understand how insolvent the U.S. government is, and how inflated most equity markets are. As one analyst recently pointed out, the stock markets are rising on good news, bad news, and no news. This pure speculatory environment by Wall Street describes either a complete and utter denial of the data and the economy, or, a knowledge that a collapse is coming soon, and that Wall Street is making a last ditch effort to extract as much wealth from the system as they can.

All in all, when mainstream economists and financial advisers begin to speak upon financial armageddon, then the smoke seen by the alternative media is becoming a validated fire. And while many Americans learned several lessons from the 2008 credit crisis, and began to purchase firearms at record rates, the time may be coming when preparation becomes reality, and even the bankers realize that the public will not be as kind to them five years later when the next banking collapse occurs.

Wall Street Adviser Marotta: US Headed For European-Style Slide by Bill Hoffmann (12/27/2013)

The United States may soon follow in the footsteps of Europe and slide into a long-lasting economic slump, with the Affordable Care Act partly to blame, says David Marotta, a Wall Street adviser and president of Marotta Wealth Management.

“The general decline of the economy is probably not going to result in a precipitous crash,” Marotta told “The Steve Malzberg Show” on Newsmax TV.

“It will probably result in a long-term decline like a European malaise.”

Marotta believes the healthcare law’s shifting of more financial responsibility to young people to pay for older Americans who need more services is a substantial problem.

“To burden the youth with the aging boomers’ healthcare is unfortunately driving a lot of despair into young people who supported this administration,” he said.

“If you have a youth that’s being burdened with taxes and is having a hard time getting a job, then you get the kind of social unrest that we’ve seen in Europe, in Greece, and in France and in other countries where the youth are just saying, look, we want something to be done.”

He says unrest is already occurring in cities like Detroit, the former automobile capital of the world that recently declared bankruptcy.

“There’s not a whole lot of civility [in Detroit] because there’s not a whole lot of social services of what is essential for government to do to just keep everything in place,” Marotta said.

He believes the nation must keep a close eye on “trickle-down taxation.”

“When that tax hits a small business owner, they will put it on employees and they will put it on consumers because they can’t just pay it themselves and continue to run their businesses,” he said.

“And when you put it on employees and consumers, you end up not taxing the productive, necessarily, but you end up taxing the middle class and the lower class as well.

“Obamacare is certainly the worst legislation in the last 75 years. It was a bad idea, poorly implemented, and it is one of the factors that is supposed to make business better, that’s really made business a lot worse.”

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Wall Street Expert Recommends Prepping by Tom @ The Prepared Nija (12/28/2013)

It seems as though prepping, a practice often seen as strange and participated in only by conspiracy theorists, may not be all that crazy after all. In an article titled, Be prepared: Wall Street advisor recommends guns, ammo for protection in collapse published in yesterday’s Washington Examiner, a Forbes contributor and successful financial advisor, David John Marotta’s thoughts were highlighted from a blog post that he published outlining the importance of preparedness and some of his considerations. Stating concerns of a developing fiscal and social disaster, Marotta believes that it is important for Americans to prepare a “bug-out bag” or survival kit to sustain life for a minimum period of 72 hours. This is a way to not only survive a financial or natural disaster but to prevent fear due to being ill-equipped. His web series even includes a suggested list from Wikipedia on what should be included in a bug-out bag. …

Citing concern over the implementation of ObamaCare, massive national debt, the NSA spygate scandal, currency deflation and rising Socialism in the United States, Marotta shares that he doesn’t see an end of the world type scenario playing out but does agree that the need to be prepared for potential disaster is real and warranted. It is clear to me that the idea of being prepared for a basic spectrum of disasters is not only an intelligent practice, but one that is being widely embraced by a large variety of people in society. My question to you is…If a well known financial advisor and Forbes contributor is suggesting to be prepared for a financial or other disaster, is there any reason that EVERYONE should not be practicing basic preparedness?

Financial Advisor Marotta: Have Food, Guns Ammo Ready for Financial Meltdown by Dan Weil (12/28/2013)

David John Marotta, president of Marotta Wealth Management in Charlottesville, Va., recommends that clients have a “bug-out bag,” including a gun, ammunition and food, in case of a financial meltdown.

To be sure, a “long and drawn out malaise is much more likely” than a “financial apocalypse,” he said, according to the Washington Examiner.

But people should be prepared if a crisis does occur, Marotta says.

Weil includes quoting James Rickars, portfolio manager for the West Shore Real Asset Income Fund as saying that another downturn likely awaits the economy, “More than 50 million Americans are on food stamps, 26 million Americans are either unemployed, underemployed or have given up looking for work.”

Wall Street Expert Says Get A Gun, Bug-Out Bag To Survive Financial Crisis by Michael Foust (12/28/2013)

well-known Wall Street expert is warning Americans that a financial collapse could be just around the corner – and that concerned citizens better arm and prepare themselves. …

His series of columns was reported by The Washington Examiner and has gone viral.

“The survivalist fear is that when they are hungry, humans lose all moral sensibility and revert to their base cannibalistic instincts. The idea is that you need to get out of the city and find a place which is safe from mobs, anarchy, riots or whatever,” he writes.

Marotta actually disagrees with those who believe society will completely crumble during a financial collapse, although he acknowledges it is very possible. …

“Civilization can break down and survivalist’s concerns about the envy and violence in society cannot be completely dismissed,” he writes. “Societal breakdowns have happened in history and we can’t eliminate such a possibility in the future. There is the possibility of a precipitous decline, although a long and drawn out malaise is much more likely.”

The US economy, Marotta warns, is teetering on a crisis.

“I, along with many other economists, agree with many of the concerns expressed in these dire warnings,” he writes. “The growing debt and deficit spending is a tax on those holding dollars. The devaluation in the US dollar risks the dollar’s status as the reserve currency of the world. Obamacare was the worst legislation in the past 75 years. Socialism is on the rise and the NSA really is abrogating vast portions of the Constitution. I don’t disagree with their concerns.”

Marotta also recommends that concerned Americans carry bug-out bags – and a gun.

RUN FOR THE HILLS! Top financial adviser sees imminent collapse of U.S. civilization by Catholic Online (12/28/2013)

‘Firearms are the last item on the list . but they are on the list,’ he intones.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) – Fearing certain fiscal and social disaster, Marotta, a Wall Street expert, financial adviser and Forbes contributor made an ominous comment on a recent note: “Firearms are the last item on the list, but they are on the list. There are some terrible people in this world. And you are safer when your trusted neighbors have firearms.”

His memo is in regards to a possible “financial apocalypse.” Marotta says that this won’t necessarily dovetail into Armageddon. “There is the possibility of a precipitous decline, although a long and drawn out malaise is much more likely,” the Charlottesville, Virginia-based president of Marotta Wealth Management says.

Marotta says he doesn’t see the end of the world – but a far more difficult one.

Be prepared by storing guns and ammo, Wall Street advisor says by Man from Liberty (12/28/2013)

What does chaos look like? People don’t have to go far to see examples of societal meltdowns in recent times:

In the last five years, massive riots involving millions of people in dozens of countries have hit the streets demanding changes in economic polices, austerity programs, race and religion issues, entitlement programs, and NBA finals. In total, thousands have died at the hands of police or military forces. Businesses, banks, homes and private property have been attacked, people injured, robbed, assaulted, and beaten to death. Governments fell in Egypt, Libya, Syria, with more teetering on collapse elsewhere as elections swing against incumbents.

These are no apocalyptic fantasies from a “last days” Hollywood disaster movie, it is a reality in today’s destabilized world.

Could America be next on the chopping block for massive social upheaval?

A Wall Street advisor sees similar explosions coming to America (click here for an interview of David John Marotta published in The Washington Examiner). Marotta says the culprits include the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), NSA’s spying, rising taxes, and unrecoverable debt and spending by the federal government. He calls it a “financial apocalypse” for which all Americans should get prepared. …

It is a well established fact that such a tinderbox of rage will flare hot and fast in America should any national disaster or upheaval strike. Recent proof includes the hurricane damages along the Atlantic seaboard (not to mention Katrina, etc.) that triggered looting and crime, the rioting after the George Zimmerman trial, the flare-up over Detroit filing for bankruptcy, or any singular NBA or Superbowl championship. Imagine what a full-scale economic meltdown would create?

The financial apocalypse that Marotta warns of begs the question: What is the average American doing to protect his or her own valuables at home?

Marotta suggests storing guns and ammo for protection. That’s where Liberty comes to the rescue.

“Be prepared,” he wrote. “Especially because it keeps you from being scared.”

To keep your guns and ammo out of the hands of rioters or thieves, and to keep all other valuables safe in the event of storms and fire, look to Liberty Safe for real peace of mind. That’s what Liberty sells better than anybody on the planet—Peace of mind no matter what happens.

We are glad that the media attention brought so many new readers and subscribers. And we are also glad to have clarified what we thought was very reasonable advice.

See also all the articles in the How To Prepare For The “Coming Financial Apocalypse” series.

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