This episode is a full-on “the headline is the least important part” takedown. We break down how the U.S. manufacturing side of the jobs data is quietly screaming recession (32 straight months of declines… yeah, that’s a thing), while the media does victory laps on top-line numbers like we’re not all watching the revisions come in later with a chair and popcorn. Then we get into the weirdest plot twist of the labor market: retirees are re-entering and grabbing new roles at rising rates, while under-25 workers are fading from the “new job” pipeline—because apparently the American Dream is now a part-time shift… after you already retired. Add in the usual THS spice: AI hype, crypto whiplash, and the “sensational headlines vs. reality” problem that keeps everyone emotional and nobody informed.

💥 Have you left your "honest ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️" review?

This episode is proudly brought to you by Fridays.

Because real wealth starts with your health. If you want to feel sharper, stronger, and more in control, visit joinfridays.com and use code HIGHER for an exclusive discount.

📩 NEWSLETTER: https://tr.ee/O6FWkv

👕 THS MERCH: http://www.thspod.com

🔗 Resources:

Retirees are increasingly re-entering the labor market (Hedeye via X)

NEW: Job growth SURGED in January, adding 130,000 total non-farm jobs and 172,000 private sector jobs (Rapid Response 47 via X)

I wouldn’t exhale with today’s job numbers (Mark Zandi via X)

Historic Negative Jobs Revisions: 1 Million Fewer Jobs Added In 2025 (Zero Hedge via X)

2025 Worst Year for U.S. Hiring Since 2003 (Walter Bloomberg via X)

U.S. home prices will be flat in 2026 (Lance Lamber via X)

⚠️ Disclaimer: Please note that the content shared on this show is solely for entertainment purposes and should not be considered legal or investment advice or attributed to any company. The views and opinions expressed are personal and not reflective of any entity. We do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, and listeners are urged to seek professional advice before making any legal or financial decisions. By listening to The Higher Standard podcast you agree to these terms, and the show, its hosts and employees are not liable for any consequences arising from your use of the content.

Markets had a little “AI anxiety attack” this week and Wall Street responded the only way it knows how: smash the sell button and ask questions later. We break down the $285B Anthropic-fueled rout, why the “automation boom” is starting to look like an entry-level job extinction event, and how Big Tech’s data-center dreams are already colliding with tighter financing and very real layoff math (looking at you, Oracle). Then we zoom out to the part nobody wants to talk about at cocktail parties: job cuts flashing red, wages getting blamed for everything, and a housing market that’s still wildly unaffordable because the underlying problem never left — it just changed outfits. Add a little bitcoin weakness for spice, and you’ve got Episode 321: the reality check Wall Street didn’t order, but absolutely needs.

💥 Have you left your "honest ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️" review?

This episode is proudly brought to you by Fridays.

Because real wealth starts with your health. If you want to feel sharper, stronger, and more in control, visit joinfridays.com and use code HIGHER for an exclusive discount.

📩 NEWSLETTER: https://tr.ee/O6FWkv

👕 THS MERCH: http://www.thspod.com

🔗 Resources:

New Anthropic AI problem (Bloomberg Business via Instagram)

Bitcoin Prices Fall Below $75,000 To Reach Fresh 2026 Low (Forbes)

Michael Burry says THIS is Bitcoin’s “death spiral” (Yahoo! Finance)

Oracle plans biggest layoff in years (People Matters via Instagram)

AI is gutting parts of the labor market (Ed Eldon via Instagram)

Anthropic CEO on white collar jobs (AI.Rise.Co via Instagram)

75% of tech jobs are about to disappear (Haris.Sy via Instagram)

⚠️ Disclaimer: Please note that the content shared on this show is solely for entertainment purposes and should not be considered legal or investment advice or attributed to any company. The views and opinions expressed are personal and not reflective of any entity. We do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, and listeners are urged to seek professional advice before making any legal or financial decisions. By listening to The Higher Standard podcast you agree to these terms, and the show, its hosts and employees are not liable for any consequences arising from your use of the content.

Episode 320 is a reminder that inflation isn’t a mystery and it definitely isn’t caused by your paycheck going up. This one cuts straight through the noise: tariffs aren’t “tough policy,” they’re a hidden tax, war risk isn’t some abstract headline, it’s an inflation accelerant, and the Fed is stuck trying to clean up a fiscal mess it didn’t create. While markets pretend everything is fine, corporate margins sit at historic highs, consumers keep spending, homeowners are insulated, and the cost quietly gets passed down the line. Wages get blamed, voters get distracted, and the money printer stays off-camera. Calm on the surface, pressure underneath... and a tariff time bomb sitting right in the middle of it all.

💥 Have you left your "honest ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️" review?

This episode is proudly brought to you by Fridays.

Because real wealth starts with your health. If you want to feel sharper, stronger, and more in control, visit joinfridays.com and use code HIGHER for an exclusive discount.

📩 NEWSLETTER: https://tr.ee/O6FWkv

👕 THS MERCH: http://www.thspod.com

🔗 Resources:

American consumers are bearing 96% of tariff costs, study finds (Morning Brew via Instagram)

Tariffs have raised $200,000,000,000 in revenue for the U.S., but… (Yahoo! Finance via Instagram)

Consumer sentiment up 2.5 points from December, but… (Yahoo! Finance via Instagram)

Elon Musk made his first appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos (Yahoo! Finance via Instagram)

Citi’s CEO Jane Fraser warns staff in memo… (Business Insider via Instagram)

Starbucks jumps after U.S. sales rise for the first time in 2 years… (Yahoo! Finance via Instagram)

Rent concessions are on the rise in American Sunbelt cities… (Wall Street Journal via Instagram)

The ‘Inverse Cramer’ fund launched 3 years ago… (Join Autopilot via Instagram)

Studios’ share of the domestic box office in 2025 (CNBC via Instagram)

⚠️ Disclaimer: Please note that the content shared on this show is solely for entertainment purposes and should not be considered legal or investment advice or attributed to any company. The views and opinions expressed are personal and not reflective of any entity. We do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, and listeners are urged to seek professional advice before making any legal or financial decisions. By listening to The Higher Standard podcast you agree to these terms, and the show, its hosts and employees are not liable for any consequences arising from your use of the content.

Davos felt like a global ideas conference with elite vibes and thin solutions. AI talk shifted from fear to acceptance, while housing fixes turned into political theater full of carveouts and long-shot proposals. We break down why none of it moves the needle for real affordability, then zoom out to the real story: money, confidence, and a monetary system under pressure. As Ray Dalio warns and gold keeps signaling stress, Treasury yields do the real talking, because when the 10 year moves, everything follows.

💥 Have you left your "honest ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️" review?

This episode is proudly brought to you by Fridays.

Because real wealth starts with your health. If you want to feel sharper, stronger, and more in control, visit joinfridays.com and use code HIGHER for an exclusive discount.

📩 NEWSLETTER: https://tr.ee/O6FWkv

👕 THS MERCH: http://www.thspod.com

🔗 Resources:

Recklessness is the spending of governments (DiscloseTV via X)

Ray Dalio monetary order is breaking down (Pete Rizzo via X)

Build-to-rent is exempt from White House’s order to 'ban' institutional homebuying (ResiClub)

Understanding institutional landlord Invitation Homes’ new housing market bet (ResiClub)

A 10% cap on credit card rates would be an "economic disaster..." (Yahoo! Finance via X)

⚠️ Disclaimer: Please note that the content shared on this show is solely for entertainment purposes and should not be considered legal or investment advice or attributed to any company. The views and opinions expressed are personal and not reflective of any entity. We do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, and listeners are urged to seek professional advice before making any legal or financial decisions. By listening to The Higher Standard podcast you agree to these terms, and the show, its hosts and employees are not liable for any consequences arising from your use of the content.

Markets are doing that thing where everything looks fine until you zoom out and realize risk is quietly pooling in all the wrong places. In this episode of The Higher Standard, we break down why green screens don’t mean healthy markets, how capital is hiding in mega-cap tech, and what our new U.S. Markets Risk Profile and Synthetic Volatility Index reveal about fragility beneath the surface. We unpack the Trump–Fed showdown, why central bank independence actually matters, and how Jamie Dimon’s warning fits into a growing confidence problem. Then we hit housing, where sales are up, prices are easing, rates are moving — and affordability is still broken — before closing on rising consumer stress. This isn’t a market in free fall; it’s a market quietly mispriced on risk.

💥 Have you left your "honest ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️" review?

This episode is proudly brought to you by Fridays.

Because real wealth starts with your health. If you want to feel sharper, stronger, and more in control, visit joinfridays.com and use code HIGHER for an exclusive discount.

📩 NEWSLETTER: https://tr.ee/O6FWkv

👕 THS MERCH: http://www.thspod.com

🔗 Resources:

A major development in Trump’s Fed feud is set to happen next week in the Supreme Court (CNBC)

Jamie Dimon warns Federal Reserve subpoena 'not a good idea' (Fox Business)

Trump Says Dimon ‘Wrong’ to Criticize DOJ Probe of Fed’s Powell (Bloomberg Law)

Median Sales Price of Houses Sold for the United States (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis)

⚠️ Disclaimer: Please note that the content shared on this show is solely for entertainment purposes and should not be considered legal or investment advice or attributed to any company. The views and opinions expressed are personal and not reflective of any entity. We do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, and listeners are urged to seek professional advice before making any legal or financial decisions. By listening to The Higher Standard podcast you agree to these terms, and the show, its hosts and employees are not liable for any consequences arising from your use of the content.

Markets sprinted to record highs, stumbled, and carried on like nothing happened, with the S&P 500 and Dow briefly touching new peaks before financials and energy lost momentum. Oil slid as President Donald Trump floated Venezuelan barrels coming to the U.S., a reminder that geopolitics never stays offstage for long, while stocks rising alongside a climbing VIX signaled positioning, not panic. At the same time, Washington rattled Wall Street landlords with talk of banning institutional buyers from single-family homes, media deal drama flared as Warner Bros. Discovery again swatted away Paramount in favor of Netflix certainty, and the through-line became clear: confidence is still driving the party.

💥 Have you left your "honest ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️" review?

This episode is proudly brought to you by Fridays.

Because real wealth starts with your health. If you want to feel sharper, stronger, and more in control, visit joinfridays.com and use code HIGHER for an exclusive discount.

📩 NEWSLETTER: https://tr.ee/O6FWkv

👕 THS MERCH: http://www.thspod.com

🔗 Resources:

U.S. Stocks Hit New Highs In Record-Setting Start To The Year (Yahoo! Finance via Instagram)

Dow closes more than 450 points lower, S&P 500 pulls back from record: Live updates (CNBC)

Trump says U.S.oil companies will invest billions of dollars in Venezuela (CNBC via Instagram)

Venezuela instability: market implications (Allianz Global Investors)

Venezuela's Maduro Declares Innocence in NY Court Hearing; Trump Reiterates the U.S. Is 'In Charge' (The Wall Street Journal)

S&P 500 and the VIX Post Gains On the Same Day (Market Watch via Instagram)

US will ban Wall Street investors from buying single-family homes, Trump says (Reuters)

Warner Bros rejects Paramount takeover again and tells shareholders to stick with Netflix bid (Yahoo! Finance)

⚠️ Disclaimer: Please note that the content shared on this show is solely for entertainment purposes and should not be considered legal or investment advice or attributed to any company. The views and opinions expressed are personal and not reflective of any entity. We do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, and listeners are urged to seek professional advice before making any legal or financial decisions. By listening to The Higher Standard podcast you agree to these terms, and the show, its hosts and employees are not liable for any consequences arising from your use of the content.

Wall Street has apparently reached a group chat consensus: 2026 only goes up. Every major strategist, from big banks to boutique shops, is lined up predicting another year of gains... because after a 90% rally off the 2022 lows, skepticism has officially been benched. Even lifelong bulls are starting to feel uneasy about the total absence of dissent, which historically isn’t exactly when you want everyone pounding the table at once. When pessimism disappears, risk doesn’t... it just gets 'mispriced.'

➡️ Meanwhile, the macro backdrop looks oddly “perfect” on paper and deeply questionable underneath. GDP prints strong, inflation magically cools, housing costs flatline… except a government shutdown quietly forced the data to assume reality took a month off. Add in tariff distortions, election-year volatility, AI bubble anxiety, and a looming funding deadline in Washington, and suddenly the bullish narrative starts to wobble.

💥 Have you left your "honest ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️" review?

📩 NEWSLETTER: https://tr.ee/O6FWkv

👕 THS MERCH: http://www.thspod.com

🔗 Resources:

Every Wall Street Analyst Now Predicts a Stock Rally in 2026 (Bloomberg)

The Stock Market Could Soar in 2026 as the Economy Booms Despite President Trump's Tariffs, According to Wall Street (The Motley Fool)

Why This Stock Market Expert Says He’s ‘Cautious’ Heading Into 2026 (Investopedia)

Clock ticking on government funding deadline as House battles other issues (The Hill)

Inflation falls to 2.7% as slower housing and food increases offset a surge in electricity (NBC News)

‘This is a wacky number’: economists cry foul as new government data assumes zero housing inflation in surprising November drop (Fortune)

⚠️ Disclaimer: Please note that the content shared on this show is solely for entertainment purposes and should not be considered legal or investment advice or attributed to any company. The views and opinions expressed are personal and not reflective of any entity. We do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, and listeners are urged to seek professional advice before making any legal or financial decisions. By listening to The Higher Standard podcast you agree to these terms, and the show, its hosts and employees are not liable for any consequences arising from your use of the content.

2025 didn’t hand out cheat codes... it handed out invoices. High interest rates stopped being an abstract headline and started showing up in monthly payments. Cash flow mattered more than net worth screenshots. Emergency funds went from “nice to have” to “you better have one.” And the illusion that buying a home, chasing trends, or riding hype automatically meant progress finally cracked. This wasn’t a year for predictions or gurus. It was a year that quietly punished bad assumptions and rewarded patience, discipline, and realism.

➡️ In our final episode of the year, we strip the noise away and talk honestly about what actually worked, what didn’t, and why financial literacy is no longer optional if you want peace of mind. No forecasts, no sugarcoating, just hard-earned lessons about money, work, investing, and navigating a system that changed faster than most people were ready for. If 2025 taught us anything, it’s this: the rules didn’t disappear. They just stopped being forgiving.

💥 Have you left your "honest ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️" review?

📩 NEWSLETTER: https://tr.ee/O6FWkv

👕 THS MERCH: http://www.thspod.com

🔗 Resources:

No homework this week kids.

⚠️ Disclaimer: Please note that the content shared on this show is solely for entertainment purposes and should not be considered legal or investment advice or attributed to any company. The views and opinions expressed are personal and not reflective of any entity. We do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, and listeners are urged to seek professional advice before making any legal or financial decisions. By listening to The Higher Standard podcast you agree to these terms, and the show, its hosts and employees are not liable for any consequences arising from your use of the content.

If you’ve been feeling frustrated or gaslit about money lately, you’re not crazy, you’re paying attention. If you’re under 40, you lived through zero rates, asset inflation you couldn’t benefit from, a housing boom you were priced out of, and now the highest mortgage rates in decades. The Fed says “maybe one cut,” housing affordability is broken, and the old work hard, save, wait playbook just doesn’t work the way it used to. In this episode, we break down why the anger makes sense... and why it’s rooted in lived experience, not emotion.

➡️ This isn’t a doom episode, it’s a pivot. We talk about where wealth is actually concentrating, why ownership matters more than ever, and what an investing framework looks like in this economy, not the one you were promised. No hopium, no gurus — just clarity. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from The Higher Standard, and thanks for riding with us this year. 🎄💰

💥 Have you left your "honest ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️" review?

📩 NEWSLETTER: https://tr.ee/O6FWkv

👕 THS MERCH: http://www.thspod.com

🔗 Resources:

The Fed sees one rate cut in 2026 (Chart of the Day via Instagram)

A 4.6% unemployment rate (Yahoo! Finance via Instagram )

The U.S Labor Market Has Stalled (The Kobeissi Letter via X)

The Window Manifesto (Markets & Moonshots)

⚠️ Disclaimer: Please note that the content shared on this show is solely for entertainment purposes and should not be considered legal or investment advice or attributed to any company. The views and opinions expressed are personal and not reflective of any entity. We do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, and listeners are urged to seek professional advice before making any legal or financial decisions. By listening to The Higher Standard podcast you agree to these terms, and the show, its hosts and employees are not liable for any consequences arising from your use of the content.

The Fed cut rates… again. And somehow mortgage rates said, “nah, we’re good.” This episode starts where most headlines stop—why markets stopped believing the Fed, why the 10-year Treasury is doing its own thing, and why this might be the last cut anyone feels confident about for a while. We say the quiet part out loud: inflation isn’t dead, liquidity is sneaking back in, and the bond market is signaling something policymakers don’t want to admit yet. Translation: the economy is being held together with optimism and FOMO.

➡️ Then we zoom out to the part no spreadsheet can explain—why people feel broke, burned out, and behind even when they’re “doing everything right.” Layoffs are rising, AI is cutting jobs under the banner of “efficiency,” home prices are slipping, and yet everything still feels more expensive. We talk career minimalism, side hustles, and the realization hitting a lot of Americans: you’re the CEO of your household now, whether you asked for the job or not. The system didn’t break overnight—but it’s asking more from you than it’s giving back.

💥 Have you left your "honest ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️" review?

📩 NEWSLETTER: https://tr.ee/O6FWkv

👕 THS MERCH: http://www.thspod.com

🔗 Resources:

Fed Cuts Rates Again, Is Divided Over Future Moves (New York Times)

Mortgage rates are surging ahead of the Fed’s expected rate cut. What gives? (Market Watch)

Home prices go negative for the first time in over 2 years (CNBC)

Where homes are losing value most (Axios)

This year’s layoff total is now highest since the pandemic (Morning Brew via Instagram)

HP to cut about 6,000 jobs by 2028, ramps up AI efforts (CNN Business)

Why The ‘Career Minimalism’ Trend Is Spreading Beyond Gen Z (Forbes)

⚠️ Disclaimer: Please note that the content shared on this show is solely for entertainment purposes and should not be considered legal or investment advice or attributed to any company. The views and opinions expressed are personal and not reflective of any entity. We do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, and listeners are urged to seek professional advice before making any legal or financial decisions. By listening to The Higher Standard podcast you agree to these terms, and the show, its hosts and employees are not liable for any consequences arising from your use of the content.