193: Into The Depths: Gold Mine Explorations – Larry Scharf

Today’s guest on the Expat Money Show is Larry Scharf, Senior Vice President of Scharf & Selden, Wealth Management of Raymond James. He specializes in portfolio management with a special passion for precious metals and mining companies. In this interview, we are focused on Larry's travels visiting dozens of mines around the world and his insights on investing in junior miners for fun and profit.  

IN TODAY'S CONVERSATION

• Larry breaks down the difference between mines in a first-world country like Canada to mines in developing countries like Mongolia, I’m positive this will surprise you!
• What happens today, compared to mining in the early 80s, and how they can go back and mine the same area over again.
• And the money-making way that they wanted to mine silver from a bat cave in East Malaysia.
• The excitement involved taking an elevator down to the 1700 level of a mine, surrounded by rock everywhere you look and the mind-blowing fact that there’s only one way back out!
• How gold is leached out of the rock. I bet you have no idea how it’s done, the time it takes and what needs to be done to get ½  gram of gold.
• Great conversation about some of the more interesting countries in South America and how the government can really make a mess of things purely out of greed and which countries Larry will NEVER invest in.  
• Larry shares the companies he likes to work with best.
• Why understanding the culture, the people, the mentality and the work ethic and how everything fits together and plays very strongly into the performance of the mine or the investment itself, and what happens when you don’t do your due diligence.
• I asked Larry to walk me through the process of arriving in a new country, what is he looking for, and what is going to set off alarm bells or make him say ‘okay, this is it, I like it.
• Larry shares what his sweet spot is when he’s looking to invest for himself and his clients. Where does the company need to be for him to give them money and invest for his clients!
• Top tips for those of you who want to get into the mining space, either from the investment side or the hobby side.

 

HOW TO REACH LARRY SCHARF

Phone or email at Raymond James: 203-635-5409 Raymond James 285 Riverside Avenue Westport, Connecticut 06880 Attn: Larry Scharf  

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CONCLUSION

I’ve loved the idea of mining and precious metals since I was young and started my travels across the globe. I’ve been to many private vaults around the world, but never have I been down 1 kilometre in a mine, or watched as they dig for gold! I just had so much fun chatting with Larry, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.  

Mentioned in this episode:

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Gold in the Caribbean—No Bank Can Touch It

Fiat is failing. Banks are cracking. And smart investors are moving their gold offshore—outside the system. I’ve partnered with a fully insured private vault in the Caribbean where you can buy, store, and protect physical gold… legally and securely. The entire account opening is done online—fast, private, and no nonsense. If you’re serious about protecting your wealth, get the details now at ExpatMoney.com/gold

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No Plan-B Without the Language

If you’re planning to move overseas—or even just set up your offshore Plan-B—learning the local language isn’t optional. It’s protection. It’s access. It’s power. StoryLearning makes it easy to start today, from home, by immersing you in real stories—not grammar drills. Spanish, Portuguese, French, and more—learn the language the smart way before you land. Go to StoryLearningCourses.com.

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