How do you know that a major trend is approaching an end?

One good indicator is that everyone is in on the act.  Some like to discuss this in terms of shoe shine boy giving daddy Kennedy stock advice back before the crash of '29-32 and ensuing great depression.  Another analogy I have used is the Asian Ferry where everyone moves to one side of the boat to see the whale and it makes the ship capsize.

Bottom line is that not everyone can get uber wealthy at the same time.  But look at those who are wealthy right now.  In a recent yahoo finance article, the focus is New Zealand's richest man who lays out strategy for up and comers as  “Be bold. That means buy as big as you can, borrow as much as you can and then work the asset as hard as you can.”

And so there you have it.  The secret to wealth is unveiled for us all: just use as much leverage as you can get your hands on.  Be "bold".  In fact, be reckless.  Fear not that you might go bankrupt because there is no debtor's jail.  Leverage up to the hilt before the other guy does and puts you out of business.  This is the advice and experience of the high school dropout auto repair guy who learned the dirty secret of fake money: use leverage on everything and when it all goes bust just walk away leaving the mess for the next person, or the next generation even.

This guy is not lying.  That is exactly how the rich and systemically dangerous got rich and dangerous.  They are gambling with the well being of an entire global community, of our species even.  But who cares about that?  They have their 300' mega yachts and submarines and all manner of toys.  So what if it's all guaranteed to implode someday with the potential for dire global consequences, perhaps even nuclear or biological war.

As I have explained many times, this is what living in a fake money system drives you to.  IF you don't do it, someone else will.  A man working honestly to get ahead cannot compete with ridiculous leverage like that.  None of this will end well.  The fake money supply will eventually collapse and for exactly the reasons  I said it would: everyone gets in on the act. Everyone is massively leveraged. Leverage becomes table stakes instead of a competitive advantage.

I don't know when the bust will happen but I know for sure that it will because too many people are now getting in on the act.  The Asian ferry is listing badly to starboard.