Trump just announced 50-year mortgages to "fix" the housing crisis. His logic? If FDR's 30-year mortgages were good, then 50-year mortgages must be better. Bigger number equals better, right?

Wrong.

In this episode, Luke Tatum and Rob Brayton from Perfect Spiral Capital break down the mathematical reality behind Trump's latest intervention. The numbers are brutal: After 10 years of payments on a 50-year mortgage, 93% of your money goes to interest. You'd have just 7% equity in your home.

You don't hit the 50/50 point—where your payment is equally split between principal and interest—until year 39. Most Americans move every 7-8 years. They'd build essentially zero equity.

But the real issue isn't just the mortgage product itself. It's why we need it in the first place. Rob explains how decades of monetary policy, deficit spending, and inflation have driven asset prices through the roof. Houses aren't just expensive because of supply and demand—they're expensive because of deliberate government intervention at every level.

From minimum square footage requirements that prevent affordable starter homes to BlackRock using cheap government money to buy up real estate while families get priced out, the system is rigged from multiple angles. This isn't capitalism—it's crony capitalism on steroids.

Luke reminds us that when he was born, mortgage rates were 8.5% but people could afford houses. Today rates are lower, but homes are unaffordable. That tells you everything about who benefits from "easy money."

As Rob points out, 50-year mortgages are just another intervention following previous interventions. When you prop up one part of the economy, it distorts economic signals and creates new problems. Then you need another intervention to fix those problems. It's economic flex tape slapped on a rotten subfloor.

The comparison to 2008 is unavoidable. Fannie Mae just eliminated its 620 FICO score minimum to guarantee riskier mortgages. Combine that with 50-year terms and easier lending standards, and you've got all the ingredients for another housing bubble disaster.

But here's the positive takeaway: Economic downturns create massive opportunities for people with capital ready to deploy. Luke shares how he and his wife made a pact after 2008 to never get caught flatfooted again. How many millionaires were made during the recovery? A whole hell of a lot—because they had liquidity when assets were on sale.

That's what Perfect Spiral Capital does. They help individuals and business owners get properly capitalized so when opportunities appear, you can act on them. While others panic about government policy, you'll have dry powder ready to deploy.

Capital attracts opportunities. The question is: Will you be ready when they arrive?

Ready to make sure you're never caught flatfooted by economic chaos? Visit PerfectSpiralCapital.com/podcast for their free toolkit on building wealth that survives government incompetence.

Welcome to day 36 of the "apocalypse" - also known as the longest government shutdown in US history. Except nothing actually collapsed. Parks closed while we sent billions overseas. SNAP benefits are being held hostage while Congress gets paid. It's almost like they're using your groceries as a political weapon. Luke Tatum & Rob Brayton from Perfect Spiral Capital, and myself break down the strangest hostage crisis in American history - where 42 million people (34% of which are children) get caught in the crossfire between politicians arguing about which subsidies matter more. Healthcare subsidies versus food subsidies. Or more accurately the warfare state versus the domestic population? As if we couldn't just let people keep their own money in the first place.? The SNAP Reality Check: The average family receiving benefits receives $350/month. This makes up to 1.8% of total federal spending. We're running half a trillion dollar monthly deficits but somehow feeding people is what gets dropped? Rob points out the absurdity - we've got enough waste in the other $6+ trillion to cover this without blinking. The Real Problem: It's not about whether people should or shouldn't receive benefits. It's about sociopaths using food access as their political cudgel. That's terrorism by definition - leveraging human suffering for political means. Luke shares the deeper issue: the benefit cliff. Make any money, lose everything. It's not about helping people thrive - it's about control. When government controls whether you eat, they control what you do. The MMT Con: Modern Monetary Theory says you can print infinite money as long as you pay it back during good times. Except we never get to those "good times" where paying back happens. Just endless pulling on the credit card while pretending math doesn't exist. Austrian Reality: Rob and Luke bring the Austrian economics perspective - value needs to come from somewhere. You can't just print prosperity. But somehow during shutdowns, billions still flow overseas while Americans worry about groceries. The Positive Spin: Instead of depending on systems designed to keep you dependent, build your own foundation. Rob shares the mindset shift: take $100, turn it into $200 in 30 days. Buy a dresser, refinish it, sell it for profit. This abundance thinking beats trading time for money. Check out Perfect Spiral Capital's Eight Forms of Capital article to understand how to leverage different types of assets into actual wealth. When you control your own capital through properly structured systems, you don't need politicians deciding whether you eat. The government breaks your legs then hands you crutches. Maybe it's time to stop saying thanks. Ready to build wealth systems that don't require government permission? Visit PerfectSpiralCapital.com/podcast for the free toolkit on taking control of your money.

Everywhere you look today, AI is on everyone's tongue. Nowhere more than Wall Street. But is this the beginning of a new economy or just the next bubble ready to burst? Welcome to Between The Lies, where we cut through the hype to give you the real story on what's happening with your money. I'm Nicky P, joined by the money truth-tellers at Perfect Spiral Capital - Luke Tatum and Rob Brayton. This week we're tackling something inspired by Patrick Boyle's compelling analysis: AI's circular financing scheme that's inflating a bubble nobody wants to acknowledge. OpenAI alone has a $7.8 billion operating loss for the first half of 2025, yet we keep propping up valuations on "trust me bro" economics. What We Cover:

• OpenAI's staggering losses and why only 5% of ChatGPT users actually pay
• The circular financing loop between AI tech suppliers, infrastructure companies, and investors
• How 20-50% of the S&P 500 has meaningful exposure to potentially failing AI companies
• Why DeepSeek's cheaper alternative caused market panic
• The energy crisis: AI data centers burning through power faster than infrastructure can support
• Historical parallels to the dot-com bubble and government-subsidized railroad expansion
• Nuclear power as the only real solution (and why we're 5-7 years away minimum)

Key Takeaways: Luke breaks down the "trust me bro" model where companies like OpenAI run $4 billion credit lines at 6% while burning GPUs that depreciate in five years. Rob explains why this feels exactly like the dot-com era - huge valuations, no revenue streams, everyone scrambling to not miss the party like they did with Bitcoin. I call out the mal-investment and government manipulation that's propping up companies that should have already folded. When the White House starts buying stakes in AI companies, you know this is at least partially artificial. The Reality Check: Before 1971's gold standard abandonment, we had zero government shutdowns. Coincidence? Rob draws parallels to how many car companies existed when automobiles first emerged versus how many survived. This shake-out is coming. The silver lining? If you understand fundamentals and avoid speculation, you won't get caught holding the bag. Focus on what you can control - your banking function, capital deployment, and assets that aren't exposed to circular AI financing schemes. Perfect Spiral Capital Insight: Luke and Rob emphasize investing only in what you know and understand. When everyone's blindly throwing money at AI hoping to catch the next wave, smart money focuses on fundamentals. Insurance companies don't buy AI speculation - they build wealth through proven systems. Ready to build wealth outside speculative bubbles? Visit PerfectSpiralCapital.com/podcast for the free toolkit.

Welcome back to Between The Lies, where we drag financial crises out of the shadows before they destroy your wealth. I'm Nicky P, and I'm joined by the money truth-tellers at Perfect Spiral Capital - Luke Tatum and Rob Brayton. This week we're getting way outside my depth, but what I keep hearing in all this noise is we are right at the precipice of another huge financial crisis. The question isn't if - it's when, and are you ready? What We Cover:

• What NDFIs actually are (and why they're not automatically evil)
• How Chase Bank just wrote off $150 billion in bad NDFI loans
• Why this feels like 2008's subprime crisis all over again
• The Dodd-Frank bail-in rules that let banks take YOUR deposits
• Why FDIC insurance won't save you this time
• How decades of low interest rates created this mess

Key Takeaways: Rob breaks down non-depository financial institutions - companies like Visa and PayPal, but also the risky subset doing subprime mortgages and sketchy car loans. Luke exposes the bail-in reality: when the next crisis hits, banks won't use taxpayer money. They'll use YOUR deposits to recapitalize themselves. That's the actual law now. We also tackle the uncomfortable math: If Chase is writing off $150 billion, what's happening at smaller institutions? Where there's smoke, there's fire, and these odd ripples in the NDFI space should have everyone paying attention. The Reality Check: Corporate greed isn't the problem - it's a feature of the system. You have a legal obligation to maximize shareholder returns. Banks have to chase higher yields when rates are artificially low. And when it all comes crashing down? Government bails out Wall Street, not Main Street. We saw this movie in 2008. But here's the empowering part: You're the only person who's going to look out for you. The buck stops with you. Big daddy government isn't coming to save you - they're going to bail out their friends while you lose everything. Perfect Spiral Capital Insight: Rob emphasizes why he does what he does - to help people build insulation from these crises. Luke reveals the opportunity: a lot of millionaires were made in 2008 by people with dry powder ready to deploy. If you have capital in a safe place (and I'm not talking about a bank), you can capitalize on crisis while others panic. The silver lining? If you know this is coming, you can position yourself now. Get your money out of banks beyond what you need for daily operations. Build capital reserves in insurance companies that profited during 2008. Be ready to buy when others are selling. Ready to stop being a victim of the next financial crisis? Visit PerfectSpiralCapital.com/podcast for their free toolkit on protecting and growing your wealth regardless of what Wall Street does.

Is Government Ownership Really New or Just Business As Usual? This week on Between The Lies, we're diving into something that looks new but smells awfully familiar. Trump's administration just took stakes in a number of companies including, Intel , MP Materials, Lithium Americas, Trilogy Metals, and US Steel. The media's calling it unprecedented. We're calling it 2008 with better marketing. The TARP Playbook Returns Rob walks us through the 2008 bailouts when the government took massive ownership stakes in banks, auto companies, and AIG to "save Main Street by saving Wall Street." Spoiler alert: Wall Street got saved. Main Street got the bill. The Economic Stabilization Act threw $700 billion at companies that were failing because of their own decisions, purchased their stock with money created out of thin air, and pretended it was capitalism at its finest. But This Time It's Different (Maybe) What makes Trump's approach unique is he's calling it a "sovereign wealth fund" instead of a bailout. The government isn't rescuing these companies - it's buying in to profit from them long-term. Luke connects the dots between semiconductor manufacturing, rare earth minerals, and AI development. When you control the mining of materials, the production of chips, and have stakes in the companies building AI infrastructure, you're not just playing the game. You're rigging it. The Real Endgame: AI Governance Here's where it gets dystopian. AI requires massive computing power, which requires advanced semiconductors, which require rare earth minerals. Trump's administration is positioning itself to control that entire supply chain. Luke argues this isn't conspiracy theory - it's strategic positioning for AI governance, social credit systems, and unprecedented surveillance capability. Why This Matters to You Government choosing winners and losers through ownership stakes isn't new. What's new is the scale and the industry focus. When the government owns pieces of the companies developing AI while simultaneously relaxing AI governance rules, you're looking at a future where Big Brother has better tools than ever before. Rob reminds us that DARPA has been working on AI with companies like Google for years. This isn't the beginning - it's just coming out of the shadows. The question isn't whether this technology gets developed. It's who controls it when it does. The Positive Spin Nick refuses to let us wallow in doom. His takeaway? Nothing much changes. Governments keep making the same mistakes because they're incentivized to make them. But knowing they're going to make those mistakes gives you the roadmap to navigate around them. Learn from history, position yourself accordingly, and remember that the well-capitalized always profit - regardless of what nonsense DC is up to. Ready to understand how to position yourself for government incompetence? Visit PerfectSpiralCapital.com/podcast for Luke and Rob's free toolkit on the future of your money.

Welcome back to Between The Lies, where we celebrate the rare moments when government actually stops doing things to us. I'm Nicky P, and I'm joined by the truth-tellers at Perfect Spiral Capital - Luke Tatum and Rob Brayton. This week's headline confusion: Government shutdown is looming, and apparently Republicans and Democrats can't get their business together. But here's what nobody's asking - why is anyone upset when the government stops spending our money? What We Cover: • Why Luke literally bakes government shutdown cakes to celebrate • The shocking truth: government controls 23% of GDP but shutdowns only cost 0.4% • How the S&P 500 actually rises 4.4% on average during shutdowns • Why there were zero shutdowns before 1971 (hint: gold standard) • Trump's threat to make cuts permanent and why that terrifies the right people • The difference between "essential" and "non-essential" government workers • How 35 days of shutdown barely dented the economy Key Takeaways: Luke reveals his annual tradition of celebrating shutdowns while explaining why federal jobs come with known risks. Rob breaks down how shrinking government actually benefits everyone long-term, even if it doesn't feel like it immediately. And I expose the hypocrisy of politicians running victory laps on job numbers after forcing businesses closed. We also tackle the uncomfortable truth: The government employs 2-3% of Americans directly, but when you add contractors, that number explodes. Meanwhile, shutdowns historically show us how little we actually need them running. The Reality Check: Since 1977, we've had 20 funding deadline failures averaging 8 days each. Before 1977? Zero shutdowns. What changed? We abandoned sound money in 1971. See the connection? Perfect Spiral Capital Insight: Rob and Luke emphasize building financial systems that work whether government is open or closed. When you control your own capital through properly structured policies, DC dysfunction becomes irrelevant to your daily life. Ready to build wealth that doesn't depend on government competence? Visit PerfectSpiralCapital.com/podcast for their free toolkit on the future of your money.

Welcome back to Between The Lies, where we expose the financial reality hidden behind government statistics. I'm Nicky P, and I'm joined by the money truth-tellers at Perfect Spiral Capital - Luke Tatum and Rob Brayton.

This week's headline is almost comical: According to the Fed, Americans are apparently on holiday out to the beach and just swimming in debt. $1.2 trillion in credit card debt. $439 billion added in just one quarter. For reference, that's half of what all credit card debt was in 2008 - and we all remember how that ended.

What We Cover:

• How $439 billion in quarterly credit card increases compares to 2008 levels

• Why we haven't overcome Parkinson's Law (expenses rise to meet income)

• The housing cost squeeze that makes austerity nearly impossible

• How boomers are headed toward a cliff nobody wants to talk about

• Why the system is designed to keep the little guy losing

• Credit scores as bank profit indicators, not consumer health metrics

• The 1913 Jekyll Island meeting that changed everything

• Why even "cash flow" gurus still trap you in debt-based systems

Key Takeaways:

Rob breaks down how $439 billion in quarterly credit card debt is literally half of what existed during the entire 2008 crisis.

Luke explains why people can't just "spend less" when housing costs eat a fortune and wages stay flat.

And I bring up the expected boomer housing cliff - properties worth a fortune with no millennials able to buy them.

We also tackle the uncomfortable truth: Your credit score isn't measuring your financial health. It's measuring how profitable you are to banks. Pay everything off? Your score drops because you're not making them money.

The Reality Check: This is a game rigged against regular people. Banks won the battle for economic control in 1913, and we're living in that reality. But understanding the game means you can play by different rules.

Perfect Spiral Capital Insight: Luke and Rob reveal why infinite banking exists - to let you play the same game the banks play, but for yourself. When others are drowning in credit card debt, their clients are accumulating capital that compounds automatically while remaining completely liquid for opportunities.

Ready to stop playing by banking rules that keep you broke? Visit PerfectSpiralCapital.com/podcast for their free toolkit on building real wealth outside the debt trap.

Welcome back to Between The Lies, where we cut through the political spin to give you the real story behind monetary manipulation. I'm Nicky P, and I'm joined by the money truth-tellers at Perfect Spiral Capital - Luke Tatum and Rob Brayton. This week's headline perfectly captures our clown world economics: Despite Trump urging us to "take advantage of unprecedented prosperity," Fed Chairman Jerome Powell announced a quarter-point rate cut. So which is it? Are we prosperous or do we need emergency stimulus? What We Cover: • What the federal funds rate actually means for your daily life • Why Trump wanted bigger cuts (spoiler: midterms and tariff cover-ups) • How decades of near-zero rates created artificial market distortions • Why higher rates would actually help average Americans long-term • The Cantillon effect: how politically connected insiders always win first • How BlackRock benefits from cheap money while you get priced out Key Takeaways: Rob breaks down how the federal funds rate works and why higher rates historically meant lower prices for consumers. Luke exposes the insider trading that's perfectly legal when the Fed does it - imagine if you made financial decisions based on information nobody else had. And I call out the malformation that decades of easy money have created in our economy. We also tackle the uncomfortable truth: When rates were 8.5% in the late 80s, people could actually afford houses. Now at 3.5%, everything costs more than ever. That's not coincidence - that's monetary manipulation creating the exact opposite of what they claim. The Reality Check: Rate cuts aren't stimulus for regular people - they're subsidies for the politically connected. While BlackRock gets cheap money to buy up real estate, you get higher prices and less purchasing power. But there's a better way. Perfect Spiral Capital Insight: Luke and Rob reveal why they actually wanted rates to stay higher. When you operate in the private banking space through properly structured life insurance, higher rates mean better returns and more stability. While others depend on government manipulation, they've built systems that benefit from sound money principles. Ready to stop being a victim of Fed policy and build wealth that works regardless of rate manipulation? Visit PerfectSpiralCapital.com/podcast for their free toolkit on the future of your money.

Welcome back to Between The Lies, where we expose the financial propaganda and give you the real story behind market manipulation. I'm Nicky P, and I'm joined by the money truth-teller at Perfect Spiral Capital - Rob Brayton. This week's headline contradiction: S&P 500 and Nasdaq hit all-time highs while every real economic indicator screams recession. Oracle surges, PPI inflation data fuels Fed rate cut hopes, and somehow we're supposed to celebrate that everything costs more than it's ever cost before. What We Cover: • Why stock market highs just mean everything is more expensive than ever • How government market manipulation creates fake prosperity signals • The pressure campaign from the executive office to force Fed rate cuts • Why gold's continued rise exposes dollar debasement in real time • How they force you into playing a rigged stock market game through 401ks • The difference between price going up and actual economic strength • Why easy money policies hurt regular people while enriching insiders Key Takeaways: Rob breaks down why "up" doesn't necessarily mean "good" when it comes to markets - higher prices just mean things cost more for regular people. He exposes how government intervention in private companies (like the Intel takeover we covered) creates artificial market distortions that benefit cronies while hurting the economy. We also tackle the uncomfortable truth: When you're forced to play in markets you don't understand, through 401ks and money managers, you're basically gambling with your future while people with inside information profit from your ignorance. The Reality Check: Record highs during a recession aren't prosperity - they're manipulation. When gold keeps rising alongside stocks, that's not diversification working, that's your currency dying in real time. But here's the thing - once you see the game, you can stop playing by their rules. Perfect Spiral Capital Insight: Rob emphasizes building foundations that aren't subject to market manipulation or government intervention. While others celebrate temporary gains in rigged markets, smart money builds wealth through systems that compound automatically without depending on Fed policy or earnings reports. Ready to build real wealth instead of gambling in manipulated markets? Visit PerfectSpiralCapital.com/podcast for their free toolkit on taking control of your financial future.

Welcome back to Between The Lies, where we cut through government propaganda to give you the real story on policies that affect your wallet. I'm Nicky P, and I'm joined by the money truth-tellers at Perfect Spiral Capital - Luke Tatum and Rob Brayton. This week's bombshell: A US court just ruled most of Trump's tariffs illegal. But here's what nobody's talking about - these "negotiation tools" have been nothing but hidden taxes on American consumers from day one. What We Cover: • How Trump's tariffs were set to affect 69% of US goods imports (now down to 16%) • The $8 trillion tariff revenue claim that defies basic math • Why tariffs are just another tax that consumers always end up paying • How the government's spending addiction makes tariff revenue meaningless • The real scope of federal deficit spending: $1 trillion in just two months • Why "negotiation strategy" rhetoric doesn't change who writes the check Key Takeaways: Luke breaks down how $33 billion in monthly tariff revenue sounds impressive until you realize the government burns through that in 2-3 days. Rob explains why we have a spending problem, not a revenue problem - cutting government by half would solve more than any tariff scheme. And I call out the hypocrisy of calling taxes "negotiation tools" when regular people are the ones paying the price. We also tackle the bigger picture: Trump claims tariffs will replace income taxes, but the math doesn't work. When you're running trillion-dollar deficits every few months, tariff revenue is a drop in an ocean of government waste. The Reality Check: Whether tariffs are legal or illegal, constitutional or unconstitutional, you're still paying them. The court ruling might provide temporary relief, but the underlying problem remains - a government addicted to spending your money in every way possible. Perfect Spiral Capital Insight: As always, Luke and Rob emphasize what you can actually control. You can't set tariff policy, but you can position yourself to benefit from policy chaos. Having liquid capital, real assets, and multiple income streams matters more than whatever Washington decides this week. Ready to build wealth that survives government incompetence? Visit PerfectSpiralCapital.com/podcast for their free toolkit on taking control of your financial future.