The Capitalist Investor with Mark Tepper

This week's episode of The Capitalist Investor features the three amigos discussing the recent collapse of Silicon Valley Bank. The Federal Government had to intervene as the bank had a high concentration of large depositors, many of which were tech companies. Unlike other banks, SVB had a very high concentration of a single area of focus, like Venture Capital This differs from other banks that are more accustomed to having deposits of firms and consumers with different backgrounds and professions. SVB recently took large deposits of money and invested in long-duration bonds over the past decade. However, with the recent rise in interest rates, the asset prices of these bonds have gone down, resulting in a significant financial loss for SVB. This bad management of deposits resulted in a loss of billions of dollars that was left unhedged against. That is complete moral incompetence and a moral hazard.What should the Federal Reserve response be in responding to the default of Silicon Valley Bank in the wake of rising inflation? One of the biggest concerns is the concern around a contagion and the strength of the overall banking system. The system has changed over the years as the banking system uses numerous financial instruments, such as derivatives and options, and no longer just the usual hand the money over to the bank and then loan it out to someone else. This amount of complication within the banking world has made the extremes more extreme when things go wrong. This also leaves much less room for error.What does this mean for Crypto Currency? Essentially these faults in the banking system are the exact reason that crypto came into light in the first place. The free markets are no longer free when the government intervenes, creating more extreme cycles. When things go wrong, consumers and companies want bailed out. But when you reward bad behavior, you get bad results.0:00:00Topic: Silicon Valley Bank Collapse and the Federal Reserve's Intervention0:02:23Impact of Rising Interest Rates on SVB's Investment Strategy0:04:45Analysis of Silicon Valley Bank's Risk Hedging Practices and Implications for the Banking Sector0:06:44Discussion on the Complexity of the Banking System and the Rise of Cryptocurrency0:08:32Discussion on Silicon Valley Bank's Risk Management Practices and Impact on Woke Culture0:13:49Analysis of the Impact of Regulatory Rollbacks on the US Economy0:15:45Analysis of the Impact of the Financial Crisis on the Banking and Investment Industries0:18:50Heading: Balancing Act: The Impact of Inflation on Middle Class America0:22:07Conversation on Capitalism and the American Dream0:23:31Discussion on Global Economic Crisis and Debt to GDP Levels0:26:10"Exploring the Financial Risks of the End of the World and the Tech Sector"

This week on The Capitalist Investor, wealth advisor Dave Abate was invited to discuss current news and events related to the economy. He shared his perspective as an adviser and a planner, offering insight into how the current economic climate could affect clients. Dave discussed the testimony of JP Powell and the fallout from it, the debt ceiling and Social Security being directly related to the talk. Tony the Tiger was also present to offer insight and humor. Dave discussed the continuing rate hikes, saying that a pivot is not likely anytime soon and that it'll have to be a quick one when it does happen. The conversation delved into the surprise that the market has in reaction to Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell every time he speaks. This is because he has been repeating the same message for the past six months, that interest rates will stay higher for longer. Senator Elizabeth Warren called out Powell for wanting to increase unemployment by 1% in order to increase inflation. The discussion then shifted to the mortgage industry, which will feel the impact of the higher interest rates, as the cost of a 30-year mortgage has since increased by 60% from 18 months ago. The conversation ended with a reminder of how rising interest rates make it difficult for people to own a home, as the cost of a $1500 mortgage is now $2400.The conversation centers around the real estate market and how it has been impacted by the pandemic. It is noted that 18 months ago, a $400,000 house would have been reduced to $250,000 in order to have the same monthly payment. It is also noted that the mortgage industry makes up 15% of the GDP and it is likely to take a hit in the coming months. The speakers discuss the potential of finding distressed sellers in the market, as well as the possibility of taking advantage of the current low-interest rates. They also consider the potential of the Fed's terminal rate rising to 6 or 7%, which would further impact the real estate market. Ultimately, the conversation concludes that the real estate market is likely to see a downturn in the coming months due to the pandemic.The conversation is discussing the unknowns of the mortgage industry and whether or not the Fed will overshoot the rate. The consensus rate has been creeping up for 6-12 months, starting at 4.5 and now at 5.6. The conversation then shifts to how the pandemic has affected the consumer, with many people only buying necessities such as food and not super discretionary items like bikes and TVs. The conversation concludes with the idea that the Fed may overshoot the rate and then quickly pivot to reduce it, likely in the next meeting.0:00:00"JP Powell's Testimony and the Impact on the Economy: A Discussion with Wealth Advisor Dave Abate"0:02:32Analysis of the Impact of Rising Interest Rates on the Mortgage Industry0:04:29Heading: Impact of the Housing Market on Affordability and the Mortgage Industry0:08:43Discussion on the Potential Impact of Rising Interest Rates on the Economy0:10:56Discussion on the Potential Impact of the US Debt Ceiling Crisis0:13:06Discussion on US Treasury Bond Market and US Defense Spending0:16:19Discussion on the US Debt Ceiling, Inflation, and Social Security Reform0:18:15Heading: Exploring Solutions to Social Security Challenges0:21:38Discussion of Potential Solutions to Social Security Funding Challenges0:25:14Heading: Exploring the Possibility of "Bare Minimum Mondays"0:27:39Heading: Exploring the Impact of Quiet Quitting and Working Smarter, Not Harder0:32:35Conversation on Paranormal Experiences

Welcome back! The boys are back in town! All three amigos are back at it this week discussing Consumer Confidence being weak & earnings expectations being guided lower for many companies. Many people are citing that consumers are strong, but are they really that strong? What's going on with Pete Buttigeg's excessive or not-excessive use of private plane travel? All of this & more during this week’s “The Capitalist Investor”. Consumer Confidence & EarningsIs the consumer strong or weak? This is one of the hottest & most debated topics right now around the economy & stock market. At the end of the day, whether or not consumers are strong or not, consumer confidence is not high at all. Consumer’s are feeling the heat, whether they are strong or not. When you take a look at earnings, some sectors seem to be keeping forward guidance elevated and some sectors seem to be lowering guidance. What’s interesting is that those discretionary sectors that should be taking a hit in a downturn seem to be keeping earnings expectations high, while those sectors that shouldn’t be greatly impacted in a downturn are actually lowering guidance. What does this tell you about the overall consumer? The three amigos discuss this and more.Stock BuybacksThere’s been a lot of news surrounding stock buybacks and the woke crowd seems to be running with it. There’s people going around saying stock buybacks only benefiting the stock owners and the insiders of a company, all while the employees get screwed and don’t get to see any of that money. At the end of the day, a company has an obligation to all stakeholders in a company all the way from the shareholders, the debt holders, & the employees. It’s really a fine balancing act. But the people who are against stock buybacks don’t really understand stock buybacks. Stock buybacks are essentially a replication of capitalism, since all they do is return money to shareholders for the shareholders individually to decide where that capital should go next? Should that capital stay in the company? Should that capital go towards a new investment? Will that capital be spent and flow through the economy? What a lot of people don’t really understand either is majority of middle-class America rely on pensions & 401(k)’s for their retirement, all of which benefit from stock buybacks and returning capital to the shareholder.Pete Buttigieg’s G5Pete Buttigieg seems to be cancelled this week. After reports that out of the past 18 flights he has taken, it has been through a private charter & has cost American taxpayers of $40,000. If you breakdown the math, that’s over $2,000 per flight. But is that really excessive and is Pete really traveling alone when he goes private? At the end of the day, people seem to be complaining about anything and everything and Mayor Pete is in the spotlight right now after showing up to East Palestine 3-weeks into the disaster. This is debated by the capitalist investor team.

Welcome back! The boys are back in town! All three amigos are back at it this week discussing disappointing earnings within retail & record-breaking retail volume coming into equities. What is causing this record breaking volume and does it say something else about the consumer? What’s cancelled this week? All of this & more during this week’s “The Capitalist Investor”.Retail Earnings MissRetail earnings were say.. underwhelming. There was high-expectations in Q4 that were supposed to highlight the strength of the consumer, but really earnings just highlighted the potential weakness. At the end of the day, stocks like Walmart are seeing a shop-down effect with even higher income earners now trying to find bargains at Walmart. People are focusing on groceries more than discretionary spending, which is the lowest margin business many retailers operate in. What’s in store for the retail sector and what’s in store for the average consumer as we head through 2023?Gambling RecessionThere’s evidence that a lot of retail money is flowing back into equities, but the surface level might not tell the full story. A lot of investors are buying options on equities that expire that same day, meaning they are taking on a ton of risk. Really, many investors are gambling at this point. If you look to Draftking’s earnings, they were a lot hotter than expected as well. The Capitalist Investor team discusses dark pools and the mentality a lot of Americans are facing in these uncertain and hard-strapped times. Could the equity volume coming in from retail investors really just be a big gambling face-off to try and make a quick buck? Possibly.Artificial IntelligenceOkay… we really can’t cancel AI or Artificial Intelligence. But a lot of weird things are happening with AI now, with Microsoft’s “Bing” saying some really weird things to it’s users. What is the cutoff and when is the line drawn with Artificial Intelligence? Is the world becoming too efficient? The Capitalist Investor team discusses their thoughts around AI, and maybe even some flat earth talk. Yes.. you need to watch the episode to find out.

This week on The Capitalist Investor, Luke and Tony discussed what is broken in the economy, stock market, and personal ways of thinking. They also discussed the hotter-than-expected Consumer Price Index (CPI), which the markets rejoiced about, and Luke's conspiracy theory about the CPI he found on Twitter.0:00:00"Exploring What's Broken: A Discussion on CPI, Market Rejoicing, and Conspiracy Theories"0:01:52Heading: CPI Report Reveals Inflation is Still Accelerating0:03:48Analysis of Rising Inflation and Its Impact on the Market0:07:22Heading: Analysis of S&P 500 Predictions in Unprecedented Times0:08:55Heading: Risk Management and Market Outlook Discussion0:12:50Heading: Investing Strategies: Managing Risk and Overweighting Sectors0:16:58Heading: Active Stock Picking in the Current Environment0:18:33Heading: Discussion of Possible Conspiracy Theory Regarding Biden's Petroleum Reserve Tap and Inflation0:20:59Heading: Environmental Pollution in Martins Ferry, Ohio0:22:42Heading: Impact of Chemical Spill in Ohio River on Half of America0:25:04Impact of Contamination on Economic and Psychological Well-Being: Examining the High River Incident and Electric Vehicle Safety0:26:58"Exploring the Impact of Electric Vehicle Fires on the Golf Course Industry"The opinions expressed in the podcast are for general informational purposes only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any investment, legal, financial, or tax strategy.

Welcome back! The Capitalist Investor squad discusses what happened during the POTUS state of the union address, earnings so far in the stock market, & new words that Jay Powell has invented during his interviews. What do you need to know this week to keep up with the economy, the markets, and your money?Earnings seem to be declining, but the market is rallying. One of the thoughts is that the market was discounting even more negative earnings growth and the earnings aren’t coming in as bad as expected. Technology, with the largest weightings in the S&P 500 reported last week and the market shrugged off right in-line if not lower than expected earnings & guidance. Chipotle reported earnings and the market didn’t like it. Are people being more price cautious now? Or are people still swiping their credit cards to keep earnings afloat? 68% of companies continue to beat earnings estimates, but this is the lowest since Q1 of 2020, and then 2013 before then. What should you expect the next couple of quarters?Liar! Liar! The state of the union seems to be the same every year.. the opposing party shakes their head the entire time, and the party in power stands & sits hundreds of times throughout the speech. It honestly is very similar at this point to a high-school pep rally. At the end of the day, what value do these speeches give? What facts did Biden actually give and what lies did he give? At this point, it seems like the Democrats & Biden are looking at completely different data than what everybody else is looking at. Things like inflation, jobs, oil, taxes, China & oil are all topics that were hit on during the State of the Union. What things did the Capitalist Investor squad digest during the speech and how will Biden’s & Democrats thought process impact your money & your life?Who knew Jay Powell was a comedian.. he had the whole room laughing during his most recent interview. The market seems to always react positively now when Jay Powell speaks, even if it is more hawkish. Does the market not believe anything that the Fed & Jay Powell says now? The new word he is using is “Disinflation”. He has been using the word “Disinflation” a lot lately, and it sounds eerily similar to how he used the word “transitory” a lot and we all know how that turned out. The break down of his recent remarks seems to suggest that the Fed will remain higher with interest rates for a longer period of time, and might even go higher than a lot of people expect. But the market seems to like that news, which means there is some sort of discrepancy between the stock market & the federal reserve.

Welcome back! The Capitalist Investor squad discusses all the news surrounding recent earnings reports, tax season coming up, behavioral changes in a recession, and Justin Bieber selling the rights to his songs for 200M. You need to tune in until the last minutes on this week’s episode because the squad erupts in all kinds of different conversations around aliens & the doomsday clock reaching 90 minutes until midnight. What does all of this craziness mean for the future and you!?

Welcome back! The Capitalist Investor squad discusses all the news surrounding the biggest minds on Wall Street & Politics at Davos 2023. What are CEO’s saying around the world? What is Labor Hoarding? Jeffrey Gundlach had a great interview on Fox Business last week. What’s the biggest takeaways from the bond king himself? Why are we debating gas stoves & electric stoves? All of this is discussed & more this week on The Capitalist Investor.

The Capitalist Investor crew discusses inflation & the Fed, the latest updates on the job market unemployment and tech layoffs, and a couple of canceled topics including taxes being possibly cancelled!The conversation discuss the recent market changes and the expectation that the Federal Reserve will pivot soon. However, some believe that the market is overestimating the Fed's actions. There is data to suggest that this is the case, with many young investors thinking that there will be a pivot and older investors aren't expecting a pivot anytime soon. The Fed could overshoot and put us into a recession to try and gain back the credibility they lost by saying inflation was "transitory" two years ago. target inflation too aggressively.Everyday seems to be a new company laying off part of it’s workforce. Or even companies that already announced layoffs that are either accelerating those layoffs or making those layoffs more extreme in headcount. At the end of the day, technology layoffs could be just the tip of the iceberg. As we enter into earnings season, the banks are the first to report. The interesting thing when analyzing bank earnings is the insight it can provide into the future. The American banking system helps build the economy through the debt they service & the investments they help make into companies & people. When loans are down & merger/acquisition activity is down, it can provide insight on what negative things might be in-store in the future. On the opposite side, when loans are up, and M&A activity are up, it can help shed a positive light into the future. That’s why these next couple of quarters of earnings are so important to shed light on the future of our economy & stock market.Who likes taxes!? Most people do not, because the government isn’t very good at spending our money. With Republicans taking a house majority in Congress, there are already bills being levied to do away with income taxes & tax the consumption side of the equation. Even though it is almost impossible legislation like this could make it all the way through, it’s important to discuss the economical impact this could have on Americans & businesses. On top of that, sports betting just became legalized in Ohio. Right after midnight on January 1st, Bernie Kosar, a long-time Browns celebrity & radio celebrity lost his job after betting $19,000 on the Browns to beat the Steelers. Apparently, he didn’t know it went against his contract to bet on sports.Timestamps0:00:00The Capitalist Investor: Inflation in the Fed, the latest updates0:01:56The Federal Reserve's Inflation Target: Is There a Pivot?0:03:21The Federal Reserve's Inflation Target: Is 2% Achievable?0:08:26Inflation: A Year-Long Topic of Conversation0:09:51The Impact of Tech Layoffs on the Overall Economy0:11:14Banking Earnings in the Age of Inflation0:14:26Canceled: Bernie Kosar Bets $19,000 on Browns to Beat Steelers0:19:35Canceled: Income Taxes0:20:51Making up the 15% in Taxes0:24:41The Impact of a Simplified Tax Code on Investments

The tax code changes that are going into effect in 2023 are going to have a big impact on the markets. Businesses are going to be affected the most, and it could not have come at a worse time. The team talks about how these changes are going to affect businesses and the market as a whole. The Inflation Reduction Act might actually work on businesses, but reducing demand through the middle-class isn't a good thing. Businesses may be worse off due to changes in capital expensing, R&D expensing, and interest expensing. The new tax code will disincentivize businesses from growing, and this will cost consumers jobs at a time when the Federal Reserve's interest rates are crushing demand. All of this will impact the economy, the markets, and you're wealth, which is why you need to pay attention to fiscal policy. The new tax plan essentially is making the government bigger through more tax revenue, which is causing the government to pick the winners & losers through the re-distribution of wealth.Oil has recently been selling off, which might suggest a couple of different viewpoints. It could suggest that a recession is looming as demand decreases throughout the world. It could also suggest that the supply chain of oil has gotten better. But that doesn't mean there aren't risks in 2023 for oil. An escalation in Russia/Ukraine of China/Taiwan could send oil higher. Also, China re-opening the economy could increase demand in oil as well. Ultimately, lower oil costs is a good thing for the American consumer who is already struggling and is a good thing for inflationary pressures. But it's not a good thing for Electric Vehicles. One of the selling points for EV's is the cost of gasoline compared to electricity. As gas prices go lower, there is less incentive for people to buy Electric Vehicles. What does this mean for the investment world and stocks like Tesla?Cancelled this week involves a conversation around McDonald's and their first restaurant to replace all of their workers by using machines & technologies to make the food for customers. What is the long-term impact technology has on the overall eceonomy and is it even sustainable in a capitalistic world? What ultimately might happen as time goes on and middle-class jobs are replaced by artificial intelligence and machines? It's something we need to pay attention too as technology continues to exponentially grow and businesses continue to use technology faster as the cost of hiring employees continues to rise.TIMESTAMPS 0:00:04   The Impact of the Secure Act on Businesses and the Market in 20230:02:15   The Impact of the Inflation Reduction Act on Businesses0:03:58   The Impact of the Trump Tax Code on Businesses and the Economy0:06:56   The Impact of Rising Interest Rates on Businesses0:09:19   The Impact of the New Tax Laws on the Stock Market0:11:44   The Impact of the Child Tax Credit on the Economy0:14:00   The Impact of Redistribution of Wealth on the Economy0:17:21   Oil Prices and the Electric Vehicle Market0:19:10   The Impact of Cheap Gas on Electric Vehicles0:21:33   The Impact of Electric Vehicles on the Automotive Industry0:22:58   The Future of Electric Vehicles: A Conversation with Tesla Owners0:25:46    Tesla is Still Overvalued0:27:33   The Impact of Automation on the Fast Food Industry0:29:43   The Impact of Technology on the Workforce0:31:25   The Impact of Technology on Society0:32:58   The Future of Work: A Discussion on the Impact of Technology

Welcome to the Holiday Special where the team discusses the bull and bear cases for 2023. They debate whether or not things will go well or not and also talk about the good and bad things that could happen in the new year. Will 2023 be just as crazy as 2022? Or will things finally calm down in 2023?1. The Stock Market2. The Bond Market3. The Commodity Market4. The Crypto MarketWhat are the possible outcomes for the S&P 500 in 2023. The bull case scenario is that the divided government is willing to work together, and that companies can invest without fear of significant tax code changes. The bear case scenario is that inflation will become a problem, and that the stock market will not be able to sustain its current level of projected earnings growth.The Bond Market is down just as much as the stock market essentially in 2022. The bull case for the bond market is essentially the bear case for the stock market. What is meant by that? How do interest rates in 2023 impact the bond market and will the bond market act the same as the stock market in 2023 or will it finally disconnect from the stock market again?Different commodities react differently to different situations. For example, gold can react differently to economic news than energy commodities like oil. But what is the overall bull and bear  case for commodities in 2023? Why is energy so important and how does Oil impact our every day life?The crypto market has taken a dive this year, especially recently after the FTX blowup that caused investors to become distrusted in cryptocurrency. What is the bull case and what is the bear case for cryptocurrency in 2023? How does government spending & interest rates impact speculation within the economy that ultimately impacts the crypto market:Timestamps0:00:03The Bull and Bear Case for 20230:02:56The Bull Case for the S&P 500 in 20230:04:45The Economy in 2023: A Look Ahead0:08:26The S&P 500 and the Market's Reaction to COVID-190:10:02The Bear Case for the Stock Market0:12:52The Fed's Impact on the Stock Market0:20:21Bond Market Outlook for 20230:22:53Bonds, Commodities, and ETFs: A Year in Review0:25:10The Impact of Interest Rates on Commodities0:26:16The Bull and Bear Cases for Gold and Energy in 20230:28:28Oil Prices and the Global Market0:30:15The Impact of Oil on the Global Economy0:31:55Crypto Market Regulation: The Pendulum Swings from One Side to the Other0:36:04The Future of Cryptocurrency: Bearish in 20230:38:20The Future of Crypto: A Roundtable Discussion0:40:54The opinions expressed in the podcast are for general informational purposes only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any investment, legal, financial, or tax strategy.

The CPI read for 7.1% was a little below estimates, but the market still reacted positively. The Fed is expected to make a decision soon, and home sales will be a big topic for 2023. Sam Bankman-Fried was arrested before he was supposed to testify on Capital Hill. The team discusses the current state of the stock market and how it has been affected by various data points recently. They discuss how the market is pricing in a pause in the Fed's rate hikes, and how this could affect the market in the future.The speakers discuss the recent actions of the Federal Reserve and how they may respond to a slowdown heading into the 2024 presidential election. They question whether or not the Fed will be able to lower interest rates enough to spur economic growth, and whether or not this will be used as political ammunition by the either party. They also speculate on whether or not Biden will be replaced as the Democratic candidate for president.The team discusses the current state of the housing market and its expected future. They mention that home prices had been rising astronomically, but this is not sustainable. Home sales are expected to continue to decline into 2023 as a result. The cost of borrowing has also increased, which is not good for the long-term success of the housing market.0:00:04The heading should be in title case and no more than six words. CPI Read for the Week0:02:21The Impact of the Federal Reserve on the Stock Market0:03:45The Federal Reserve's Next Move0:07:36Home Sales in 2023: Will Prices Continue to Decline?0:09:17The Impact of Rising Home Prices and Mortgage Rates0:12:36The Real Estate Market in 2023: A Slow Burn Down0:14:27Tesla Stock Tumbles Amidst Controversy Surrounding Elon Musk0:18:12Tesla's Stock Price Drop and the Cancel Culture0:19:59Canceling Dr. Carson

The Producers Price index (PPI) is a measure of inflation for manufacturers. It is coming out this week and is expected to be high. How high (or low) it reads, could move the markets. The PPI is the best way to explain how much it costs manufacturers to make things. This could possibly mean that inflation is not increasing as rapidly as previously thought, which could be seen as a positive by investors. However, it is still unclear how Federal Reserve Chairman Powell will interpret this data.The gang digs into real estate and the recent headlines surrounding some nontraded REIT's decision to limit withdrawals. For a variety of reasons, investors have begun to withdraw money from Blackstone Real Estate and Private Lending funds. We discuss the implications.We also discuss the recent stock market sell-off and how it may be due to concerns about China's economy. We discuss oil prices, energy stocks and some contradictory data points, which create some uncertainty about a possible recession. The gang chats about China's recent decision to ease some restrictions and the causes: protests or the state of the Chinese economy? Tony, Derek, and Ryan discuss the different viewpoints on China, then get into the good stuff: the lack of diversity during Shark Week and the impending smash-hit blockbuster, Cocaine Bear.Timestamps0:00:07The Capitalist Investor: PPI, Georgia Runoff Election, and Real Estate Funds0:02:06Inflation in the United States0:03:39Oil Prices and the Economy: A Conversation0:06:20The Impact of China's Economy on Global Markets0:07:51The Impact of the Georgia Runoff Elections on the Stock Market0:09:42Blackstone Private Placements and the Coronavirus0:11:26The Impact of Rising Interest Rates on Real Estate0:14:56Bereaved Properties and the Real Estate Market0:16:49The Impact of Legalized Gambling on the Casino Industry0:18:15The Discovery Channel's Shark Week is under fire for its lack of diversity and overrepresentation of men named Mike.0:20:45Cocaine Bear and Shark Week: A Conversation

Despite warning signs, Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales still break records.The group discusses Black Friday shopping and whether it is bigger than Cyber Monday. They mention that while the sales were up when inflation is taken into account, there was no real progress made. The speakers discuss the market and Black Friday and mention that the rail strike and protests in China are having negative impacts on the economy.The speakers discuss the possibility of an upcoming recession, citing several indicators that suggest it may be on the horizon. These include the recent inversion of the yield curve, the decreasing price of oil, and banks' unwillingness to loan money. They also note that the White House has started to take steps to prepare for a recession, such as replenishing the oil reserves.Are Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, and whether or not they are indicative of a strong economy? The group discusses how businesses and employees are impacted by a weak economy, and how the recent sales numbers may not be as strong as they seem.0:01:51The Market This Week: A Look at Black Friday and Earnings Season0:03:31The Impact of Economic Indicators on the Federal Reserve's Decision-making0:05:28The Impact of the Resilient Consumer on Businesses0:07:29The Impact of Black Friday and Cyber Monday on the Economy0:10:20The Impact of Economic Uncertainty on the Stock Market0:12:34The Impact of High Consumer Debt on the Economy0:13:58The Impact of the Railroad Strikes on the Stock Market0:15:27The Impact of a Potential Railroad Strike on the U.S. Economy0:23:38The Impact of China Lockdowns on the Stock Market0:25:15Apple and Twitter's Feud Could Impact the Stock Market0:28:56Apple and Tesla's Feud: Why Elon Musk is Picking a Fight

Welcome back to this week's episode of The Capitalist Investor! The group discusses Diamond Hands D's recent vacation, during which time the crypto market collapsed. On top of the crypto collapse, a recent statistic shows that personal savings in the US has decreased from $2 trillion to $600 billion in the last year. This could be due to increased spending, and that could lead to increased personal debt in the future. The Santa Claus rally may not be real or long-lasting, due to the high levels of credit card debt among Americans. There is currently 16.5 Trillion dollars in household debt and over 31 Trillion dollars in government debt. Has the Santa Claus rally already happened this year? Is the Santa Claus rally going to be able to hold? What’s going to happen over at Disney with Bob Iger coming back as CEO? All of this and more is discussed in this week’s “The Capitalist Investor”.The Santa Claus rally, a stock market phenomenon that typically occurs in the seven days after Christmas. They note that this year, the rally may be occurring earlier than usual, and that it is generally driven by positive sentiment and increased consumer spending around the holidays. They also discuss the possibility that the rally may be extended into January, due to the recent strong performance of the stock market. One of the reasons the stock market does well during the holiday season is that retail investors are more optimistic during this time and there is less trading by institutional investors. But less trading means less volume, which usually doesn't support a strong move.Bob Iger is back at Disney as CEO. Disney has become very "woke" over the past few years and Iger coming back to Disney raises questions on the direction of their "wokeness". Will Disney double down on being woke? Or will Iger come into Disney and walk back what they did over the past couple of years?0:04:19The Santa Claus Rally: What to Expect0:09:18The Impact of Cryptocurrency on the Stock Market0:10:54The Impact of Bitcoin Mining on the Crypto Market0:17:38The Walt Disney Company's Plans to Leave Florida?0:22:53The Impact of Wokeness on Disney's Business Model0:25:26The Future of Disney Under Bob Iger0:28:14The Scammy Business of Ticketmaster: A Conversation0:29:54Celebrities and Ticketmaster: A Scam?0:33:09The Impact of Live Nation's Monopoly on the Music Industry

What's going on with the recent crypto meltdown and specifically the FTX exchange? The traditional banking system works in a similar way, lending out assets to make money for themselves. What is to blame? The banks? The exchanges? Regulation? Or is this a culprit of low-interest rates and the changes in behavioral finance?In the traditional banking system, banks will take customer deposits and use them to invest in other products or services. However, this can be risky if the bank does not have enough liquid assets to meet customer demands for withdrawals. This is what happened with the crypto exchange FTX. The company had leveraged it's customer assets to make other investments, but when the market crashed and customers tried to withdraw their money, FTX was unable to meet these demands. This caused the company to collapse, wiping out billions of dollars in assets.The FTX crisis was caused by the company's use of client money for risky hedge fund leverage, which left the company unable to repay its debt obligations when clients began asking for their money back. But on top of that, it is absolutely possible that Fraud has occured, but we don't want to jump to conclusions until it is proven.The person who hacked into FTX's system is now the 35th largest owner of Ethereum in the world. This hack is a reminder that the banking system is vulnerable to attack and that companies need to be careful about over-leveraging themselves.The Crypto Meltdown: What Really Happened - 0:01:45The FTX Cryptocurrency Exchange Scandal - 0:03:34FTX Exchange Under Fire After Client Money Goes Missing - 0:07:17The FTX hack and its implications for the cryptocurrency industry - 0:08:39The Aftermath of the Largest Ponzi Scheme in History: The Bernard Madoff Scandal - 0:10:08The Decentralized Finance Community's Relationship with Regulation - 0:13:32Inflation: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly - 0:19:13The Impact of PPI on the Economy - 0:22:35The Federal Reserve's Impact on Inflation and the Market - 0:25:19Excesses Will Change in the Next Two Years - 0:31:00

Well.. the Mid-Term Red Wave wasn't really the Red Wave that many people expected. But the big question and observation is forecasting what this means for 2024 and your money. Does this shed some light into the future? What will be the impact on the economy & stock market? Also, we just head of major layoffs by big technology companies. What does that mean for unemployment as we head into 2023? And of course.. you can't forget about what's cancelled this week.●  [01:34] Mid-Term Red Wave Turned into Pink Puddle●  [19:43] Big Tech Layoffs●  [30:45] Cancelled! Kathy Griffin & COVID

1. Twitter is introducing a subscription model for verified usersTwitter is introducing a subscription model for verified users. This means that users who have a blue check mark next to their name will have to pay a monthly fee in order to maintain their verified status. The exact amount has not been determined yet, but it is rumored to be around $8 per month. This is a controversial move, as many people feel that verified users should not have to pay for their status. However, Twitter is hoping that this will generate more revenue and help to cut out some of the riff-raff from the platform.This move by Twitter is sure to generate a lot of debate. Some people feel that verified users should not have to pay for their status, while others think that this could help to clean up the platform. Only time will tell how this new subscription model will affect Twitter.2. Biden is introducing a plan to tax oil companiesBiden's plan to tax oil companies is based on the premise that they are making excess profits and that this tax will incentivize them to lower prices for consumers. However, there are many flaws with this plan. First, it is unclear how the government will determine what is considered an "excess" profit. Second, even if the tax is implemented, there is no guarantee that oil companies will actually lower prices. In fact, it is more likely that they will simply pass the cost of the tax on to consumers through higher prices. Finally, the tax will only further incentivize oil companies to move away from traditional fossil fuels and towards cleaner energy sources.It is also worth noting that this tax will likely have a disproportionate impact on small businesses and consumers in rural areas. This is because they are more likely to rely on oil for heating and transportation, and will thus be hit harder by any price increases. In addition, the tax could lead to job losses in the oil industry, which would further harm the economy. Overall, Biden's plan to tax oil companies is misguided and is unlikely to achieve its desired effect. It would be better to focus on other methods of incentivizing oil companies to move towards cleaner energy sources, such as investing in renewable energy research and development.3. The price of oil is determined by global supply and demandundefined - The government is going to take an average of the cost of oil from 2015 to 2019, and if any oil company exceeds that average, it will be taxed at a higher rate. This is supposed to incentivize oil companies to lower prices at the pump, but it is unclear how this will actually be implemented or enforced.The government's plan to tax oil companies that exceed the average price of oil from 2015 to 2019 is a step in the right direction, but it is unclear how this will actually be implemented or enforced. There needs to be more transparency and communication between the government and the oil companies in order to make this plan effective. Otherwise, it could end up being nothing more than a political ploy to score points with the public.This week's episode of the Capitalist Investor:[00:00:03] - This week's episode of The Capitalist Investor features three of the Dream Team members.[00:00:23] - They're going to go to a subscription model for the blue check marks. Twitter wants to charge $20 a month to be verified, but it settled at $8.[00:10:29] - Biden proposes a tax on oil companies to lower gas prices.[00:16:07] - The other positive catalysts are good earnings, good geopolitical, and a sudden peace.[00:23:13] - Jim Cramer covered every stock in the S&P 500 over the last several years.[00:25:37] - This week's Canceled Segment is Luke Bryan inviting Ron Dee and Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida, on stage in support of the hurricane relief effort.[00:29:09] - Guys talk a little about Brown

Taxes & More Taxes! After Mid-Term elections, California's tax rate might go even higher. And that's on top of the crazy rates they already pay. Here in Ohio, they actually are lowering taxes 1% down closer to 4%. In California, state tax rates will be almost 4x that of Ohio. What does that mean going forward for the state? All of this happening alongside news that China's leader Xi is serving a 3rd term, which begs the question of more government intervention into their companies. Is that a risk to the United States and the U.S. economy? This week's cancelled segment is all about cancelling the cancelled! All of this and more on this week's "The Capitalist Investor" podcast.●  [02:09] California's Taxes Go Even Higher●  [12:39] China's Smackdown●  [24:55] Cancelling the Cancelled! Worker's Fired Over Vaccines Hired Back & Paid Backpay