Economic Forecasts and Self-Fulfilling Prophecies with Paul Solman

Take the guesswork out of financial decisions at every stage of life with Maxifi: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://maxifiplanner.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Designed by Economist Laurence Kotlikoff.

This episode is from the archives, recorded in February of 2023. Professor Laurence Kotlikoff is joined by Paul Solman, renowned economics correspondent for PBS NewsHour and co-author of a New York Times bestseller. With a journalism career spanning over 38 years, Paul's expertise and experiences offer invaluable insights into the complexities of the economy and societal issues. His involvement with the American Exchange Project further underscores his commitment to fostering cultural understanding and bridging social divides in America.

Topics Covered:

• Collective Pessimism and Economic Forecasts
• The Role of the Federal Reserve: From Volcker to Powell
• Behavioral Economics and Decision-Making
• Economic Unpredictability and Historical Crises

Timestamps:

• 00:00 Paul's diverse career, PBS tenure, and American Exchange project.

• 05:58 Transition from teaching to journalism at Harvard Business.

• 14:06 Economists oversimplify models, limiting understanding of reality.

• 21:03 Economics and psychology shape decision-making process.

• 23:04 Understanding opportunity cost is crucial in life.

• 28:55 Climate change risk, intergenerational impact, irrational behavior.

• 37:38 Reflections on oil crisis and economics.

• 44:05 Interactions among people make world unpredictable, recursive.

• 52:11 Skepticism toward Paul Volcker's impact on inflation.

• 57:51 Expectations, inflation, and interest rates in economics.

• 01:06:11 Committed to American Exchange Project, bridging divides.

These discussions are not only intellectually stimulating but also practically valuable, especially if you seek to understand the intricate dance between economic predictions, policy decisions, and real-world impacts. Whether you're an economics enthusiast or simply curious about how these forces shape our everyday lives, this episode provides a nuanced perspective on the art and science of economic forecasting.

____________________________________________________

Laurence Kotlikoff is a Boston University Economist, a NY Times Best Selling Author, President of maxifi.com, and Author of Money Magic.

Follow Professor Kotlikoff:

Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kotlikoff⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@kotlikoff⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠laurencekotlikoff⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://larrykotlikoff.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

Books: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://kotlikoff.net/books/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

Company: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://maxifiplanner.com/⁠⁠⁠