In this episode of Gross Domestic Problem, William Glass talks with professor and former regulator Jill Cetina about the hidden “plumbing” of the financial system and how policy since 2008 has reshaped risk. They unpack how quantitative easing (QE) worked, why the Fed’s balance sheet exploded, and how QE inflated asset prices, especially housing, while quietly creating banking vulnerabilities through uninsured deposits. Cetina argues that aggressive quantitative tightening (QT) now risks new bank stress, especially in a stagflation scenario where inflation stays high as growth and employment weaken. They explore how energy shocks and potential oil spikes could fuel stagflation, why America’s rising debt and unfixed entitlement promises are pushing us toward fiscal dominance, and how stablecoins and nonbank finance can drain deposits from banks and crowd out real-economy lending. The key takeaway is that the current mix of monetary and fiscal policy is accumulating systemic risk, and younger and mid-career generations need to engage politically, professionally, and by building real-economy businesses and families, if they want the “deal” of the American Dream to remain viable.

Gross Domestic Problem is a podcast from Millennial Debt Foundation focusing on America’s biggest financial crisis. Each episode, we break down how we got here, what happens if we don’t act, and the least painful way forward. There’s no do-nothing solution. Subscribe now at grossdomesticproblem.com and join the conversation. 

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