Gold’s big moves of late were confirmed as the real thing in the post Trump Tariff tantrum when gold barely budged in price by day’s end while stocks got hammered. That is, in a word, unusual.

The Fed split the difference by turning hawkish on rates but dovish by reducing the pace of QT. Inflation is still too high, but the economy is clearly rolling over. Meanwhile, the very foundations of the UYS dollar system were called into question by Elon’s comment about “magic money machines.”

Executive Summary In this episode of Finance U,  Paul Kiker (of Kiker Wealth Management) and I tackled a range of topics from market volatility, the CPI, and the dynamics of gold and silver, to the intricacies of oil prices and the rising interest rate situation in Japan. Market Volatility and Strategy Noting the lack of…

Is it time to adopt a defensive stance in one’s portfolio? The signs are beginning to mount that a long-overdue market correction has begun.

Discussion on this Finance U covers market manipulation, hyperinflation risks, gold’s role, credit card debt, and investment strategies amid economic volatility. Emphasis on informed decision-making and diversification.

Trump’s bold actions could well lead to a recession simply due to cutting off flows of fraudulent, unnecessary, and/or wasteful spending. At the same time inflation is still kicking around, so the Fed is less likely to re-spike the punchbowl. The result? Stagflation possibly, which is the worst outcome for the average person.

Chris and Paul discuss potential impacts of $2 trillion federal spending cuts, deflationary pressures, gold market movements, and economic implications for households and investments.

Janet Yellen left Trump a poison pill in the form of a maxed-out debt ceiling and only a couple of months of cash in the kitty. Deep Seek swarmed over NVDA and OpenAI’s moat as if it were a muddy puddle. Trump coyishly hinted at eliminating individual income taxes. Wow! A turbulent table has been set.

Chris and Paul get together in person to discuss the impact of Trump’s inauguration on policies and markets, focusing on executive orders, economic implications, housing market changes, energy independence, and potential investment opportunities in commodities.