The Biggest Borrowers

In this epsisode Saifedean talks to economist and investor Lyn Alden about her views on the global macroeconomy. They start by discussing recent market turbulence in light of the Federal Reserve’s plans to tighten monetary policy, whether these plans are realisable, and what this will mean for consumer price inflation and the stock market. They then move on to a discussion of Lyn’s portfolio, her reasons for allocation across particular industries, and why she holds shares in silver mining companies. In the Q&A Lyn answers questions about whether we can trust the Federal Reserve and how she uses the Austrian School economic framework to inform her thinking on investment.

Resources:

• Lyn on Twitter
• Lyn’s 2020 article 3 Reasons I’m Investing in Bitcoin
• Lyn’s January 2022 Newsletter The Capital Sponge for a discussion of recent developments in the US stock market with historical context (includes a breakdown of her model portfolio).
• A Tiger by the Tail by F.A. Hayek for a discussion of the Keynesian legacy of inflation
• Gold Wars by Ferdinand Lips for an account of Switerland’s abandonment of the gold standard.
• The Fourth Turning: An American Prophecy by William Strauss and Neil Howe
• America’s Great Depression by Murray N. Rothbard. See pages 3-80  for Rothbard’s explanation of Austrian Business Cycle Theory.
• Lyn’s last appearance on The Bitcoin Standard Podcast in May 2022
• Lyn’s critique of Nassim Taleb’s Bitcoin Black Paper
• Saifedean’s first book, The Bitcoin Standard
• Saifedean’s second book, The Fiat Standard