Articles

Analysis of current market conditions, policy developments, and economic events as they unfold. Context and perspective on what matters now.

Technology

Explaining The AI Infinite Money Glitch

An analysis of the circular spending patterns between Oracle, NVIDIA, AMD, and OpenAI, and why this AI infrastructure boom could unwind if end-user demand doesn't materialize.

Monetary Policy

End The Fed? Why Calls to Cut Rates Miss the Point

Data-driven analysis showing how mortgage rates are primarily driven by 10-year Treasury yields and market expectations, not Fed policy rates.

Markets

Gold At The Crossroads

Analysis of gold's rise as a scoreboard for systemic dysfunction: Fed policy failure, fiscal unsustainability, and erosion of central bank independence.

Banking

CRE Distress & Bank Exposure: A Slow-Moving Crisis

Examining the growing stress in commercial real estate and its impact on regional banks, with office vacancies doubling and $1.2 trillion in debt maturing by 2027.

Real Estate

Current State of the U.S. Housing Market

The ratio of home buyers to home sellers has reached a historic low of 0.73, driven by unprecedented mortgage rate increases, surging home prices, and rising insurance costs that have fundamentally reshaped housing affordability.

Economic Policy

Rise in Public Ownership

Intel's groundbreaking CHIPS Act deal marks the first time federal semiconductor funding has resulted in direct government ownership of a major U.S. corporation, potentially signaling a new era in American industrial strategy.

Policy

How Can We Balance The Budget?

Data-driven analysis of deficit solutions showing spending up, revenue flat, GDP growth down, requiring 8.4% spending cuts and 3.8% revenue increases to match 1980s levels.

Policy Analysis

Tariffs: Everything You Need to Know

A comprehensive analysis of tariffs, their history, impact on the US economy, and current policy proposals with insights from leading economists.

Monetary Policy

Do Rate Cuts Always Lead to a Lower 10-Year Treasury Yield?

Examining why Fed cuts 75 bps yet 10-year Treasury climbed from 3.6% to 4.3%, exploring fiscal dominance and bond vigilante risks.

Housing

The U.S. Housing Affordability Crisis: When Things Might Change

Deep dive into housing affordability showing only 21% of listings affordable for households earning $75-100K, with Fair Value Variable matching early 1980s crisis levels.

Policy

A Signal of Dystopian Wealth Concentration

Analysis of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and its systematic transfer of wealth from poor to rich, accelerating plutocratic capture of democratic institutions.

Policy

Is The U.S. National Debt a Problem?

Analysis of debt-to-GDP dynamics showing deficit spending exceeding GDP growth, with CBO projecting One Big Beautiful Bill adds $2.4 trillion over decade.

Monetary Policy

The Price of Political Pressure on the Federal Reserve

Examining parallels between Nixon-Burns 1970s Fed interference that led to 12% inflation and Trump's pressure on Powell, with Kevin Warsh as potential replacement.

Market Analysis

When Real Estate Regulation Breaks Markets

A detailed analysis of how housing regulations in San Francisco and St. Paul demonstrate the unintended consequences of well-intentioned housing policies.

Housing

Where Did All The Margin Go? A Question Facing Homebuilders

Analysis of homebuilder margin compression from 2022 peaks, inventory reaching GFC levels, and growing concession reliance as unemployment risk looms.

Global Markets

Japan: A Signal of Things to Come

Analysis of Japan's 10-year JGB yield rising from 1.00% to 1.52% and why this matters for U.S. fiscal policy with world's highest debt-to-GDP ratio at 237%.

Housing

The Mispricing of Residential Real Estate

State-by-state analysis reveals homes must drop 29.3% on average or mortgage rates fall to 3.68% to return to 10-year affordability norms, with Connecticut requiring 37.3% price cuts.

Policy

The Demographic Debt Trap

Analysis of Japan's fertility crisis where two deaths occur per birth, creating debt-to-GDP spiral at 250% ratio, with lessons for U.S. immigration and fiscal policy.

Housing

When Mortgage Rates Doubled

Analysis of the unprecedented 137.6% mortgage rate surge in 2022—the sharpest increase since 1973—and its transformative impact on housing affordability.

Demographics

Economic Hardship for Gen Z: A Data-Driven Analysis

An analysis of how housing, education, and childcare costs have outpaced income growth over the past thirty years, creating unprecedented financial challenges for young Americans.

Government

An In-Depth View on Government Spending

A comprehensive analysis of federal spending patterns, including healthcare, Social Security, and defense, examining how $6.1 trillion in taxpayer dollars were allocated in 2023.

Fixed Income

Impact of Treasury Issuances on the Yield Curve

An analysis of how U.S. Treasury issuances, projected to exceed $28.9 trillion in 2024, impact the yield curve and market dynamics.

Economic Analysis

A Historical Analysis of the Unemployment Rate

An examination of the unprecedented 13.9% year-over-year rise in unemployment, analyzing historical patterns and their implications for economic forecasting.

Banking

Over $500 Billion in Unrealized Losses at U.S. Banks

An in-depth analysis of the unprecedented $517 billion in unrealized losses in the U.S. banking system, examining causes, implications, and broader economic impact.

Policy Analysis

Brief History of Attempts to Ban U.S. Representatives from Trading

An examination of Congressional trading practices, from the founding of the nation to modern day attempts at reform, highlighting key controversies and legislative efforts.

Monetary Policy

The Federal Reserve Posts $150 Billion in Losses

An examination of the Federal Reserve's $154 billion in accumulated losses, analyzing the causes, implications, and future outlook for central banking operations.

Technology

Data Center Demand Forecasted to Grow 10% a Year Until 2030

Analysis of McKinsey's forecast for data center growth, examining market dynamics, key players, and technological infrastructure driving the expansion.

Real Estate

Extend and Pretend: How Banks are Avoiding Losses on Commercial Real Estate

An analysis of the growing trend of 'extend and pretend' strategies in commercial real estate lending, as banks face $1.1 trillion in mortgage refinancing challenges.

Market Behavior

The Invisible Hand of Incentives

An examination of how market incentives shape narratives and create market noise, using the dairy farming industry as a case study in market dynamics.