WTFinance

Julian Brigden, Head of Research at Macro Intelligence 2 Partners, shares his wealth of knowledge on the economic landscape. He discusses the implications of a new Trump term, particularly how tariffs might affect inflation and corporate profits. Brigden raises concerns about a looming bond crisis and the precarious state of foreign investment in U.S. assets. He examines the strong dollar's paradox and its impact on risk assets while highlighting precious metals as a strategy for wealth preservation amid volatility.

Interview recorded - 22nd of November, 2024On this episode of the WTFinance podcast I had the pleasure of welcoming on Bjorn Lomborg. Bjorn is a renowned researcher and writer, currently president of the think tank Copenhagen Consensus Center, which researches the most effective solutions to the world’s greatest challenges, from disease and hunger to climate and education. The findings of the 12 most efficient solutions for the world’s poorest are laid out in his recently released book “Best Things First”.During our conversation we spoke about the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, whether they're pragmatic, why the current trajectory is off, what $35bn annually could to to benefit the world, value of life, best ways to reduce emissions and more. I hope you enjoy!0:00 - Introduction2:12 - Are UN SDG’s realistic?6:42 - Shift away from pragmatism?7:50 - Influence for writing the book?10:18 - $35bn to add $1trn of value to developed economies?18:05 - Financial assumptions22:47 - Issues with current development aid27:38 - Value of life32:03 - Didn’t hit the cut as too expensive?37:03 - Best way to reduce emissions?42:34 - One message to takeaway?Dr. Bjorn Lomborg is an academic and the author of the best-selling "False Alarm: How Climate Change Panic Costs Us Trillions, Hurts the Poor, and Fails to Fix the Planet", "The Skeptical Environmentalist" and "Cool It". He challenges mainstream concerns about development and the environment and points out that we need to focus attention on the smartest solutions first. He is a visiting fellow at the Stanford University's Hoover Institution, and president of the Copenhagen Consensus Center which brings together many of the world's top economists, including seven Nobel Laureates, to set priorities for the world. The University of Pennsylvania asked almost 7,000 think tanks and thousands of journalists, public and private donors, and policymakers from around the world to nominate and rank the world's best think tanks. Copenhagen Consensus Center's advocacy for data-driven smart solutions to global challenges were voted into the top 20 among NGOs with up to 100 times' larger budget. The Economist said “Copenhagen Consensus is an outstanding, visionary idea and deserves global coverage.”Lomborg is a frequent participant in public debates on policy issues. His analysis and commentaries have appeared regularly in such prestigious publications as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Economist, Washington Post, Forbes Magazine, Globe & Mail, The Guardian, The Daily and Sunday Telegraph, The Times, The Australian, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe and Der Spiegel. Lomborg’s monthly column appears in multiple languages in influential newspapers across all continents. He is a television commentator on CNN, FOX, MSNBC and the BBC, among others, on shows such as “Newsnight”, “20/20”, “60 Minutes”, “The Late Show with David Letterman”, and “Larry King Live”. He was featured in the movie “Cool It”, by Sundance Award winning director Ondi Timoner.Bjorn Lomborg - Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Audible-Best-Things-First/dp/B0CD8T9QDV/Website - https://lomborg.com/X - https://twitter.com/BjornLomborgWTFinance -Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/wtfinancee/Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/67rpmjG92PNBW0doLyPvfniTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wtfinance/id1554934665?uo=4Twitter - https://twitter.com/AnthonyFatseas

Interview recorded - 19th of November, 2024On this episode of the WTFinance podcast I had the pleasure of welcoming back Jim Rogers. Jim is a legend in the investing world, author, financial commentator and more! After attending Yale and Oxford University, Rogers co-founded the Quantum Fund, a global-investment partnership.Jim talks further about his current thoughts on the economy, what this means for the market, whether inflation will return, will Trump be good for the economy, China & Uzbekistan, De-dollarisation, current geopolitical strategy and more. I hope you enjoy!0:00 - Introduction1:17 - Current outlook for the economy?2:26 - Why could things go bad?3:24 - How have markets changed?5:25 - Inflation to return?7:17 - Trump good for the economy?10:17 - China & Uzbekistan12:30 - Resolutions to debt trajectory?14:42 - US industry onshoring?16:02 - De-dollarisation18:07 - US still the best investment?21:32 - Current geopolitical situation?24:19 - Investment strategy25:42 - One message to takeaway?Jim Rogers is an author, financial commentator and international investor.After attending Yale and Oxford University, Rogers co-founded the Quantum Fund, a global-investment partnership. During the next 10 years, the portfolio gained 4200%, while the S&P rose less than 50%. Rogers then decided to retire – at age 37. Continuing to manage his own portfolio, Rogers kept busy serving as a full professor of finance at Columbia University Graduate School of Business, and, in 1989 and 1990, as the moderator of WCBS’s ‘The Dreyfus Roundtable’ and FNN’s ‘The Profit Motive with Jim Rogers’.From 1990-92, Jim Rogers fulfilled his lifelong dream: motorcycling 100,000 miles across six continents, a feat that landed him in the Guinness Book of World Records. As a private investor, he constantly analysed the countries through which he travelled for investment ideas. He chronicled his one-of-a-kind journey in “Investment Biker: On the Road with Jim Rogers”. Rogers also embarked on a Millennium Adventure in 1999. He travelled for 3 years on his round-the-world, Guinness World Record journey. It was his 3rd Guinness Record. Passing through 116 countries, he covered more than 245,000 kilometres, which he recounted in his book “Adventure Capitalist: The Ultimate Road Trip”.His book, “Hot Commodities: How Anyone Can Invest Profitably In The World’s Best Market”, was published in 2004. Another of his books “A Bull in China” describes his experiences in China as well as the changes and opportunities there. His most recent book “A Gift to My Children” was a heartfelt, indispensable guide for his daughters (as well as for all adults and children) to find success and happiness. His latest memoir “Street Smarts: Adventures on the Road and in the Markets” was published in 2013.Jim Rogers -Website - https://www.jimrogers.com/WTFinance -Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/wtfinancee/Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/67rpmjG92PNBW0doLyPvfniTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wtfinance/id1554934665?uo=4Twitter - https://twitter.com/AnthonyFatseas

Interview recorded - 18th of November, 2024 On this episode of the WTFinance podcast I had the pleasure of welcoming back Eric Basmajian. Eric is the Founder & CEO of EPB Business Cycle Research. During our conversation we spoke about the current outlook for the economy, inflation risk, employment, impacts on markets and more. I hope you enjoy!0:00 - Introduction1:51 - Current outlook for the economy?9:11 - Economic lag16:51 - High inventory skewing economic data21:35 - Risk of increasing inflation?31:27 - When is data a trend?34:17 - Employment41:02 - Impact on markets?45:27 - One message to takeaway?Eric Basmajian is an economic cycle analyst providing research on long-term and short-term trends in growth and inflation. With a degree in economics and experience at a quantitative hedge fund, Eric has developed a unique secular and cyclical framework to forecast major economic inflection points and the resulting impact on asset prices.Eric holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from New York University. Eric started on the buy-side of the financial sector, as an analyst with Panorama Partners, a quantitative hedge fund specializing in algorithmically scanning for mispriced equity derivatives.Eric Basmajian - Website - https://epbresearch.com/Twitter - https://twitter.com/EPBResearchYouTube -  @EPBResearch  LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-basmajian-32614116a/WTFinance -Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/wtfinancee/Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/67rpmjG92PNBW0doLyPvfniTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wtfinance/id1554934665?uo=4Twitter - https://twitter.com/AnthonyFatseas

Interview recorded - 7th of November, 2024On this episode of the WTFinance podcast I had the pleasure of welcoming on Former Ambassador Chas Freeman. Chas is a well know diplomat with an array of experience. Examples include being the main interpreter for Richard Nixon during his 1972 China visit and the US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia from 1989 to 1992, during the Gulf war.During our conversation we spoke about the US driving together China and Russia, Biden escalating tensions, US fighting Russia, sustainment of global hegemony, 0:00 - Introduction2:06 - Driving China and Russia together?5:28 - Biden escalating tensions11:22 - Should NATO have been ended when Soviet Union collapsed?15:32 - US fighting Russia?17:50 - Sustainment of global hegemony20:56 - How has the Middle East evolved?24:20 - Anyway to get back to two state solution?31:39 - Axis of evil36:09 - Further escalation?39:19 - Madman theory40:29 - Normalise relations with adversaries?49:49 - One message to takeaway from our conversation?Ambassador Freeman has recently retired from Brown University’s Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs. He was Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs from 1993-94, earning the highest public service awards of the Department of Defense for his roles in designing a NATO-centered post-Cold War European security system and in reestablishing defense and military relations with China. He served as U. S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia (during operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm). He was Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs during the historic U.S. mediation of Namibian independence from South Africa and Cuban troop withdrawal from Angola.Chas Freeman served as Deputy Chief of Mission and Chargé d’Affaires in the American embassies at both Bangkok (1984-1986) and Beijing (1981-1984). He was Director for Chinese Affairs at the U.S. Department of State from 1979-1981. He was the principal American interpreter during the late President Nixon’s path-breaking visit to China in 1972. In addition to his Middle Eastern, African, East Asian and European diplomatic experience, he served in India.Ambassador Freeman earned a certificate in Latin American studies from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, certificates in both the national and Taiwan dialects of Chinese from the former Foreign Service Institute field school in Taiwan, a BA magna cum laude from Yale University and a JD from the Harvard Law School. He is the recipient of numerous high honors and awards. He is the author of three books on U.S. foreign policy and two on statecraft. He was the editor of the Encyclopaedia Britannica entry on “diplomacy.”  He is a sought-after speaker on a wide variety of foreign policy issues.Ambassador Freeman is Chairman of the Board of Projects International, Inc., a Washington-based business development firm that specializes in arranging international joint ventures, acquisitions, and other business operations for its American and foreign clients. After his retirement from government, he served concurrently as co-chair of the United States China Policy Foundation, president of the Middle East Policy Council, and vice chair of the Atlantic Council of the United States.Chas Freeman is married to the Hon. Margaret Van Wagenen Carpenter.  He has three children by a previous marriage, eight grandchildren, and two great grandchildren.Chas Freeman:Website - https://chasfreeman.net/WTFinance: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/wtfinancee/Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/67rpmjG92PNBW0doLyPvfniTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wtfinance/id1554934665?uo=4Twitter - https://twitter.com/AnthonyFatseas

Interview recorded - 7th of November, 2024On this episode of the WTFinance podcast I had the pleasure of welcoming back Andy Schectman. Andy is the President of Miles Franklin Precious Metals Investments.During our conversation we discussed his current thoughts on the economy, why FED rate cuts aren't leading to lower yields, financial repression, BRICs and risk of a new axis of power, BRICS currency and more. I hope you enjoy!0:00 - Introduction1:40 - What is Andy current seeing in economy & markets?12:54 - FED rates cutting, bonds increasing14:37 - Financial repression22:37 - BRICS and risk of a new axis?38:00 - BRICS currency backed by gold44:19 - One message to takeaway?Prior to starting Miles Franklin, Ltd. in 1989, Andrew became a Licensed Financial Planner, specializing in Swiss Franc Investments and alternative investments. At Miles Franklin Ltd., a company that has eclipsed $5 billion in sales, Andrew has developed an operation that maintains trust, collaboration, and ethical behavior, superior customer service and satisfaction to better serve their clients. He is responsible for overseeing the firm’s operations and business functions; including strategy and planning, account management, finance, and new business.Andy Schectman Website - https://www.milesfranklin.com/Twitter - https://twitter.com/milesfranklincoLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-schectman-0895854/WTFinance - Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/wtfinancee/Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/67rpmjG92PNBW0doLyPvfniTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wtfinance/id1554934665?uo=4Twitter - https://twitter.com/AnthonyFatseas

Interview recorded - 9th of November, 2024On this episode of the WTFinance podcast I had the pleasure of welcoming on Ted Seides. You have probably heard Ted before as he is the founder of Capital Allocators, a podcast I very much enjoy and the author of the recently released book “Private Equity Deals: Lessons in investing, dealmaking and operations from private equity professionals”.0:00 - Introduction1:47 - What does great capital allocation look like?3:00 - Influence for writing the book?4:28 - Why is private equity less understood?7:53 - Difference between VC, private & public investing?9:22 - Different types of PE12:07 - Type of deals?13:02 - Coming to the forefront?15:32 - State of PE market?17:32 - Challenge exiting?20:40 - PE performance12:20 - Interesting PE stories?24:30 - Incentivising performance26:10 - Negative stories?27:50 - Final goal of PE?28:38 - Where is the industry going?29:45 - Carried gains tax30:40 - One message to takeaway from book?Ted Seides, CFA is the founder of Capital Allocators, an ecosystem that includes podcasts, gatherings, and advisory. Ted launched the Capital Allocators podcast in 2017. The show reached 20MM downloads as of August 2024 and has been recognized as the top institutional investing podcast.Alongside the podcast, Ted created Capital Allocators Summits with friend and industry veteran Rahul Moodgal to bring together industry leaders to connect and learn. He developed Capital Allocators University to teach senior professionals non-investment disciplines that are essential to investment success. He also advises managers on business strategy and allocators on investment strategy.In March 2021, Ted published his second book, Capital Allocators: How the world’s elite money managers lead and invest that distills key lessons from the first 150 episodes of the podcast. In October 2022, he was honored as Citizen of the Year at With Intelligence’s inaugural Allocator Prizes.Ted is also the author of the recently released book "Private Equity Deals: Lessons in investing, dealmaking, and operations from private equity professionals".Ted Seides:Website - https://www.capitalallocators.com/Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Private-Equity-Deals-Dealmaking-Allocators-ebook/dp/B0CNW5P8N8/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tedseidesWTFinance - Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/wtfinancee/Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/67rpmjG92PNBW0doLyPvfniTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wtfinance/id1554934665?uo=4Twitter - https://twitter.com/AnthonyFatseas

Interview recorded - 22nd of October, 2024On this episode of the WTFinance podcast I had the pleasure of welcoming back Clive Thompson. Clive has years of experience in the wealth management industry & a unique insight into central banks.During our conversation we spoke about the current state of the economy, FED weakening, decreasing interest rates, how the FED are losing control of the bond market, people are losing their jobs and more. I hope you enjoy!0:00 - Introduction1:40 - Currently seeing in the economy?7:08 - FED seeing workforce weakness?9:40 - Who is buying gold?12:10 - Decreasing interest rates positive?13:45 - FED losing control of bond market?22:57 - Yield rising linked to debt?25:54 - Underinvestment of precious metals28:34 - What is happening with silver?32:14 - One message to takeaway from conversation?Clive has 47 years of experience in finance & wealth management. This encompasses structuring and advice relating to quoted investments, Private Equity investments, family businesses, tax, residency, real estate, inheritance, Wills, legal, lending, Trusts, Companies and Foundations and all kinds of personal and private advice. He has been actively involved for decades in the arena of Trust structures. This often involved negotiating and discussing the contracts relating to the sale of family companies.Clive's latest position before retirement was as Managing Director in the Anglophone Private Clients Department of Union Bancaire Privée, UBP SA, based in Geneva. He was responsible for wealth management services provided to a small number of wealthy English and French speaking families.Clive continues to remain very active in the world of wealth, with a strong focus on Private Equity, and direct Equity Investing via the global stock markets. His passion is the financial analysis of Balance Sheets, P&Ls, Cash Flow and business projections. Clive loves examining business opportunities, like Private Equity, and digging into the fundamentals of quoted companies to achieve a market beating performance.Clive Thompson - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/clive-thompson-661997251/Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9aye4wQ8OkWTFinance - Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/wtfinancee/Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/67rpmjG92PNBW0doLyPvfniTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wtfinance/id1554934665?uo=4Twitter - https://twitter.com/AnthonyFatseas

Interview recorded - 23rd of October, 2024On this episode of the WTFinance podcast I had the pleasure of welcoming back Gerald Celente. Gerald is the Founder/Director of the Trends Research Institute and Publisher of the Trends Journal with a 40-year track record of identifying, tracking and forecasting trendsDuring our conversation we spoke about the current outlook of markets, how it is a rigged game, killing peace deals, concentration of wealth, collapse of the economy, precious metals and more. I hope you enjoy!0:00 - Introduction0:47 - Current outlook5:10 - Back to 20199:17 - Rigged game12:10 - Killing peace deals13:24 - How to help average person?19:58 - Won’t give up without a fight22:46 - Unemployment rising?27:59 - Concentration of wealth30:50 - Precious metals37:04 - One message to takeaway?Gerald Celente is the Founder/Director of the Trends Research Institute and Publisher of the weekly Trends Journal magazine. He is the author of the highly acclaimed and best-selling books “Trend Tracking” and “Trends 2000” (Warner Books). With a 43-year track record of identifying, tracking, and forecasting trends, Celente is world-renowned as today’s #1 Trend Forecaster. Celente has earned the reputation as a trusted name in trends for his many accurate forecasts; among them, the 1987 Stock Market crash, Dot com bust, “Gold Bull Run,” “Panic of ‘08,” the rise of organic foods, and the popularity of gourmet coffee long before Starbucks was a household name. Celente, who developed the Globalnomic methodology to identify, track, forecast, and manage trends, is a political atheist. Unencumbered by political dogma, rigid ideology, or conventional wisdom, Celente, whose motto is “Think for Yourself,” observes and analyzes current events forming future trends for what they are – not for how he wants them to be. A true American Patriot, Celente owns three pre-Revolutionary stone buildings on the most historic corner in America, where the seeds of Democracy were sown, Colonial Kingston, New York’s first Capitol. Self-described as a “Warrior for the Prince of Peace,” Gerald Celente is also the Founder “Occupy Peace & Freedom,” a not-for-profit movement to honor the Constitution and Bill of Rights and restore Freedoms.Gerald Celente - Journal - https://trendsjournal.com/YouTube -  @gcelente  Twitter - https://twitter.com/geraldcelenteWTFinance -Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/67rpmjG92PNBW0doLyPvfniTunes -https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wtfinance/id1554934665?uo=4LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-fatseas-761066103/Twitter - https://twitter.com/AnthonyFatseas

Interview recorded - 18th of October, 2024On this episode of the WTFinance podcast I had the pleasure of welcoming Michael von der Schulenberg. Michael has had a very interesting life, working for the United Nations and OSCE, including as UN assistant Secretary-General, in many of the world’s trouble spots, such as in Haiti, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, the Balkan, Somalia, Sierra Leone and the Sahel. Michael is now a member of the European Parliament.During our conversation we spoke about the current geopolitical turmoil, rejected Ukraine peace treaty, possibility of a ceasefire, NATO expansion towards Russia, EU regulation, the UN and how it hasn't lost its relevance. I hope you enjoy!0:00 - Introduction2:31 - Current view of geopolitics4:11 - Peace treaty on the table7:37 - Ceasefire8:37 - NATO expansion influenced Russia?10:09 - Biden impact wars12:43 - BRICS pushing together14:23 - EU isolating foreign policy16:30 - EU risk of being isolated?18:27 - EU government similar to China?20:55 - EU regulation?23:30 - Perfect European Union29:50 - UN charter avoided war?34:20 - UN lost its relevance?40:35 - One message to takeaway from conversation?Michael von der Schulenburg, former UN Assistant Secretary-General, escaped East Germany in 1969, studied in Berlin, London and Paris and worked for over 34 years for the United Nations, and shortly the OSCE, in many countries in war or internal armed conflicts often involving fragile governments and armed non-state actors.These included long-term assignments in Haiti, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq and Sierra Leone and shorter assignments in Syria, the Balkan, Somalia, the Balkan, the Sahel, and Central Asia.In 2017, he published the book On Building Peace – rescuing the Nation-State and saving the United Nations, AUP.Michael von der Schulenberg -Website - https://michael-von-der-schulenburg.com/WTFinance -Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/wtfinancee/Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/67rpmjG92PNBW0doLyPvfniTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wtfinance/id1554934665?uo=4Twitter - https://twitter.com/AnthonyFatseas