The Investor’s Gate Podcast: Recent Episodes
The Investor’s Gate
Educational resource for investors, traders, and anyone interested in the inner workings of money & markets. If you learn how money works, it just might work for you.
- THE FED MINUTES SUGGESTED SLOWING THE PACE OF RATE HIKES
- US JOB OPENINGS DECLINED 353,000 TO 10.3M
- CHINA PROTESTS ARE ROCKING TECH MANUFACTURING
- THERE’S A POTENTIAL FOR AN OPEC OIL PRODUCTION CUT DEC 4TH
- QATAR STRUCK A 15-YEAR LNG DEAL WITH GERMANY
- BTC MINERS ARE FORCED TO CAPITULATE
- THE FED IS STRONGLY CONSIDERING A MOVE DOWN TO A 50BP HIKE
- NEW HOME SALES IN THE US SURPRISED TO THE UPSIDE
- JAPAN INFLATION HITS 3.7% FOR HEADLINE AND 3.6% FOR CORE
- JAPAN OFFICIALS ALSO INDICATED THEY COULD ABANDON THEIR LOOSE MONETARY POLICY & YCC
- THE ECB IS SET TO RAISE RATES BY 50BP IN DECEMBER
- SAUDI ARABIA DENIES RUMORS OF AN OPEC+ PRODUCTION CUT
- FTX CONTAGION TAKES ANOTHER VICTIM, GENESIS, BUT ITS PARENT COMANY (DCG) SAYS IT WON’T AFFECT THE GRAYSCALE TRUST
- US INFLATION CAME IN AT 7.7% FOR HEADLINE AND 6.3% FOR CORE
- FED OFFICIALS STILL SEE TIGHTER POLICY AHEAD
- PPI CAME IN AT 0.2% MOM, 8% YOY, AND 6.7% YOY FOR CORE
- JAPAN’S INFLATION IS EXPECTED TO HIT A 40-YEAR HIGH
- EU OIL SANCTIONS ARE DRIVING RUSSIAN OIL TO ASIA
- CRYPTO CONTAGION CONTINUES AS BLOCKFI SAYS IT HAS SIGNIFICANT EXPOSURE TO FTX
- THE FEDERAL RESERVE RAISED INTEREST RATES BY 75BP
- US ADDED MORE JOBS BUT UNEMPLOYMENT EDGED TO 3.7%
- META SAYS IT’S CUTTING 11,000 JOBS
- UK SET TO ANNOUNCE A HUGE NATURAL GAS DEAL WITH THE US
- REGULATORS ARE SETTING TOUGHER CLIMATE IMPACT RULES AFTER THE ANNUAL CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE
- CRYPTO AND THE FTX TOKEN PLUMMETED AS THE MARKET BATTLES FTX/ALAMEDA CONTAGION
- US Q3 GDP BEAT EXPECTATIONS AT 2.6%
- LATEST ISM MANUFACTURING NUMBERS SIGNAL SLOWEST GROWTH SINCE 2020
- US JOB OPENINGS UNEXPECTEDLY ROSE BY OVER 400K
- THE ECB RAISED ITS INTEREST RATES BY 75BP
- JAPAN SPENT A RECORD AMOUNT ON ITS YENTERVENTION
- THERE ARE RUMORS OF CHINA REOPENING/EASING ITS COVID RESTRICTIONS
- BIDEN THREATENED OIL COMPANIES TO LOWER GAS PRICES
- TETHER FIRES BACK AT BLOOMBERG “MISINFORMATION”
- US 30-YEAR FIXED MORTGAGE RATES BROKE 7% AHEAD OF THE NEXT FED MEETING
- NEW HOME SALES IN THE US TOOK A DIVE BUT BEAT EXPECTATIONS
- GOOGLE FELL 8% AFTER SOME DISAPPOINTING EARNINGS
- THE BOJ’S SUSPECTED FX INTERVENTION FAILS TO FULLY REIGN IN THE YEN
- NEWLY ELECTED UK PM, RISHI SUNAK, PLEDGES TO LEAD BRITAIN OUT OF ECONOMIC CRISIS
- SAUDI ARAMCO SAYS THE GLOBAL ENERGY TRANSITION IS FLAWED
- BITCOIN MINERS ARE UNDER SERIOUS PRESSURE FROM THE DIFFICULTY ADJUSTMENT
YCC is when a central bank commits itself to an unlimited amount of bond buying to pin its interest rates at a specific level. There can be a wide range of reasons this is done, but the main reasons are almost certainly QE wasn’t enough, that country is heavily indebted, and that country can’t afford to pay higher interest rates on that debt.
- US INFLATION CAME IN HOT AT 8.2% FOR HEADLINE AND 6.6% FOR CORE
- US HOUSING PERMITS CAUGHT A LITTLE BOOST BUT HOUSING STARTS SLOWED DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY
- UK INFLATION HIT 10.1% AND THE BOE REIGNS IN GOVERNMENT SPENDING
- THE BOJ WARNED IT WILL INTERVENE IN FX MARKET AGAIN IF NECESSARY
- CHINA CALMS ITS MARKETS LEADING INTO PRESIDENT XI’S REELECTION
- US CONSIDERS SELLING MORE OIL FROM SPR TO COMBAT GAS PRICES
- MASTERCARD IS HELPING BANKS OFFER CRYPTOCURRENCY TRADING
- Cathie Wood is calling for a Fed pivot.
- The US issued some aggressive chip rules.
- Russia rained down missiles after the Crimea bridge attack
- The BoE says it’s ending it’s bond-buying stimulus
- Biden is re-evaluating the US relationship with the Saudis after the recent OPEC decision
- Some European nations are fighting nuclear and Natgas labeling as “green.”
- Binance had a $100M stolen in a hack.
The Fed raised interest rates by 75 basis points 🔺
President Legarde raises the prospect of a restrictive terminal rate 😱
Putin mobilizes more troops for the war in Ukraine and keeps the nuclear option on the table ☢️
Japan posted a record trade deficit and its inflation hit a near 8-year high ⛈
BlackRock praised the EU’s labeling of natural gas as green ♻️
The UK announced a price cap on energy for businesses 🛑
The White House released a comprehensive framework for digital assets 🏛
US INFLATION NUMBERS came in higher than expected at 8.3% for headline and 6.3% for core.
The ECB RAISED RATES by 75bp and President Lagarde painted a very not so happy picture.
European energy companies secured BAILOUT $$$ from the government.
Canada announced an inflation RELIEF PACKAGE.
The IMF discusses issuing EMERGENCY FOOD AID.
Charles Schwab, Citadel, and Fidelity LAUNCH A CRYPTO EXCHANGE.
Vice Chair Lael Brainard gives a speech on the Fed’s ECONOMIC OUTLOOK and monetary policy.
China shut down dozens of cities and MILLIONS of citizens due to its Covid-zero policy.
The ECB prepares for its next interest RATE HIKE.
The Japanese Yen TUMBLES to a fresh 24-year low.
Russia says it will RETALIATE against the G7 oil price cap.
The Ethereum MERGE to Proof of Stake is coming in the next week or two.
Quantitative Easing & Tightening; The Division of Labor; Currency Pegs; and Stock Buybacks
Markets TUMBLED after Chair Powell said he’s definitely taking away the punch bowl; President Biden issued a MASSIVE student loan forgiveness plan; European INFLATION numbers for August came in SKY HIGH at 9.1%; Oil took a HUGE dive on news around the Iraqi supply; Ukraine's food exports nearly DOUBLE with the Black Sea now open; Meta adds NFT functions to its platforms.
Chair Powell delivers his outlook on the ECONOMY at the Jackson Hole, Wyoming Economic Symposium;
US manufacturing data signals clear signs of SLOWING growth;
Europe is in complete DISARRAY amid the ongoing energy crisis;
OPEC is considering TIGHTENING the oil supply;
And Coinbase discusses the THREAT of regulators to Ethereum after its merge.
Triffin's Paradox; Market Reflexivity; Risk-Adjusted Returns; and The "Holy Grail" of Investing.
FOMC minutes report offers its ASSESSMENT of the economy; Homebuyers back out of deals as RECESSION fears linger; China CUTS its interest rates; UK gets hit with double-digit INFLATION; Dirty COAL makes a comeback; and BitGo SUES Galaxy digital for $100M!
Unemployment vs Inflation; Liquidity & Volatility; GDP & Demographics; Hedging with Spread Trades.
The debate between Proof-of-Work and Proof-of-Stake is one of the most heated in the crypto space. It's possible most people have already chosen their camps, but there are advantages and disadvantages to both that everyone should be aware of regardless of which consensus mechanism they prefer. So, in this episode, I'll dive into all the most important differences between each way of achieving consensus, and also specifically highlight the biggest pros and cons so you can decide for yourself.
US CPI SURPRISED to the downside at 8.5%; The Senate passes the Inflation Reduction Act; Elon Musk SELLS 7.92 MILLION Tesla shares; Japan’s SoftBank unloads BILLIONS from its portfolio at a LOSS; Ukraine SUSPENDED oil flows from Russia to Europe; Britain plans for organized BLACKOUTS in January; Coinbase PARTNERS with BlackRock; And another crypto lending platform FREEZES customer withdrawals.
- Central banks do away with forward guidance; switch to a data-dependent approach as economic growth slows.
- Market sees the Fed as turning dovish —> Rates go lower —> USD/JPY falls aggressively.
- US10Y trades at parity with US03M —> Curve inverting at lower and lower tenors.
- Russia fears, inflation, and energy crisis weigh on Euro/European nations —> Bond spreads widen —> Risk and uncertainty drive investors to safer assets.
- Inflation-adjusted returns fall with risk-free rate falling —> Bonds become less attractive —> Investors seek higher returns —> Risk assets rally.
- Two competing camps: inflationistas and recessionistas —> Price stability vs. growth.
Pelosi visits Taiwan and China issues THREATS; Fed President James Bullard sees more interest RATE HIKES ahead; The China economy is contributing to a GLOBAL RECESSION and its real estate market could COLLAPSE; OPEC agrees to increase OIL SUPPLY after its meeting today; and Michael Saylor steps down as Microstrategy CEO to focus on BITCOIN.
The Fed raises interest rates by 75bp; Tech giants report earnings; The ECB unveils its new anti-fragmentation policy; Russia bombs Ukraine Black Sea port hours after deal stating otherwise; Europe struggles with Russia cutting natural gas supplies; G7 countries aim to have a price cap on Russian oil by December; And the Bitcoin hash rate plummets 17%.
Despite the greeks' outsized influence on the market, most investors tend to neglect learning about them or even acknowledging their significance. Many of the greeks cater specifically to the options market, which is why it's easy to dismiss them, but the effect options and the variables responsible for their prices have on overall market price action make them much more relevant than one might think. In this episode, I'll dive into these greeks, both option-specific and non-option-specific, to outline all the basics and add some much-needed context to our mysteriously complex financial system.
US markets rebound on better-than-expected earnings, Italian spreads widen as the Prime Minister's resignation is rejected, President Biden gets no assurances from the Middle East that oil production will increase, the US wants to put a cap on the Russian oil price, and ETH surges after a suggested merge date in September.
CPI Comes in at 9.1%, Elon Backs out of Twitter Buyout, Russia Shuts Off NatGas to Germany, and Mt. Gox Reimbursements Put Pressure on Bitcoin.
Oil is arguably the most desired form of energy and its importance as a critical input to economies around the world cannot be overstated. There are a lot of moving parts and the market as a whole is incredibly complex, but it's such a relevant and (at the moment) essential commodity that it's worth explaining in some detail. In this episode, I won't present an exhaustive outline of the market, but I will give a very detailed introduction of its most important aspects that will hopefully help you better understand just how extensive and vital that black gold market is.
With everyone in the media always screaming about inflation, it would be nice to know where these numbers are actually coming from. We hear terms like CPI or PCE thrown around, but what are they, what's the difference, and where are all these numbers coming from? In this episode, I hope to answer all those questions and provide a window into the behind-the-scenes action responsible for the inflation numbers we all see.
Although the prevailing consensus among the average citizen is that money is money, there are crucially important distinctions between its different forms. In this episode, I will dive into what those forms are and why understanding how and when their differences matter can help you protect your money in the face of economic calamities.
In this episode, I walk through some of the most important takeaways from the acclaimed "Politically Incorrect Guide to Capitalism" by Robert P. Murphy. The book does an excellent job of distilling many of the fundamental principles guiding capitalism and free markets, and this podcast simply aims to relay the best points and expand on them as best as possible.
Nobody enjoys paying taxes, and they especially don't enjoy learning about taxes, but understanding the tax code and how it relates to your specific circumstances is one of the best ways to save money year after year. In this episode, I cover many of the tax basics you need to know as well as some investing-specific rules. That said, you always want to discuss your taxes with a professional, but hopefully, some of this information will help you ask the right questions.
Though it can be a hard pill to swallow, it's important for every investor to understand what they are up against. The odds of outperforming markets or finding someone else's strategy that works for you are slim to none. In this episode, I dive into some of the reasons why we have to take a unique approach to our investment decisions, but also why we need to have the same approach to our investment decisions.
In this episode, I dive into some of the best takeaways from Saifedean Ammous’ most recent book, “The Fiat Standard.” The whole book is an excellent guide to fiat as a framework for monetary systems and does a great job of highlighting all the reasons why fiat is damaging to economies and society. This is by no means a substitute for the book, but by expanding on the ideas espoused in it, this podcast should hammer its most important points.
Arbitrage is an extremely popular yet underrepresented strategy for trading. It comes in many different varieties, and they can all be useful under different circumstances. In this episode, I aim to demystify the world of arbitrage by explaining several of these varying forms and even offer a number of real-world examples, both in and out of financial markets.
At this current point in history, the global monetary system seems ripe for change, but it's not exactly clear what changes should or will be made. In this episode, I dive into the previous system (Bretton Woods 1), the current system (Bretton Woods 2), and the possible third iteration (Bretton Woods 3) to paint a more holistic picture of where we've been and where we could be headed in the future.
Journaling has long been one of the greatest tools a trader has to gain a more objective perspective on their performance. Understanding how and why to journal is the first step, but following through on that is the second, much harder step. In this episode, I'll outline everything you need to know about journaling your trades and hopefully offer a convincing case for making it part of your trading routine.
Every successful trader needs a successful strategy, but how one should go about creating one isn't always made clear. In this episode, I'll walk through the keys steps to making your own strategy so you know what elements are important and how to apply them.
There have been many benefactors to global markets and the prices that follow, but dependencies on foreign nations have sparked serious concerns amid geopolitical tensions and other uncertainties in the world. In this episode, I'll explain both the strengths and weaknesses of globalization in addition to outlining why we're seeing a shift away from it as a system of trade and what that means for nations in the future.
No matter how random the economy or market may seem, there are consistent patterns they tend to exhibit time and time again. Understanding these macro forces driving these patterns will help you better position yourself as an investor so, in this episode, I try to outline what these cycles look like and how they might play out sector by sector.
The great powers of the world come and go, but the patterns dictating those cycles remain relatively unchanged. In this episode, I dive into the history of world powers, how they relate to the United States today, and what we can expect going forward in this unprecedented yet oddly familiar time.
Having a carefully calculated plan is painfully overlooked in the investment world so, in this episode, I dive into a model portfolio investors can use as a template for their own investments.
In this episode, I'll be delivering an expanded book review on The Austrian Case for the Free Market Process. It's a very short book, but overflowing with invaluable information on the classic Austrian economic and philosophical perspective via the renowned Ludwig Von Mises and Friedrich Hayek.
Credit and debt play a massive role in the economy on both a macro level and at the level of the individual. In this episode, I'll dive into some of the main types of credit pooled from both the investment and everyday world to offer a more holistic understanding of the role credit plays in the economy.
The derivatives market absolutely dwarfs the equities market and so it's very important for investors to understand exactly what it is and how it works. In this episode, I discuss some of the most popular forms of derivatives as well as their use cases to partly elucidate this vast and somewhat mysterious facet of finance.
Managing risk is one of the most important tools for investors and traders to be successful. If you don't have ways you manage your risk, you likely won't succeed in the market. In this episode, I offer a number of methods for both investors and traders to protect their money and find greater success in the market as a result.
Trading is an incredibly emotional endeavor and there is far too little discourse around how to manage your emotions effectively during your time in the market. In this episode, I outline many of the barriers we face in trading, psychological and otherwise, as well as offer some tools to help you better manage your emotions throughout your journey.
In this episode, I offer some of my key takeaways from the book "Economics in One Lesson." This classic by Henry Hazlitt is full of timeless lessons and insights into the fundamental forces and consequences of basic economics. It's worth reading in its entirety if you have the time, but hopefully this summary will give you a helpful preview of the wealth of wisdom within it.
Though most people know little to nothing about the repo market, it plays an integral role in the financial system. In this episode, I aim to demystify the repo market, or 'financial plumbing' as it is often referenced, by explaining why it is so important and why investors should be keeping their eye on it going forward.
In this episode, I'll dive into the classic Bitcoin energy FUD and why it is so misleading. I'll also explain how the Bitcoin network actually incentivizes renewable energy and how the nature of Bitcoin mining leaves it in a unique position to harness wasted energy sources.
Fossil fuels have been at the heart of our society for centuries and we are just now trying to fully transition away from them. There are many alternatives, but very few that can actually fill the void they leave. In this episode I'll outline some of the strengths and weaknesses of all the main energy alternatives to fossil fuels and then give my thoughts on what direction we should head as a society and what you should look for as an investor.
In this episode, I offer a brief but detailed outline of inflation, its causes, and why it is so problematic.
In this episode, I'll discuss some of the forces driving global trade, how countries manipulate their currencies, and how the United States' role in issuing the global reserve currency has incentivized the monetization of its debt to meet global demand.
Trading is as much about discipline as it is about skill and creating a set of rules or principles to guide you in your trading process is essential to becoming successful. In this episode, I'll go over my own rules that have helped me with my trading and, hopefully, they will help you too.
In this episode, I'll discuss how I think the SEC is tackling crypto, what investors should consider in the future when allocating within the space, and much needed information on the differences between spot and futures ETFs.
Nations backing their currencies with sound money was once the standard for economies everywhere in the world. For centuries, currencies were backed by real assets like gold and yet fiat would eventually come to replace all of them, but why? In this episode, I'll first explain what both sound money and fiat currency are as well as the advantages and disadvantages to using them, and then why governments should turn away from fiat and return to sound money once again.
The traditional stocks and bonds portfolio is, unfortunately, no longer a viable strategy. It was a successful strategy in its day, but the economic environment has changed and it's time we changed with it. In this episode, I'll discuss some of the ways investors can safely and effectively diversify their portfolios in this new and confusing market.