Bloomberg Surveillance Single Best Idea with Tom Keene: Chris Whalen & Joe Quinlan
5 snips
Jan 23, 2026 Joe Quinlan, a senior strategist at Bank of America/Merrill who maps 2026 investment themes. Chris Whalen, a real estate expert and founder of Whalen Global Advisors who analyzes housing and policy. They discuss using retirement ideas for homebuying and political limits on affordability. They explore broadening portfolios beyond big US tech into China, Europe, Korea, Japan, banks and defense, plus earnings season outlooks.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Housing Affordability Crisis
- Home prices rose ~50% since COVID, creating a major affordability problem that policymakers struggle to fix.
- Chris Whalen argues letting prices fall would help affordability but faces political resistance from recent homeowners.
Face The Tradeoffs In Housing Policy
- Accept that price declines would relieve affordability rather than fighting them politically.
- Policymakers must balance homeowner interests with broader housing market health, says Chris Whalen.
Politics Shapes Market Options
- Political statements shape market expectations and can constrain policy options.
- Chris Whalen notes President Trump's distancing from the idea of letting prices fall signals limited appetite for that approach.