Podcast Episodes 51-100
Subscribe to us via
Ep. 100: So You Want to Be a Resource Investor
Fergus Hodgson, November 1, 2018
We have all heard stories of years of savings squandered due to rushed investment decisions and gut instincts. In highly technical fields such as junior mining and precious metals, perils for newcomers abound. That’s why Gwen Preston, aka the Resource Maven, cautions against misleading offers and recommends figuring out one’s risk profile first. More…
Ep. 99: In Defense of America Abroad
Fergus Hodgson, October 30, 2018
One of the most divisive issues in US politics is foreign policy. America’s military and diplomatic involvement since World War II has left profound changes around the world. For many, this has meant chaos and violence. But for Jayant Bhandari, the world should be more thankful of US peace-keeping efforts. More…
Ep. 98: Debunking China’s Economic Miracle
Fergus Hodgson, October 22, 2018
Depending on who you listen to, China is either poised to become a superpower or a disaster waiting to fall under its own weight. For Valentin Schmid, business editor with the Epoch Times, both scenarios are overrated. More…
Ep. 97: Your Tenants Are Trees: Specialty Coffee Investment
Fergus Hodgson, October 8, 2018
Canadian entrepreneur David Sewell, founder of International Coffee Farms in Panama, makes the case for agriculture as a steady, long-term cash-flow stream. More…
Ep. 96: John Hunt Writes Libertarian Fiction in a Statist World
Fergus Hodgson, September 27, 2018
For a principled libertarian, living in a world dominated by collectivism can be a daunting task. For John Hunt and his readers, fiction offers solace and a platform for spreading rugged individualism. More…
Ep. 95: The Calm before the Storm: Defaults Ahead
Fergus Hodgson, September 21, 2018
Jim Grant has more than three decades of experience monitoring macroeconomic metrics, and he is aghast at the post-Great Recession era. We are in uncharted waters, in terms of low and negative interest rates and seemingly worldwide and unprecedented currency devaluation. More…
Ep. 94: Vancouver: The World’s Mining Hub
Fergus Hodgson, September 17, 2018
Karleigh Middlemiss, a human-resources specialist with IDM Mining, explains why Vancouver is head and shoulders above any other city in the world for mining. She also offers tips for those interested in entering the field. More…
Ep. 93: Economic Freedom versus Populism
Fergus Hodgson, September 10, 2018
Fred McMahon, an economist and resident fellow with the Fraser Institute, joins us to discuss the challenges of defining populism and the pitfalls for advocates of economic freedom in the face of divisive rhetoric. More…
Ep. 92: Gold: For Insurance, Not for Profit
Fergus Hodgson, August 31, 2018
History has shown time and again that diversification is sound advice for good reasons other than profit. Rich Checkan, CEO of Asset Strategies International, leverages his vast experience in the metals industry to make the case against the US dollar and the Fed’s recent moves. More…
Ep. 91: The Emergence of Private Governance
Fergus Hodgson, August 28, 2018
The world is getting better, and much of it is thanks to private governance. Sven Schütt, a German visiting scholar with the American Institute for Economic Research, argues that this fact is lost on most people even though they benefit from it every day. More…
Ep. 90: Brien Lundin: How I Became a Gold Bug
Fergus Hodgson, August 24, 2018
Prominent metals investor Brien Lundin, CEO of Jefferson Companies, shares memories and insights from his three decades in the business. He tells the story of how he met Jim Blanchard, the “ultimate gold bug” who fought for the legalization of gold ownership and took Lundin under his wing. More…
Ep. 89: Agriculture Investing Makes Comeback Thanks to Crowdfunding
Fergus Hodgson, August 20, 2018
Agriculture is one of mankind’s oldest businesses, but it has limited accessibility in conventional financial markets. Chris Rawley, CEO and co-founder of HarvestReturns.com, wants to change that through crowdfunding platforms. More…
Ep. 88: What Technical Analysis Foresees for Gold
Fergus Hodgson, July 23, 2018
Financial analysts resort to different viewpoints to study markets and prepare for moves, utilizing both technical and fundamental data points. Avi Gilburt, one of the most prominent technical analysts in the world, lays out the case for Elliott wave theory. More…
Ep. 87: Bitcoin Is the New Dollar in Argentina
Fergus Hodgson, July 17, 2018
Countries with high inflation rates are ideal markets for cryptocurrencies, and no country in Latin America has a more troubled history with fiat manipulation than Argentina. Belén Marty, a local reporter with the news outlet Crypto247.com, explains that Argentines have grown so used to volatile government currencies and speculation that bitcoin faces little resistance in this regard. More…
Ep. 86: Why the Future Looks Bright for Gold
Fergus Hodgson, July 12, 2018
The interest rate in the United States is rising from the dead—albeit in a piecemeal, incremental fashion—as trade tensions intensify across the world. Does the current scenario bode well for gold? Listen to what Mary Anne and Pamela Aden, co-editors and publishers of the Aden Forecast and two of the world’s most influential and well-known financial analysts, have to say. More…
Ep. 85: Higher Education Coming Apart
Fergus Hodgson, July 5, 2018
The university system is in crisis. Despite millions invested, very few students graduate and even fewer learn actual job skills. The ballooning student-loan bubble shows no sign of abating. Ryan Hildebrand, assistant professor of Biology at Delgado Community College in New Orleans, has been sounding the alarm for years. More…
Ep. 84: Demystifying the Blockchain Economy
Fergus Hodgson, June 18, 2018
Traditional financial and banking sectors remain wary about the blockchain economy, given the myriad of cryptocurrencies and climbing transaction costs. But for investor, entrepreneur, and biohacker Cassi Konopasek, there is no question: blockchain solutions will become mainstream. More…
Ep. 83: The State of Academic Inquiry in Canada
Fergus Hodgson, June 12, 2018
Accounts of censorship at universities have made major headlines in Canada and the United States, but is the outrage warranted? Michael Kennedy, co-author of the Campus Freedom Index, an annual measure of the state of free speech at Canadian public universities, argues there is indeed a pattern of censorship. More…
Ep. 82: Why Blockchains Are Here to Stay
Fergus Hodgson, May 28, 2018
Bitcoin was the first successful application of the blockchain, but will it survive after central banks and regulators step in? Financial expert Demelza Hays from Liechtenstein walks us through the basics of blockchains and recommends some cryptocurrencies to keep an eye on. More…
Ep. 81: Is the World Getting Freer?
Fergus Hodgson, May 21, 2018
Every year, the Fraser Institute’s Economic Freedom of the World index ranks countries’ openness to markets. But how can one measure something so seemingly abstract as freedom or liberalization? Economist Robert Lawson shares the lessons he’s learned while authoring this study for the past three decades. More…
Ep. 80: E-Citizenship Fosters Competition Between Countries
Fergus Hodgson, May 14, 2018
Since 2014, Estonia has attracted individuals from all over the world by letting anyone apply for residency online. Yaël Ossowski, a Canadian journalist, activist, and entrepreneur based in Vienna, joins us to discuss how virtual-residency programs can foster competition between states for global businesses. More…
Ep. 79: Know Thyself: Budgeting in the Social-Media Era
Fergus Hodgson, May 8, 2018
For the first time, total credit-card debt in the United States has surpassed $1 trillion. Many households struggle to make ends meet and don’t know where to start saving money. Kumiko Ehrmantraut, aka the Budget Mom, shares her insights as a certified financial counselor. More…
Ep. 78: Is Chile Open for Business?
Fergus Hodgson, April 30, 2018
After four years of Socialist Party rule, Chile’s new pro-market administration is touring around the world trying to convince businesses to invest in the country, still the most prosperous and stable in South America. But how welcoming is Chile to foreign investors? More…
Ep. 77: The Antidote to Identity Politics
Fergus Hodgson, April 24, 2018
The politicization of all aspects of our lives is part of a vicious cycle of tribalism, a battle for a slice of the largess. How can we avoid getting trampled by the herd mentality of identity politics? More…
Ep. 76: Colombia: The Pick of the Bunch
Fergus Hodgson, April 20, 2018
Colombia lies amid the disastrous movement of 21st-century socialism of Venezuela and Ecuador, but she has thus far resisted the fatal call. Jorge Eduardo Castro is eager to keep it that way. More…
Ep. 75: Master Data as a Lay Investor
Fergus Hodgson, April 11, 2018
The predicament individual investors face is the tradeoff between precious time for research and forgone gains. How much time actually brings higher returns? Often, unfortunately, people just waste time and find themselves losing money on excessive trading. More…
Ep. 74: Use Your Dollars to Hunt for Treasure
Fergus Hodgson, March 31, 2018
Bryce Bradley describes operators in the junior-resource sector as modern-day treasure hunters, riding an often-dramatic field with highs and lows. If you can learn the sector and get a sense for its cycle, amid an inefficient market, the gains on offer are tremendous. More…
Ep. 73: Creative Destruction Is Your Friend
Fergus Hodgson, March 26, 2018
Driver-less cars, the peer-to-peer economy, crypto-anarchy: creative destruction is running wild, for the better of humanity and entrepreneurs. Those willing to spot and pursue the openings in the market are set to profit handsomely. More…
Ep. 72: Three Lessons for the DIY Investor
Fergus Hodgson, March 14, 2018
Many of us have a penchant for handling our own affairs, for going our own way in financial matters. Dickson Buchanan of Monetary Metals has learnt the hard way, and he has distilled his hindsight into three key lessons. More…
Ep. 71: The Fundamental Value of Cryptocurrencies
Fergus Hodgson, March 5, 2018
So many people have gotten rich in the early years of cryptocurrencies, but are the returns all realized? Why are cryptocurrencies worth your time, and why do they command market value? More…
Ep. 70: Alternative Investments 101
Fergus Hodgson, February 28, 2018
With price-to-earnings ratios so high and interest rates so low, there is a compelling case for entering alternative investments, but where does one start? More…
Ep. 69: How to Spot a Bubble
Fergus Hodgson, February 19, 2018
As much as many of us want to believe in the efficient-market hypothesis—that all information is embedded in the price—turmoil and the business cycle continue to challenge the notion of completely rational markets. The question then is, how does one know when there is a market bubble and, perhaps more important, when it will pop? More…
Ep. 68: Criticize by Creating: The Subversive Mindset
Fergus Hodgson, February 12, 2018
“Civic education is designed to create herds of obedient voters,” Max Borders writes. He contends that politics is a zero- or negative-sum game, and he is out to promote an alternative: a form of creative destruction that dislodges the status quo. He calls it subversive innovation. More…
Ep. 67: What You Don’t Know about Crypto
Fergus Hodgson, February 5, 2018
Is bitcoin the new gold? Chris Blasi responds with an emphatic no, and he takes contention with the term cryptocurrency: “Bitcoin is operating as a speculative investment, not a currency.” More…
Ep. 66: The Case for Belize
Fergus Hodgson, January 29, 2018
While many people love traveling and exploring new places, moving to another country as an expat can be a giant leap. It is a way for globetrotters to take their wanderlust to new levels, and to find new financial and personal opportunities. More…
Ep. 65: Start Your Own Stock Market
Fergus Hodgson, January 22, 2018
Where are the customers’ yachts? The title of the legendary book in finance by Fred Schwed points to the inefficiency of financial markets and the way they often benefit the administrators more than the investors. Olav Dirkmaat wasn’t about to accept that status quo, so he started a new online stock market. More…
Ep. 64: Paths to a Financial Education
Fergus Hodgson, January 16, 2018
So many of us are on the outside of the financial industry, and its jargon, mathematics, and regulations may seem beyond reach. Bill Reese, a finance professor with the A.B. Freeman School of Business at Tulane University, weighs the merits of trade experience versus formal education options, and then offers recommendations for personal-finance reading. More…
Ep. 63: The Most Insane Currency You Never Heard Of
Fergus Hodgson, December 20, 2017
Venezuela has already shown the world the recipe for hyperinflation. Now she offers the petro, a state-sanctioned cryptocurrency, but that is not all. More…
Ep. 62: What Motivates the Russians?
Fergus Hodgson, November 30, 2017
Russia, Russia, Russia! So much hot air and so little understanding in the wake of Donald Trump’s rise, especially with the hyperbole leveled at the new president. But what ideology or strategy actually explains the motives and plans of the Russians? More…
Ep. 61: Can Cryptocurrencies Beat the Dollar?
Fergus Hodgson, November 27, 2017
Normally we interview one person or have a panel, but at the New Orleans Investment Conference, many attendees shared their views as I mingled in the exhibit hall. They assessed the promise of cryptocurrencies and whether they could unseat the US dollar as the most widely used currency worldwide. More…
Ep. 60: Ex-Federal Reserve Insider Speaks Out
Fergus Hodgson, November 13, 2017
Danielle DiMartino Booth says the Federal Reserve is “infected with mission creep.” Since leaving in 2015, she has been vocal in her criticism of the overly powerful, parasitic, and bureaucratic central bank, as explained in her book, Fed Up. More…
Ep. 59: Find Yields in a Low-Interest World
Fergus Hodgson, November 8, 2017
Not only are governments offering and successfully selling bonds of very long terms at absurdly low rates, an enormous amount of capital is tied up in bonds earning negative yields. You don’t have to follow the herd down this road to ruin. More…
Ep. 58: Can Trump Make Money Sound Again?
Fergus Hodgson, October 31, 2017
Negative real interest rates have become the new normal, a sign of how far the Federal Reserve has strayed from any rational policy, not to mention the inflation of another financial bubble. US President Donald Trump, to his credit, has expressed his concern over the “false economy.” More…
Ep. 57: How Judges Came to Rule the United States
Fergus Hodgson, October 18, 2017
Dwight Duncan explains that, going back more than a century, the “Constitution means what the Supreme Court says it means.” This is in contrast to the desire for a clear document with a balance of powers in the amendments process and removal of wayward judges More…
Ep. 56: Escape the Education Conveyor Belt
Fergus Hodgson, October 2, 2017
Michael Strong loved learning but hated school. Now he designs schools that are not dry environments of passivity and dependence, but rather places of inspiration, innovation, excellence, and creativity. More…
Ep. 55: The Egalitarian Conquest of America
Fergus Hodgson, September 26, 2017
Sven Larson came a long way to be a free man, from Sweden to the Great Plains of Wyoming. He has found, however, that the ideology of egalitarianism that plagues his home terrain of Scandinavia is alive and well and conquering the land of the free. More…
Ep. 54: Resist the War on Cash
Fergus Hodgson, September 12, 2017
Rich Checkan of Asset Strategies International foresees a gradual removal of cash from circulation, as a way to tax people more and cut down on the informal economy, while violating privacy. More…
Ep. 53: Why Ayn Rand Lives On
Fergus Hodgson, September 8, 2017
Ludwig von Mises once described Ayn Rand as the most courageous man in America. Such was her unabashed and proud nature, she relished being described as a man. More…
Ep. 52: Be the First to the Bull Market
Fergus Hodgson, August 31, 2017
Rick Rule believes in fundamental analysis and getting to opportunities before they garner wide attention. “When the wisdom in a trade is obvious,” he says, “the trade is over,” and on this episode he explains the case for copper and uranium. More…
Ep. 51: Prepare for Uncharted Waters
Fergus Hodgson, August 22, 2017
Chris Martenson and Adam Taggart are what Brien Lundin calls Ivy League preppers. Unlike many people who predict economic and environmental breakdowns, they are supremely educated and refined in their analysis. More…
Episodes 1-50 • Episodes 101-150 • Episodes 151-200 • Episodes 201-250 • Episodes 251-300 • Latest episodes