Economic Shifts and the Rise in Unemployment Among High Earners

Tom Bodrovics once again engages in an interesting conversation with Danielle DiMartino Booth, CEO and Chief Strategist for QI Research, former Fed Insider, and author of the book “Fed Up.”

The conversation focuses on the ongoing recession that likely began in Q1 2024. Danielle highlights key data points, such as job losses starting in Q2 2024, which confirm the recession’s onset. Despite this clarity, official channels are reluctant to acknowledge the recession due to political considerations.

Danielle emphasizes the severe impact of student loan forbearance and credit constraints on US households, noting that rising defaults will further strain consumer spending. This situation is compounded by a lack of clear policies to replace past stimulus measures, leaving the economy vulnerable.

Danielle shifts into the commercial real estate sector, with banks facing growing pressure to recognize losses. She critiques the Federal Reserve for ignoring critical data, such as shelter inflation and job losses, in favor of focusing on tariffs’ impact on goods prices. This stance, she argues, is politically motivated and disregards the Fed’s own historical lessons.

Investors are advised to prioritize safety over riskier assets, given the high returns on cash and the uncertain economic outlook. Danielle concludes by urging empathy and support for communities navigating these challenging times, emphasizing the importance of looking out for one another during economic hardship.

Time Stamp References:
0:00 – Introduction
1:10 – Recession Recognition?
6:05 – Recession & Neg. GDP
9:06 – Politics & Power Games
11:28 – Democrats & Leadership
14:16 – Global Recession Outlook
16:10 – Student Loan Problems
20:10 – Com. Real Estate Bubble
23:48 – Banks & Neg. Home Values
26:38 – Q.E. Tariffs & Inflation
30:30 – Wages, Housing, & Retail
36:30 – Powell & Coming Shocks
40:59 – Fed Ignoring The Data
42:05 – Safe Investor Plays?
47:10 – Concluding Thoughts
48:10 – Wrap Up

Guest Links:
X: https://x.com/DiMartinoBooth
Substack: https://dimartinobooth.substack.com/
Website: https://quillintelligence.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DanielleDiMartinoBoothQI

Danielle DiMartino Booth is CEO and Chief Strategist for Quill Intelligence LLC, a research and analytics firm.

DiMartino Booth set out to launch a Research Revolution, redefining how market intelligence is conceived and delivered, with the goal of not only guiding portfolio managers but promoting financial literacy. To build QI, she brought together a core team of investing veterans in analyzing the trends and providing critical analysis of what drives the markets.

Since its inception, commentary and data from DiMartino Booth’s The Daily Feather have appeared in other financial sources such as Bloomberg, CNBC, Fox Business, Institutional Investor, Yahoo Finance, The Wall Street Journal, MarketWatch, Seeking Alpha, TD Ameritrade, TheStreet.com, and more.

A global thought leader on monetary policy, economics, and finance, DiMartino Booth founded Quill Intelligence in 2018. She is the author of FED UP: An Insider’s Take on Why the Federal Reserve is Bad for America (Portfolio, Feb 2017), a full-time columnist for Bloomberg View, a business speaker, and a commentator frequently featured on CNBC, Bloomberg, Fox News, Fox Business News, BNN Bloomberg, Yahoo Finance and other major media outlets.

Before Quill, DiMartino Booth spent nine years at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, serving as Advisor to President Richard W. Fisher throughout the financial crisis until his retirement in 2015. Her work at the Fed focused on financial stability and the efficacy of unconventional monetary policy.

DiMartino Booth began her career in New York at Credit Suisse and Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, where she worked in the fixed income, public equity, and private equity markets. DiMartino Booth earned her BBA as a College of Business Scholar at the University of Texas at San Antonio. She holds an MBA in Finance and International Business from the University of Texas at Austin and an MS in Journalism from Columbia University.