First it was Japan… Now Germany is seeing record safe sales…

The Wall Street Journal reports Germany’s biggest safe manufacturer, Burg-Wachter KG, posted a 25% jump over last year in the first half of 2016.

Rival safe makers Format Tresorbau GmbH and Hartmann Tresore AG also report double-digit increases in sales. Some manufacturers are now running three production shifts—and still can’t keep up with demand.

Private German citizens are driving the production boom. Uwe Wiese, an 82-year-old retiree, just bought a safe to hold the equivalent of about $60,000 in cash. He’s far from alone…

Longtime Daily readers know the German safe explosion is another consequence of negative interest rate policy (NIRP) and the global War on Cash.

[NIRP is a brand of “voodoo banking” where depositors pay interest to keep their money in banks or bonds instead of earn it.]

The biggest Wealth Stealers of all—global central banks—hoped NIRP would force savers to invest in riskier assets with a higher yield. It’s backfired. Large institutions and average citizens alike are withdrawing physical cash and storing it “under the mattress”… or in vaults and safes.

That’s led the bankers to up the ante…

The next move to prevent cash “hoarding” is to eliminate cash itself. Earlier this year, the European Central Bank (ECB) decided to end circulation of the 500-euro note. And Europe has seen a bevy of laws limiting the amount of cash transactions.

Don’t think this is only an international phenomenon… An increasing number of American “luminaries” has called for abolishing the $100 bill (and even everything larger than a $10 bill).

Bottom line: The developments in Japan and Germany are not isolated incidents. NIRP and the War on Cash are global phenomena… and they creep closer to American shores every day. We’re witnessing a global slow-motion bank run… and it’s coming to Main Street, USA.

If you haven’t done so already, follow Tom’s recommendation to remove some cash from the corrupt banking system now.

After that, look into diversifying further into “currency alternatives.” Palm Beach Letter Editor Teeka Tiwari has more on this in our next item…