SKEPTIC’S GUIDE TO INVESTING

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Markets don’t break because of a single headline—they bend under the weight of what we choose to trust. We dig into where confidence belongs right now, from focused bets on innovation to the steady ballast of cash and gold. Along the way, we spotlight an underrated growth engine: America’s university system, where research, endowments, and relentless training keep producing the people and ideas ...

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We unpack what Mamdani's win signals for New York’s markets and whether capitalism is shifting toward protectionism and cronyism rather than socialism. We weigh crime, taxes, housing, and transit funding against ratings risk, capital mobility, and the city’s tech-and-finance future.

• election results as the context for market sentiment
• is capitalism evolving or declining in ...

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A courtroom showdown over tariffs just forced the biggest question in trade policy: who gets to tax Americans in the name of national interest? We sat down to parse a marathon Supreme Court argument and why the Justices sounded skeptical of using emergency powers as a back door for sweeping tariffs. From first principles to practical fallout, we translate the legal jargon into plain English and ...

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Five trillion is a headline; the harder story is what comes next. We dig into NVIDIA’s historic market cap, the AI hardware and software flywheel behind it, and the reality that scale turns leaders into targets. From Blackwell-class GPUs to ecosystem partnerships like Palantir, we map how compute, tooling, and customers reinforce each other—and where fragility hides when growth expectations run ...

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A surprise rate cut without fresh data sounds bold on the surface, but the real story lives in the yield curve the Fed doesn’t control. We unpack why trimming the short end won’t guarantee cheaper mortgages or easier financing, how long-term yields respond to inflation expectations and Treasury supply, and where tariff rulings at the Supreme Court could tilt the outlook. Rather than chasing a ti...

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If the world’s most powerful magnets can move turbines and EVs, what might happen when their supply chain starts to seize up? We take you inside the rare earths story—why these elements are abundant in the ground yet scarce in your portfolio—and connect the dots to AI infrastructure, defense systems, and the global energy transition.

We break down China’s processing dominance and the en...

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We unpack gold’s surge, why central banks—especially China—are buying, and how to balance conviction with risk. We share how we trimmed, built a cash buffer, and considered collars to cut downside while staying in the trade.

• Central bank demand as a structural tailwind
• China’s reserve ambitions and gold accumulation
• Dollar and U.S. policy risk shaping safe‑haven flows
...

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The U.S. government's unprecedented move to take a 10% ownership stake in Intel raises serious questions about the appropriate boundaries between government and private enterprise in American capitalism.

• Government equity ownership in Intel marks a significant shift in U.S. industrial policy
• Argument for equity stakes: if taxpayers provide subsidies, they should share in po...

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Aradhana Kejriwal shares insights on her work as an Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (OCIO) and discusses how women are reshaping the investment landscape with their growing control of wealth and unique perspectives on risk.

• OCIOs function as dedicated investment departments for advisory firms, providing sophisticated research and investment management while allowing advisors to fo...

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We delve into the controversial topic of allowing private equity, real estate, debt, and even cryptocurrency into 401k retirement accounts, offering a skeptical analysis of this potential shift in retirement planning.

• Government is willing to allow private markets and crypto in 401ks, though these options aren't widely available yet
• Private markets involve less transparency...

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Retirement investing has lost its way. While Wall Street fixates on asset growth and total return, millions of retirees struggle with a fundamental question: how do I generate reliable income without depleting my savings?

Steve Selengut, veteran investor and former RIA owner who managed $100 million in assets, challenges the industry's growth-obsessed paradigm with a refreshingly o...

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The financial markets are running hot as we head into Q4 2025, but are we witnessing sustainable growth or dangerous froth? In this thought-provoking episode, Clem Miller and Steve Davenport tackle the pressing question on many investors' minds: what's ahead for the markets?

Steve kicks things off with a bold prediction - the market appears to be discounting an overly optimist...

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Women are consistently outperforming men in investment returns—by about four basis points—yet they're starting later and investing less. This fascinating paradox lies at the heart of our conversation with financial services veteran Megan Smith, who brings decades of experience in alternative investments and client advising to the table.

"Investing is more about patience and co...

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Gene Natali, CFA, joins us to discuss his mission to solve America's financial literacy crisis through his innovative platform Troutwood and his bestselling book "The Missing Semester." We explore how technology can scale financial education and planning to reach millions of Americans who lack basic financial knowledge despite good jobs and education.

• Gene's journe...

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Joe Sroka of NovaPoint Capital shares his journey from West Point graduate and military officer to financial advisor, explaining how military discipline informs his investment approach for clients.

• From buying savings bonds during military service to becoming a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch
• West Point education provided strong math and analytical skills that transferred wel...

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What if your investment dollars could create positive change while still generating competitive returns? In this eye-opening conversation, financial expert Mimi Locke joins hosts Steve Davenport and Glenn Miller to explore the world of values-aligned investing and women's financial empowerment.

Mimi shares her journey from being the lone woman in a room of 60 stockbrokers to co-lea...

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Joe Ryu, manager of Prospect Capital's private real estate credit fund, shares his journey from investment banking through the Great Financial Crisis to his current role in real estate credit investing. He explains how private credit offers attractive risk-adjusted returns through specialized financing structures that combine agency lending with subordinated positions.

• Real estat...

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When politics collides with economic data, investors face a troubling dilemma: can we trust the numbers that drive markets? The unprecedented firing of the Bureau of Labor Statistics head by President Trump signals a concerning shift in how government economic data might be manipulated for political gain.

The BLS produces critical labor and inflation statistics that power Federal Reserv...

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Stablecoins represent a fascinating middle ground in the crypto universe - digital tokens backed by real dollars, designed to provide stability in the notoriously volatile cryptocurrency landscape. Steve Davenport and Clem Miller take you on a deep dive into this evolving ecosystem, examining the regulatory framework established by the recently passed Genius Act and what it means for companies l...