The Investor's Diary

Interest rates were supposed to be done rising. In Australia, the RBA already hiked three times this year — then paused, then flipped again after a hot inflation print. In the US, the Fed just held, but three officials dissented in favor of hiking, and the committee’s own forecast now points up, not down.
Last time we lived through a hiking cycle like this, in 2023, three banks collapsed in eight weeks. In this episode, I break down exactly what broke, why the “safe” trade at Silicon Valley Bank turned into the fastest bank run in history — and then I make the case for where I think the next crack actually shows up. Hint: it’s not the banks. It’s hiding one layer beneath the biggest capital story of the decade — the debt quietly funding the AI buildout.

The Treasury just doubled a program that buys back 30-year bonds, and the headlines make it sound like a big deal — so we break down what a “yield curve” actually is, why it twisted this year, how bond buybacks nudge yields (and why it’s not as simple as printing money), and whether any of this will really move your mortgage rate. Zero finance background required — we explain every term from scratch, walk through why this echoes a 1960s Fed strategy called “Operation Twist,” and share some real predictions on where this goes next, from bond auctions to watch to what it means for housing.

How much does money actually matter in a relationship?

In this episode, I sit down with a friend to talk about money, attraction and what financial compatibility really looks like. We get into whether ambition matters more than income, who should pay on dates, whether 50/50 is actually fair, financial red flags, prenups, joint accounts, lifestyle expectations and whether you’d still want your partner if they suddenly had nothing.

Why do we celebrate birthdays and when did getting older become such big business? In this episode, we explore the history of cakes and candles, why birthdays feel psychologically important, the rise of the birthday industrial complex, corporate freebies, and gift giving economics. Because apparently one more lap around the sun is enough to justify cake, presents, existential reflection and a free burger.

A joke about cockroaches became one of the biggest youth- ed challenges to Narendra Modi’s government. In this episode, we unpack India’s Gen Z protest movement and the rise of the satirical Cockroach Janta Party. We explain what NEET is, why millions of students treat it as the gateway to a medical career, and how allegations of a leaked exam paper triggered anger over corruption, unemployment and a system young Indians increasingly believe is rigged.

A solo, for-fun theory episode: I’ve noticed everything lately seems to be “for her” — movies, songs, gaming, travel — so I dig into why. Women now control roughly 80% of global consumer spending and are set to hold 75% of discretionary spending by 2028, they’re near parity (or ahead) in gaming audiences, education has already tilted female, the pay gap keeps narrowing, and women spend a higher share of what they earn while controlling most household purchasing. My theory: in industries sitting at a genuine 50/50 split — gaming, music, entertainment, travel, lifestyle — that combination of equal presence plus more purchasing power means those industries naturally tip toward female audiences next. Not ideology, just economics.

This is the second episode of our positive news series. The news cycle can make it feel like everything is getting worse, so this episode is about the stories that prove the world is still capable of progress.

We look at four recent positive stories: researchers identifying far more climate resilient coral reefs than previously expected, the creation of a genomic “BioVault” to preserve genetic material from endangered species, UK literacy rates increasing, and declining tobacco usage across the globe.

In this episode, we look beyond the football and dive into the major stories shaping Argentina, France, England and Spain. For Argentina, we unpack Javier Milei’s economic experiment. For France, we look at Marine Le Pen’s dramatic political comeback. In the UK, we dive into the hottest summer ever and Starmer's resignation, and lastly in Spain, we look into their traditional bull festival and potential snap elections.

Australia tried to ban under-16s from social media. Now the rest of the world is watching. We break down what the ban actually does, whether it’s working, how kids and parents are responding, and why countries like the UK are exploring similar rules. Is this a real solution to online harm, or just digital whack-a-mole?

In this solo episode, I start with a silly question: if every country is in debt, why don’t we just cancel it?

The answer explains a lot about how the global financial system actually works. Government debt is not just money owed by the state, it is also an asset held by pension funds, banks, insurers, central banks, foreign governments and ordinary investors. I break down what government debt really is, who owns it, why cancelling it would destroy trust, and why “debt forgiveness” is never actually free .Because in the end, debt is not just a spreadsheet. It is a promise, and the global economy runs on promises.