Breaking the Dollar

Happy New Year from Breaking the Dollar! As we enter 2020, Everett provides his forecasts for the financial markets in the coming year. He also gives some perspective on the major themes of the last decade in order to outline general trends to expect in the 2020s.

Have you ever heard of a "Santa Claus rally"? What is this holiday phenomenon, and why does it seem to impact markets every year? Host Everett Millman goes over the causes of this seasonal trend and considers whether or not we'll see it happen this year.

This week's podcast examines the growing trend of dedollarization. First of all, what is dedollarization? Is it a big deal and a game-changer, as some suggest? Everett places this phenomenon into its proper context, explaining the unparalleled dominance of the U.S. dollar in global finance.

Platinum and palladium are often the "forgotten" precious metals, especially compared to gold and silver. In this podcast episode, Everett explains what these two metals are used for, where they come from, and why they are so valuable in modern technology and industry.

Host Everett Millman goes over some of the recent movement in financial markets, including the precious metals and U.S. stocks. He also places their performance in the context of the entire year of 2019.

Trust and confidence are especially important elements in the gold market. How does a consumer know that they can trust a gold dealer? Everett explores this widespread problem in the bullion industry. He offers some signs and practices of a trustworthy dealer as well as some red flags to be wary of.

What does it mean when someone brings up the "financialization" of the economy? Everett gives a broad definition of this trend and explains how it has progressively gotten worse since the 1980s. He explains how ever-greater financialization drains resources such as capital and brainpower from other productive areas of the economy.

We hear a lot these days about how artificial intelligence (A.I.) will transform our world. Many industries are moving toward automation and the use of robots, displacing millions of workers. There's no doubt automation is cheaper and more efficient, but will this trend destroy all of the jobs in services and manufacturing? Host Everett Millman draws from labor history and science fiction to provide some perspective on this thorny issue.

This episode of the Breaking the Dollar podcast surveys the history of different types of taxes. Although many taxes are recent inventions, some form of tax has existed since antiquity.

Join Everett Millman on this episode of Breaking The Dollar as he discusses the current state of the financial markets. After months of bearish market action, there seems to be a trend toward optimism over the last month. Everett shares his views on this development and explains what has caught his attention in the world of finance this month -- from third-quarter earnings in the stock market to the proliferation of unicorn startups.