Macro backdrop: fiscal dominance and stagflation

Stu Bradley, CFA, CFP — Wealth Advisor at Hightower St. Louis — joins Scarce Assets to explore how bitcoin fits into modern portfolio design, the illusion of market “cycles,” and why peace of mind matters more than price charts.

With decades of experience across HSBC, UBS, Vision Capital, and now Hightower, Stu brings a global investor’s perspective on inflation, fiscal dominance, and the future of wealth management in a K-shaped economy.

This episode cuts through the hype to reveal how advisors are quietly rethinking sound money, digital assets, and intergenerational planning — all while clients question the meaning of risk, time, and value in a rapidly changing financial system.

Stu Bradley on LinkedIn // Hightower Wealth Advisors // Stu's Presentation, Understanding Bitcoin // ⁠Connect with Onramp⁠⁠ // ⁠⁠Onramp Institutional⁠⁠ // ⁠⁠Jackson Mikalic on X⁠

WHAT WE COVER:

- From HSBC and UBS to Hightower: a career across global markets

- How a $20 smoothie became the “wake-up call” on inflation

- Why Bitcoin represents optionality, not speculation

- Fiscal dominance, QT’s end, and the K-shaped economy

- The psychological side of wealth: why “peace of mind” beats alpha

- How advisors are integrating BTC exposure through ETFs & custodial platforms

- The coming wealth transfer and how next-gen clients will reshape the advisory model

KEY INSIGHTS DISCUSSED:

- Expectations = suffering — and 2025 proved it

- Bitcoin is entering its “IPO moment” as long-term holders distribute

- Fiscal dominance and policy inertia make inflation a structural feature, not a bug

- The top 10 mega-cap stocks now represent 75% of U.S. GDP — a concentration risk hiding in plain sight

- Owning a small allocation of the most tamper-resistant asset in history may be the best form of risk management

- The future of advice: meeting clients where they are, not where the market says they should be

STU’S THESIS: “Bitcoin isn’t about getting rich — it’s about staying solvent. When money itself is changing, optionality becomes the ultimate form of wealth.”

WHO IS STU BRADLEY?

- Wealth Advisor — Hightower St. Louis (managing $1.6B for 400+ families)

- Former Institutional Investor — HSBC, UBS, Vision Capital Advisors

- CFA & CFP Charterholder — Bridging traditional finance with digital assets

- Career Coach & Educator — Founder, J. Stuart Bradley Consulting

- Advocate for sound money, long-term stewardship, and client-first financial planning

CHAPTERS:

00:00 - Intro & Stu’s Background

03:00 - From Wall Street to Hightower

06:00 - The $20 Smoothie & the Inflation Epiphany

10:30 - Bitcoin as Stewardship, Not Speculation

15:00 - Longevity Risk & Portfolio Construction

21:00 - Peace of Mind Over Price Action

27:00 - How Advisors Discuss Bitcoin with Clients

33:00 - 2025: No Blow-Off Top, No Problem

38:00 - Fiscal Dominance & QT’s End

44:00 - The K-Shaped Economy Explained

50:00 - Inflation, Inequality, and the Role of Scarce Assets

56:00 - The Great Wealth Transfer

01:00:00 - Preparing for the Future of Advice

01:03:00 - Outro & Resources

Scarce Assets: a biweekly podcast presented by Onramp which delves into the emergent role of bitcoin in finance professionals' strategies and outlooks. Hosted by Jackson Mikalic, Scarce Assets provides invaluable insights for wealth managers aiming to outperform their peers in the decades ahead. Finance professionals everywhere know about stocks and bonds, but the macroeconomic outlook requires that serious investors pay close attention to another category: Scarce Assets.

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