Trading Perspectives: An Economic Podcast

Congress just recently passed a new COVID-19 relief package coupled with $1.4 trillion spending bill. When AOC and Ted Cruz are both in agreement in saying they have not had enough time to read the bill before voting, is a sure sign that something is amiss. How much of it is relevant to the COVID-19 pandemic? Is $1.3 billion to Egypt really benefiting those that have struggled through the lockdowns? And lastly, can we expect it to stimulate economic recovery?

The recent Initial Public Offering (IPO) market has been red hot, with valuations stretching the imagination. Are the good times here to stay? Can companies like Airbnb, DoorDash, and Snowflake grow fast enough to command these prices? Or is it déjà vu all over again, as in the dot.com bubble?

Minimum wage is simply a price floor for labor. When the minimum wage is above the market clearing price there will be a surplus. Does the federal government have enough information to decide what the minimum wage should be on the local level? Perhaps the central government is not the best decisionmaker when it comes to spending our money.

In a recent conversation with a local federal reserve representative John made mention of how the pandemic has altered global supply chains. Many manufacturers have become all too reliant on China to be the supply house for the global economy. As we all know, putting all your eggs in one basket is generally not a good idea. Will businesses learn their lesson about becoming too dependent on one supplier?

After reading an article surrounding the truth of Thanksgiving, it seems that another holiday is now under attack. We all know that The First Thanksgiving was not as it was portrayed by our kindergarten teachers as we cut out paper turkeys from a tracing of our hands, so what is the point in debunking our nations traditions and mythology? At what point do we stop focusing on the negative aspects of our country’s history and focus on the positive adaptations that came out of it? When you...

Recently multiple states and politicians have set strict guidelines on the Thanksgiving holiday. In response, many law enforcement agencies have said they simply can’t enforce them. As we have mentioned numerous times, there are 3 things needed for an effective economy. Two of those things are adherence to the rule of law and the rule of law can not be capricious. Should politicians be able to mandate how people spend their Thanksgiving holiday? Furthermore, what good is the rule of law if...

The election is still not over, but the financial markets seem to be breathing a sigh of relief. As of now, it Looks like the Republicans are going to hold onto the majority of the senate. Maybe the country is more purple than people were led to believe. What is it that investors like about this election? Does gridlock make the presidential election a little less valuable to investors?

This could be the most important election in history and people have 2 choices. There is no middle ground. If you look down either political party’s platform, most people are wondering where they fit in. What do most people want out of a presidential candidate and what would it be like if there were a third party that fell somewhere in between?

This week, Sam and John talk with noted author, lecturer, and essayist James Howard Kunstler (Jim) about why the world seems to be falling apart and what we can do about it. They discuss themes from Jim’s dystopian “World Made by Hand” series, and wonder if it could really happen in the United States today. Have our greed and monetary system pushed the envelope too far? Is there any turning back? Will John’s hard cider turn out okay? The answers to these and other questions are in this...

On Tuesday, Disney announced that they are going to focus on streaming their content moving forward. Many people are already using Disney Plus, Hulu, and other platforms, however Disney has always been a dominate production company. Now, they are going to vertically integrate and focus heavily on direct to consumer. Why hasn’t the company done this already? What does this mean for cable companies, the movie industry & live theater?

Although the economy hasn’t quite gotten back to where it was prior to the pandemic, it has rebounded pretty nicely. However, when you peel back enough layers of the onion and look under enough rocks, you get the impression it might be getting exhausted. Continued restrictions and partial lockdowns to stem the spread of the virus are inhibiting the free functioning of the economy. This is a problem now that a lot of the initial relief money is gone. So much so, Fed Chairman Powell has used...

Today is the day of the 1st presidential debate between Trump and Biden. Historically, perception has been a key factor in presidential debates. This year, people’s expectations seem to be slightly lower than they have been in the past. What is different about tonight’s debate and what are voters going to be looking for? Additionally, how much of an impact will it have on the election?

This week, Derek Waltchak with Shannon Waltchack, LLC joins us to talk about office space. Derek is a subject matter expert on Bitcoin, Blockchain and how those technologies are impacting the economy, specifically in commercial real estate. What can we expect to see in the office arena and what is the probable case scenario in 3-5 years? What about the future of retail? Lastly, Derek provides some insight into making smart real estate investments.

In the 2016 election, Hillary won the popular vote, yet Trump won the presidency. Many people felt the turnout was unfair and pushed to do away with the electoral college. On the flip side, the electoral college allows smaller states with lesser populations to be heard and ensures all American votes have some sort of relevancy. How did our founding fathers envision the election of our leaders? What is the purpose behind the electoral college? Lastly, is it still necessary today?

Fear sells. In world of pandemics, politics, and discontent, it’s reasonable to believe people may not be as confident as they seem. With all the negative news stories and social media posts, many are fearful of what the future will bring. Who is driving this fear? Is fear being sold to the public to stir up conflict? Is the media using fear as a tactic to get better ratings? If so, when is it necessary to stop buying in?

The NFL will be kicking off in the next couple of weeks, but professional sports ratings have shown to be significantly lower since the pandemic. In the past, sports have been a way to escape the problems of the world. Have professional sports players voicing their political opinions changed the way people feel about sports? Or perhaps, people have just found other things to do. Without the TV ratings and fans in the seats, will the NFL be able to reconnect with its audience and maintain the...

When it comes to investing, an age-old question has been growth versus value. Over the past decade, growth has pretty consistently outperformed value. That begs the question, is value investing dead or have the lines just been blurred?

As we near the end of summer we have to wonder what the riots, protests, and disagreements are really about. Many people are upset about the President’s intervention on the local level when it comes to some of this discontent across the country. However, there are a lot of constraints on the President when it comes to the local level. What sort of powers does the President have when it comes to enforcing laws on the local level and when can that power be used? Should we make changes to the...

Government and Central Banks are flooding the world with money. Is all of this debt good for the economy or will it eventually lead to financial ruin? John & Sam discuss what happens when money is cheap and the world is heavily in debt.

We’ve recently heard that Jos. A. Banks, Brooke’s Brothers, and even Lord & Taylor have filed bankruptcy. However, it isn’t surprising now that dress codes are becoming increasingly more casual. A coat and tie is no longer a requirement and in some cases, could even be seen as intimidating to potential clients. Is the pandemic and remote work environment causing companies to be more concerned about output than attire? What effect will this new normal have on the retail industry?