The Fed’s ‘dot plot’ has become a market-moving ritual, but it’s only been around since 2012. This week on the Basis Points podcast, Kevin Flanagan examines what a Warsh-led Fed could mean for forward guidance, volatility and fixed income strategy.

Basis point: 1/100th of 1 percent.

Learn more: https://www.wisdomtree.com/investments/multimedia/basis-points-podcasts#Listen%20now 

Please see the WisdomTree Glossary for additional definitions of terms and/or indexes: https://www.wisdomtree.com/investments/glossary

The Fed still holds $6.3 trillion in Treasuries and mortgage-backed securities, well above pre-pandemic levels. This week on the Basis Points podcast, Kevin Flanagan explains why a Warsh-led effort to shrink the Fed’s balance sheet, especially $2 trillion in mortgage-backed securities, may be far more complicated than the rhetoric suggests.

Basis point: 1/100th of 1 percent.

Learn more: https://www.wisdomtree.com/investments/multimedia/basis-points-podcasts#Listen%20now

Please see the WisdomTree Glossary for additional definitions of terms and/or indexes: https://www.wisdomtree.com/investments/glossary

Markets reacted quickly to the nomination of Kevin Warsh as the next Fed Chairman, but the bigger story lies beyond the headlines. This week on the Basis Points podcast, Kevin Flanagan weighs Warsh’s Fed background, policy instincts and what a balance-sheet-focused Fed could mean for bonds.

Basis point: 1/100th of 1 percent.

Learn more: https://www.wisdomtree.com/investments/multimedia/basis-points-podcasts#Listen%20now

Please see the WisdomTree Glossary for additional definitions of terms and/or indexes: https://www.wisdomtree.com/investments/glossary

Policy headlines are creating fresh opportunities in securitized markets. This week on the Basis Points podcast, Kevin Flanagan is joined by Dave Goodson, Head of Securitized at Voya Investment Management, to break down the Trump administration’s proposed $200 billion purchase of agency mortgage-backed securities (MBS), what’s already priced in and where active fixed income managers may find relative value. They also explore why a mortgage-plus approach could make sense as policy and market dynamics continue to evolve.

Basis point: 1/100th of 1 percent.

MBS: Mortgage-backed security

CMBS: Commercial mortgage-backed security

RMBS: Residential mortgage-backed security

Learn more: https://www.wisdomtree.com/investments/multimedia/basis-points-podcasts#Listen%20now

Please see the WisdomTree Glossary for additional definitions of terms and/or indexes: https://www.wisdomtree.com/investments/glossary

After a flurry of rate cuts at the end of 2025, the FOMC decided to pause their rate cuts at the January meeting, keeping the fed funds trading range at 3.50%–3.75%. This week on the Basis Points podcast, Kevin Flanagan explains why this shift may mark a move toward neutral policy and how labor market data could steer the next phase of decision-making.

Basis point: 1/100th of 1 percent.

Learn more: https://www.wisdomtree.com/investments/multimedia/basis-points-podcasts#Listen%20now

Please see the WisdomTree Glossary for additional definitions of terms and/or indexes: https://www.wisdomtree.com/investments/glossary

Bank loans come with yield, but also risk. This week on the Basis Points podcast, Kevin Flanagan explains how the WisdomTree Interest Rate Hedged High Yield Bond Fund (HYZD) offers a high-yield, zero-duration alternative with quality screening designed to reduce credit risk.

Basis point: 1/100th of 1 percent.

Learn more: https://www.wisdomtree.com/investments/multimedia/basis-points-podcasts#Listen%20now

Please see the WisdomTree Glossary for additional definitions of terms and/or indexes: https://www.wisdomtree.com/investments/glossary

The steepening yield curve isn’t just a forecast, it’s atest.

This week on the Basis Points podcast, Kevin Flanagan breaks down a horizon analysis using our 2026 Economic & Market Outlook, showing how short-term Treasuries could outperform while long duration risks negative returns.

Basis point: 1/100th of 1 percent.

Learn more: https://www.wisdomtree.com/investments/multimedia/basis-points-podcasts#Listen%20now 

Please see theWisdomTree Glossary for additional definitions of terms and/or indexes: https://www.wisdomtree.com/investments/glossary

The Treasury yield curve steepened in 2025, and 2026 could bring more of the same. This week on the Basis Points podcast, Kevin Flanagan explains why an active/passive barbell strategy is a timely way to capture income potential while managing duration risk.

Basis point: 1/100th of 1 percent.

Learn more: https://www.wisdomtree.com/investments/multimedia/basis-points-podcasts#Listen%20now

Please see the WisdomTree Glossary for additional definitions of terms and/or indexes: https://www.wisdomtree.com/investments/glossary

The Fed’s divisions may run deeper than the official vote count suggests. This week on the Basis Points podcast, Kevin Flanagan unpacks the concept of “silent dissenters,” what the dot plot signals about rate cuts, and why a shifting FOMC could make future policy decisions even more data dependent.

Basis point: 1/100th of 1 percent

Learn more:
https://www.wisdomtree.com/investments/multimedia/basis-points-podcasts#Listen%20now

Please see the WisdomTree Glossary for additional definitions of terms and/or indexes:
https://www.wisdomtree.com/investments/glossary

As expected, the Fed delivered a third straight 25-basis-point rate cut at the December FOMC meeting. With the resumption of rate cuts now at round three, Kevin Flanagan explains how Powell’s “risk management” approach, internal Fed divisions, and missing data raise key questions about what 2026 could bring—and whether the recalibration now needs a recalibration of its own.

Basis point: 1/100th of 1 percent.

Learn more: https://www.wisdomtree.com/investments/multimedia/basis-points-podcasts#Listen%20now

Please see the WisdomTree Glossary for additional definitions of terms and/or indexes:
https://www.wisdomtree.com/investments/glossary