The Blunt Dollar

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, I sit down with Claudia Sahm, a renowned economist, recession expert, and creator of the famous Sahm Rule, one of the most closely watched early indicators of U.S. recessions. 

Claudia spent over a decade at the Federal Reserve, later advised the White House, and now serves as Chief Economist at New Century Advisors. We explore her fascinating career path, the story behind the Sahm Rule, and why good economic policy must blend rigorous data with empathy and an eye for dignity.

Here’s what we cover:

📈 Claudia’s transition from the Fed and the White House to building her own voice and ultimately joining the investment world.

💡 The surprising backstory of how the Sahm Rule came to life, and why it triggered in 2024 but Claudia herself didn’t call a recession.

🛠️ Why automatic stabilisers like stimulus checks should be on “autopilot” to avoid messy congressional fights during downturns.

🧭 The underrated power of storytelling and empathy in economic analysis, and how it helps build trust and credibility.

🤝 Claudia’s best advice for young economists looking to be bold, ethical, and truly impactful in their careers.

If you like deep dives on macroeconomics, how policy shapes real lives, and candid stories from inside the Fed, this one’s for you.

Oh, and if you haven't already... subscribe to The Blunt Dollar for more raw and honest finance conversations.

New episodes drop every other week! Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts.

And last, but not least, don't forget to follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ignacio-ramirez-moreno-cfa/

Enjoy the episode!

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Listeners should consult a qualified financial professional before making any financial decisions.

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, Ignacio sits down with Morgaine Conway-Grim, founder and CEO of Hawks and Doves, a finance education company making investing fundamentals accessible to everyone. 

Morgaine’s path to finance began not on Wall Street, but at a reception desk, before she went on to work at some of the largest financial institutions in the world. In 2024, she launched Hawks and Doves to cut through jargon and empower both institutions and individuals with capital markets fluency.

We cover Morgaine’s career leap from corporate finance to entrepreneurship, her philosophy on financial literacy, and the role of storytelling in making markets relatable. She also shares candid insights from a decade inside the financial machine and her work with the Young Investor Society.

Highlights from the episode:
💼 From reception desk to heights of institutional finance - Morgaine’s unconventional finance career path
📚 Why financial education needs both intellectual rigour and accessibility
🎯 How to explain complex markets without oversimplifying them
🌍 The problem of “assumed knowledge” in financial institutions and how to fix it
🤝 Using capital markets fluency as a relationship-building superpower

If you’re into finance education, career pivots, and real talk on markets without the jargon, this one’s for you.

And if you haven’t already, make sure to subscribe to The Blunt Dollar for more raw and honest finance conversations.

Oh, and if you haven't already... subscribe to The Blunt Dollar for more raw and honest finance conversations.

New episodes drop every other week! Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts.

And last, but not least, don't forget to follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ignacio-ramirez-moreno-cfa/

Enjoy the episode!

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Listeners should consult a qualified financial professional before making any financial decisions.

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, I sit down with Eric Jaffe, CEO of BCA Research, the world’s largest independent provider of macro investment research. We unpack Eric’s unconventional path from the Pentagon to GLG and now the helm of BCA, where he’s steering a 76-year-old firm into its next phase of growth, all while keeping that contrarian spark alive.

We also dive deep into how macro shocks, geopolitics, and AI are reshaping the future of investment research, and why conviction matters more than ever.

Here’s what we cover:

🎯 Why BCA thrives on being anti-consensus, and how it helps investors sharpen their conviction

🌍 Eric’s journey from the U.S. Department of Defence foreign affairs to building GLG into a global powerhouse, and now leading BCA

📈 Why macro volatility is here to stay in a multipolar world, and what that means for your portfolio

🤖 How BCA is carefully embracing AI while protecting its secret sauce, and even running internal “red teams” to test if AI could disrupt them

🧭 The leadership playbook: fostering fierce internal debate without losing direction, plus Eric’s advice for young professionals on staying humble, curious, and growth-focused

If you’re into global macro, independent research, and how AI is rewriting the future of decision-making, this one’s for you.

Oh, and if you haven't already... subscribe to The Blunt Dollar for more raw and honest finance conversations.

New episodes drop every other week! Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts.

And last, but not least, don't forget to follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ignacio-ramirez-moreno-cfa/

Enjoy the episode!

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Listeners should consult a qualified financial professional before making any financial decisions.

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, I sit down with Steven Grey, founder and managing principal of Grey Value Management, where he oversees the Grey Value Opportunity Fund.

Steven’s career spans hedge funds, family offices, and global micro investing, and includes a stint launching Albright Capital with former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. But beyond the accolades, Steven is a fiercely independent thinker who dives deeper into company research than most of Wall Street combined.

We dig into what separates real investing from the illusion of it, why discipline and character still matter more than AI, and how storytelling and judgment shape markets far more than numbers alone.

Here’s what we cover:

📚 Why curiosity, not credentials, is the true edge in investing
💼 How Steven’s 200-400 hours per company research process works
🔍 The underrated role of judgment, ethics, and liberal arts in finance
🧠 What he learned from Madeleine Albright, Jim Rogers, and a lifetime of doing the work
📉 Why investors should always ask, “What am I missing?”,and how that question built his track record

If you're into deep research, contrarian investing, and philosophy-driven capital allocation, this one's for you.

Oh, and if you haven't already... subscribe to The Blunt Dollar for more raw and honest finance conversations.

New episodes drop every other week! Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts.

And last, but not least, don't forget to follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ignacio-ramirez-moreno-cfa/

Enjoy the episode!

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Listeners should consult a qualified financial professional before making any financial decisions.

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, I sit down with David Stevenson, one of the UK’s most candid financial commentators. David writes the Adventurous Investor column for the Financial Times, runs a popular Substack, and is also the founder of ETF Stream. 

From his days as a BBC producer to sitting on multiple investment trust boards, David has a fascinating multi-decade career that straddles journalism, fintech, and asset management.

We cover a ton of ground, including:

📚 How David’s time at the BBC shaped his blunt, evidence-based approach to communicating finance

💰 The problem with alpha, why many asset managers are “lazy,” and how the industry is becoming increasingly ossified

📈 The rise of thematic ETFs and why European defence stocks have quietly outperformed everything in 2025

🪙 Emotional assets, from wine to old coins and Chinese stamps, and why he’s cautious despite collecting them himself

🤖 A sceptical take on AI in investing and why personal relationships still matter more than ever

If you’re into ETFs, the future of asset management, and raw takes on financial media, this one’s for you.

Oh, and if you haven't already... subscribe to The Blunt Dollar for more raw and honest finance conversations.

New episodes drop every other week! Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts.

And last, but not least, don't forget to follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ignacio-ramirez-moreno-cfa/

Enjoy the episode!

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Listeners should consult a qualified financial professional before making any financial decisions.

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, I sit down with Manish Singh, Chief Investment Officer at Crossbridge Capital and a veteran global macroeconomist with nearly two decades of experience steering multi-asset portfolios. 

From his engineering roots in Mumbai to building an investment philosophy rooted in patience, trust, and historical perspective, Manish shares how he balances data-driven rigor with deep human insight.

We explore:

✅ The surprising ways an engineering background shapes investment thinking 🛠️

✅ Why history, from the European revolutions of the 1800s to COVID panic, remains a critical guide for modern markets 

✅ How Manish defines real risk (hint: it’s not volatility) and why position sizing is everything 

✅ The psychological traps of herd behaviour, overconfidence, and chasing outcomes

✅ Why falling in love with the process, not the outcome, is the ultimate edge in investing

If you’re into thoughtful discussions on long-term investing, behavioural finance, and how philosophy and history intersect with capital markets, this one’s for you.

Oh, and if you haven't already... subscribe to The Blunt Dollar for more raw and honest finance conversations.

New episodes drop every other week! Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts.

And last, but not least, don't forget to follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ignacio-ramirez-moreno-cfa/

Enjoy the episode!

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Listeners should consult a qualified financial professional before making any financial decisions.

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, we sit down with one of the most prolific voices in the financial planning space: Jason Pereira. A financial planner, fintech strategist, professor, podcaster, and tireless advocate for professional standards, Jason joins Ignacio to talk through the present and future of financial advice.

With over 750 pieces of content under his belt and multiple roles shaping the Canadian and global advisor landscape, Jason doesn’t hold back in this wide-ranging conversation on technology, regulation, and what it really means to serve clients in a world reshaped by AI.

In this episode, we talk about:
💼 Jason’s multifaceted career: financial planner, tech consultant, policy advocate
🧠 The evolution of advice from stock picking to life planning
🤖 Why AI will elevate, not replace, human advisors
📉 What breaks in advisory firms and how to rebuild better
🔥 The real problems with financial industry incentives and education

If you’re into advisor tech, financial planning evolution, and unfiltered industry truths, this one’s for you.

Oh, and if you haven't already... subscribe to The Blunt Dollar for more raw and honest finance conversations.

New episodes drop every other week! Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts.

And last, but not least, don't forget to follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ignacio-ramirez-moreno-cfa/

Enjoy the episode!

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Listeners should consult a qualified financial professional before making any financial decisions.

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, I sit down with Vincent Kaufmann, CEO of the Ethos Foundation, a leading voice in sustainable finance and corporate governance in Switzerland. 

With over two decades at Ethos, Vincent shares an insider perspective on why active ownership matters, the real tools investors have to drive ESG change, and the fine line between meaningful impact and greenwashing. 

This is a masterclass on ESG from someone who's lived it from the inside.

🎯 How shareholder engagement can push even giants like Nestlé and Holcim to adopt real sustainability targets

📉 The hidden risks of passive investing and the concentration of voting power among the "Big Three"

🌱 Why divestment alone isn't enough, and how fixed income markets can offer more pressure than equity

🧠 Greenwashing decoded: Vincent's view on what real sustainable investing looks like (and how to spot a fake)

🇨🇭 Swiss DNA in finance: How Switzerland’s consensus-driven model shapes Ethos’ dialogue-based approach

If you're into ESG, shareholder activism, or just want to understand how investors can shape corporate behaviour without sacrificing returns, this one's for you.

Oh, and if you haven't already... subscribe to The Blunt Dollar for more raw and honest finance conversations.

New episodes drop every other week! Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts.

And last, but not least, don't forget to follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ignacio-ramirez-moreno-cfa/

Enjoy the episode!

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Listeners should consult a qualified financial professional before making any financial decisions.

Elsa Razborsek joins The Blunt Dollar for a deep, nuanced conversation on nonlinear careers, women in finance, and the behavioural biases that shape both our portfolios and personal lives. 

From Goldman Sachs analyst to health coach and back to finance, Elsa’s journey is anything but typical, and it’s exactly that winding path that fuels her insights today.

In this episode, we talk about:
🔄 Career pivots and the power of nonlinear paths
👩‍💼 Navigating visibility, ambition, and bias as a woman in finance
🧠 Coaching insights on stress, burnout, and sustainable high performance
📉 Behavioural finance: how sunk cost fallacy and blind spot bias derail decisions
🧠 Why journaling, self-awareness, and dopamine matter more than spreadsheets

If you're into investing, mindset, and the messy truth behind high-achieving careers, this one's for you.

Oh, and if you haven't already... subscribe to The Blunt Dollar for more raw and honest finance conversations.

New episodes drop every other week! Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts.

And last, but not least, don't forget to follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ignacio-ramirez-moreno-cfa/

Enjoy the episode!

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Listeners should consult a qualified financial professional before making any financial decisions.

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, we sit down with Julia Carreon, a digital transformation powerhouse with leadership experience at Wells Fargo and Citi, to dissect the crossroads of finance, technology, and generational change. 

Julia brings her signature candor and deep industry knowledge to a conversation that spans everything from AI and gamification to social media misinformation and the trust crisis in banking.

We explore what it truly takes to modernize wealth management for Gen Z and millennials, and why the clock is ticking for traditional players.

🎯 Why big banks are struggling to keep up with Gen Z's expectations, and what’s at stake

🤖 How AI and gamification could reshape financial education and advisory experiences

📱 The role of influencers, TikTok, and social media in driving (and distorting) financial literacy

💥 Personal stories of fintech failure and how they shaped Julia's views on trust and regulation

🧠 The power of behavioral science and hyper-personalization to redefine client engagement

If you’re into AI in finance, the future of banking, and what it’ll take to win over the next generation of investors, this one's for you.

Oh, and if you haven't already... subscribe to The Blunt Dollar for more raw and honest finance conversations.

New episodes drop every other week! Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts.

And last, but not least, don't forget to follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ignacio-ramirez-moreno-cfa/

Enjoy the episode!

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Listeners should consult a qualified financial professional before making any financial decisions.