WTFinance

Interview Recorded - 7th of October 2022

On todays episode of the WTFinance I had the pleasure of speaking with Steve Ward, a high-performance coach who has worked with Finance professionals for 20 years. 

During our interview we talked about what is high performance, coming up with a plan to improving trading, how to prevent blowouts while trading and the importance on working on the mental side of things. I hope you enjoy!

0:00 - Introduction
0:28 - What is high performance?
2:55 - Are there any similarities or differences between finance professionals and athletes?
6:35 - Everyone is unique
8:05 - How to come up with a plan to improve?
11:25 - Consistent challenges high performers experience?
14:35 - Managing challenging periods
16:15 - Preventing blowouts while trading
20:38 - Managing uncomfortable emotions while trading
23:10 - Working on enhancing your own performance while trading
26:15 - The importance of health on high performance and too much coffee?
30:52 - What value can using a trading journal add to performance?
36:22 - One message to take away from our interview?

Steve is passionate about enhancing performance for people operating in high stakes, high pressure environments, and has over 25 years of teaching, coaching and training experience.

He specialises in working with traders, fund managers and markets and banking professionals across asset class and experience levels, at banks, funds, commodities trading houses, energy companies, utilities and proprietary trading groups across the globe, helping them to improve their decision making, risk taking, and ability to achieve and sustain high performance.

Prior to starting his work with within the markets and banking sectors Steve provided sports psychology coaching to elite athletes and teams in over thirty different sports across the globe, with a particular interest in extreme, action, endurance and adventure sports; and he has also provided psychological coaching for professional poker players.

His work is focused on delivering evidence-based practical strategies and tactics, drawn from the world’s of elite performance, psychology, behavioural science, neuroscience, decision science, and human physiology; and is delivered through a range of interventions including workshops, training programs, 1-1 coaching, speaking engagements, off-sites, research projects and assessments and testing.

He is the author of ‘Bulletproof Trader’,’TraderMind’, ‘High Performance Trading’, ‘Sports Betting To Win’, and co-author of ‘The Traders Mind Journal’.

Steve Ward - 

Website - https://performanceedgeconsulting.co.uk/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-ward-32781622/

Books - 

High Performance Trading - https://amzn.to/3rWaKCR
TraderMind - https://amzn.to/3yFSh1j
BulletProof Trader - https://amzn.to/3EHvJkn

WTFinance -

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/67rpmjG92PNBW0doLyPvfn
iTunes -https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wtfinance/id1554934665?uo=4
Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-fatseas-761066103/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/AnthonyFatseas

Interview recorded - 06/10/2022

On todays episode of the WTFinance podcast I had the pleasure of speaking with David Hunter, a contrarian macro strategist with 49 years of experience on Wall Street. 

During our interview we spoke about David's overview of the market, why the market has bottomed, whether the S&P could hit 6,000 in 12 months and how all the market will then crash afterwards. I hope you enjoy!

0:00 - Introductions
1:25 - David’s overview of the market
4:20 - Would a catalyst make David bearish?
6:45 - The FED will not be the bullish story
15:00 - Potential short squeeze
17:15 - What will be the turning point for the top?
19:35 - What will the secular shift be?
26:12 - Challenge when bonds pay 6% return
29:00 - What level will the S&P be?
32:00 - Could the US and other governments ban the ownership of precious metals?
35:00 - One message to takeaway from our conversation?

Investment professional with 25 years of investment management experience and 20 years as a sell-side strategist with strong expertise in macroeconomic analysis and portfolio management. My strong macro capabilities combined with a contrarian philosophy have allowed me to forecast economic cycles and spot market trends well ahead of the consensus. Intellectually honest, independent thinker comfortable with charting a course apart from the crowd. Accomplished stock picker and value-oriented portfolio manager.

David Hunter - 

Twitter - https://twitter.com/DaveHcontrarian
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-hunter-668ba015/

WTFinance -

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/67rpmjG92PNBW0doLyPvfn
iTunes -https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wtfinance/id1554934665?uo=4
Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-fatseas-761066103/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/AnthonyFatseas

Thumbnail from - https://coingape.com/web-stories/the-opposite-of-a-bear-is-bull-market/

Interview recorded - 06/10/2022

On todays episode of the WTFinance podcast I had the pleasure of speaking with Grant Williams, an experienced investor who is the author of the Newsletter Things That Make You GO Hmmmmm and Co-Founder of the Real Vision Group.

On the podcast we talked about the future secular trends we may experience, why governments will continue to take the easy way out, how this will lead to destruction of unproductive value and the potential for commodity backed reserve currency from BRICS. I hope you enjoy!

0:00 - Introduction
1:00 - Will we be changing secular trend?
2:50 - Will governments continue to take the easy way out?
7:15 - Losing faith in government bond markets?
10:23 - What will the future bring?
12:00 - Challenge with predicting collapse of the current system
14:00 - Government protecting pension funds
16:00 - More conflict between east vs west? 
19:10 - Commodities-backed reserve countries led by BRICS?
23:20 - Will the West sanction a BRICS backed commodity/system and make those countries uninvestable?
25:55 - Will manufacturing and traditional value investing benefit from this future change?
29:10 - Wealth divide?
32:10 - Could crypto suffer in this environment?
34:10 - One message to take away from our conversation?

Grant Williams, much to his dismay, has logged over 35 years in finance. During that time, he’s lived and worked in seven major financial centres from London to Sydney, building the kind of network that many others can only dream about.

He began his career in the Japanese equity market in the mid-1980s, before a three-year posting to Tokyo ensured he had a ringside seat as the twin bubbles in equities and real estate burst simultaneously and spectacularly at the end of 1989. After a short stint back in London, Grant relocated once again, this time to New York, where he spent 7 years. Subsequent postings have taken him to Hong Kong, Sydney, Singapore, and the Cayman Islands.

Currently, he is a senior advisor to [Matterhorn Asset Management AG](https://goldswitzerland.com/) in Switzerland, and a portfolio and strategy advisor to [Vulpes Investment Management](https://www.vulpesinvest.com/) in Singapore.

Back in 2014, Grant’s ambition to bring the most intelligent, engaging, and original people in finance to a wider audience led him to co-found [Real Vision](https://www.realvision.com/), an on-demand internet-based financial media platform.

Grant’s twin Real Vision interview series, *In Conversation With…* and *On The Road* raised the bar for financial content – engaging and educating viewers in equal measure and helping them learn the secrets behind a group of extraordinary investors’ success.

Long before Real Vision, however, Grant was guiding people around the fringes of finance with his regular newsletter, [Things That Make You Go Hmmm…], a publication which, from humble beginnings as a daily note to a few friends and colleagues, has grown into one of the most widely-read financial publications in the world.

Grant Williams - 

Website - [https://www.grant-williams.com/](https://www.grant-williams.com/)

Twitter - [https://twitter.com/ttmygh](https://twitter.com/ttmygh)

WTFinance -

Instagram - [https://www.instagram.com/wtfinancee/](https://www.instagram.com/wtfinancee/)
Spotify - [https://open.spotify.com/show/67rpmjG92PNBW0doLyPvfn](https://open.spotify.com/show/67rpmjG92PNBW0doLyPvfn)
TikTok - [https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMeUjj9xV/](https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMeUjj9xV/)
iTunes - [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wtfinance/id1554934665?uo=4](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wtfinance/id1554934665?uo=4)
Linkedin - [https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-fatseas-761066103/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-fatseas-761066103/)
Twitter - [https://twitter.com/AnthonyFatseas](https://twitter.

Interview Recorded on - 04/10/2022

On todays episode of the WTFinance podcast I had the pleasure of speaking with Jim Rogers, an absolute legend in the investing world and well known as being the co-founder of the Quantum Fund with George Soros. 

During the interview we talk about if the markets are really as bad as we have seen, whether we could experience the worst recession in a century, weakest link in assets and potential opportunities to be aware of. I hope you enjoy!

0:00 - Introduction
0:30 - Key indicators that Jim searches for when looking for a great investment opportunity?
1:39 - Any asset classes that look interesting?
2:50 - Are we heading towards a disaster?
3:47 - How will we know when the disaster has come?
4:30 - Any similarities between today and other periods?
5:20 - Weakest link in assets?
6:00 - The macro outlook as bad as it seems?
7:03 - Governments making financial mistakes
7:55 - Any markets which are underrated?
9:30 - Greatest mistakes you see both professional and beginner investors make?
11:35 - Risk management
12:44 - Will the next crisis be worse than 2008? 
13:40 - Similar inflation as after World War 2?
15:20 - One message to take away from the interview?

James Beeland Rogers Jr. is an American investor and financial commentator based in Singapore. Rogers is the chairman of Beeland Interests, Inc. He was the co-founder of the Quantum Fund and Soros Fund Management. He was also the creator of the Rogers International Commodities Index.

Jim Rogers - 

Website -  https://www.jimrogers.com/
Twitter - https://mobile.twitter.com/iamjimrogers

Interview recorded - 30/09/2022

Buy book - https://amzn.to/3SvJO8R

On todays episode of the WTFinance podcast I had the pleasure of speaking with Duncan Mavin, former Journalist for The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones, and author of the recently released book “The Pyramid of Lies - Lex Greensill and the Billion-Dollar Scandal” 

During our conversation we talked about what is Supply Chain Financing, Who was Lex Greensill, how the company collapsed and the fallout. I hope you enjoy!

0:00 - Introduction
0:26 - Influence for writing the book?
1:32 - What is Supply Chain Financing (SCF)?
3:46 - Lex Greensill’s obsession with SCF
6:50 - Empire building and always looking for the next sale
8:09 - Investing in the idea or the person?
11:30 - Why did the company and business idea not work?
16:20 - Acquiring a bank
17:45 - Was Sanjeev Gupta a perfect example of the average Greensill customer?
21:00 - Was Covid the main reason for the collapse?
24:40 - What was the fallout from the Greensill collapse?
27:48 - Contracts for not “potential” contracts
30:22 - Consistent trends with other frauds
34:45 - Higher pay at Greensill
36:36 - One message from the interview?

Duncan Mavin is a seasoned international financial journalist and author of the critically acclaimed The Pyramid of Lies: Lex Greensill and the Multi-Billion Dollar Scandal.

Born and raised near Newcastle, he studied history at Durham University and spent a decade as a chartered accountant in the City and in Toronto.

He then became a financial reporter and foreign correspondent for Canada’s National Post. Since 2009, he has been a reporter and editor for Dow Jones publications including the Wall Street Journal, based in Hong Kong, London and New York. Duncan wrote and edited the Journal’s influential Heard on the Street column for several years, and was the Journal’s Financial Editor for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He was also the Managing Editor for Barron’s Group. He has also contributed to podcasts and radio and many live events. His writing has also appeared in Barron’s, Financial News and on Bloomberg News.

He lives with his wife and three sons in the UK, and is a long-suffering fan of Sunderland football club.

Duncan Mavin - 

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/duncan-mavin-6499923/?originalSubdomain=uk
Twitter - https://twitter.com/dumav?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

WTFinance -

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/wtfinancee/
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/67rpmjG92PNBW0doLyPvfn
TikTok - https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMeUjj9xV/
iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wtfinance/id1554934665?uo=4
Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-fatseas-761066103/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/AnthonyFatseas

Interview recorded - 27/09/2022

Research - https://intelligencequarterly.com/

On todays episode of the WTFinance podcast I had the pleasure of speaking with  @Steven Van Metre , an educator and influencer in the macro investing world with more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, including the design and management of macro strategies.

Throughout our conversation we talked about if the markets are really as bad as they are saying, how business failures will impact the banks, what is the weakest link in the market and whether we will see a 2008 round two. I hope you enjoy!

0:00 - Introduction
0:27 - Is it as bad as it looks?
2:09 - Why is there a dollar shortage?
5:04 - Dollar Shortage?
6:47 - Selling assets for liquidity
11:20 - Electricity prices in UK & Europe
12:28 - How will business failures impact banks?
14:45 - Inflation a lagging indicator
16:28 - Will the dollar continue to rise and spiral out of control?
18:40 - What is the weakest link in the market?
21:15 - Domino effect in the market?
24:38 - FED trying to build trust
27:09 - Secular macro trends leading to inflation in the long term?
29:10 - 2008 round 2?
29:39 - Lessons Steven has learnt from his career?
31:12 - One message to takeaway from our interview?

Steven Van Metre, CFP® is the President of Steven Van Metre Financial. He has more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, including the design and management of macro strategies.

Steven is an educator and influencer in the macro investing world. More than 70,000 fans across the globe follow his YouTube show to hear Steven’s thoughts on the global economy, monetary policy, and the markets. He is regularly featured on Real Vision as well as numerous other financial shows and podcasts.

In the summer of 2015, Steven invented Portfolio Shield™, a long U.S.-equity strategy with a unique hedging mechanism to control risk during volatile and Bear markets. Dubbed the “Bond King” by fans, he also manages a long-only macro fund based on his deflationary macro thesis.

Momentum Timer Pro™ is also a creation of Steve’s. It is a daily report that identifies momentum signals on 73 U.S. Exchange-Traded Funds, 18 Australian Exchanged-Traded Funds, and 27 Canadian Exchange-Traded Funds. It is based on proprietary momentum signals and is distributed to more than 18,000 subscribers every day.

Steven Van Metre - 

Website - https://stevenvanmetre.com/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/MetreSteven?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

WTFinance -

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/wtfinancee/
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/67rpmjG92PNBW0doLyPvfn
TikTok - https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMeUjj9xV/
iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wtfinance/id1554934665?uo=4
Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-fatseas-761066103/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/AnthonyFatseas

Thumbnail image from - https://www.techrepublic.com/article/will-recession-interest-budgeting/

Interview Recorded - 24/09/2022

On todays episode of the WTFinance podcast I had the pleasure of speaking with Alexander Stahel - the founder and chief investment officer of Switzerland-based commodity investment firm Burggraben Holding AG.

During our conversation we talked about the current electricity landscape throughout Europe, how the market works, whether Europe will have enough energy for the winter and long term risks. I hope you enjoy!

0:00 - Introduction
0:28 - Outline about the Electricity landscape throughout Europe?
2:35 - Interconnectivity of European electricity markets
8:36 - Volatility of electricity market?
19:15 - Crisis of confidence in nuclear
24:25 - Will Europe have enough electricity for winter?
31:00 - Electricity shortage vs blackout
37:40 - Examples of long blackouts (Texas, California)
38:39 - 50% chance of a long-term blackout in continental Europe
39:40 - Risks throughout the electricity markets in Europe?
47:16 - Challenges with overreliance on intermittent electricity production
52:30 - Shorter term solutions?
59:50 - Germany’s performance transitioning from nuclear

Alexander Stahel is a value investor specialising in commodities, specifically energy & metals. He is the Founder and Chief Investment Officer at Burggraben Holding AG, a value investor in public and private companies. 

He has spent several decades researching and investing in commodities all over the world. Prior to founding BGH, he was a private equity investor for infrastructure and energy assets at Babcock & Brown, an international investment and specialised fund and management group. 

He was also an Associate Director of Corporate Finance and M&A Advisory at SBC Warburg. 

"The whole secret of investment is to find places where it’s safe and wise to non-diversify. It’s just that simple. Diversification is for the know-nothing investor; it’s not for the professional." 

Alexander Stahel - 

Twitter Thread - https://twitter.com/BurggrabenH/status/1567929340737863680
Website - http://www.burggraben.ch/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/BurggrabenH
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-stahel-977ba0142/

WTFinance -

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/wtfinancee/
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/67rpmjG92PNBW0doLyPvfn
TikTok - https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMeUjj9xV/
iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wtfinance/id1554934665?uo=4
Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-fatseas-761066103/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/AnthonyFatseas

Thumbnail photo - https://theconversation.com/energy-crisis-how-the-eu-hopes-to-tackle-high-

Buy the book here - https://amzn.to/3LlBu8V

On todays episode of the WTFinance podcast I had the pleasure of speaking with Manoj Pradhan - The Founder of Talking Heads Macroeconomics, an independent research firm and co-author of the bestseller “The Great Demographic Reversal”.

During the podcast we talked about the main thesis Manoj has about demographics, why a high dependency rate creates inflation, the Japanese exception and misconceptions people have. I hope you enjoy! 

0:00 - Introduction
0:30 - When did Manoj start studying demographics and understand its importance?
2:00 - Surprised about how much research about demography?
4:50  - Main thesis behind the book?
6:30 - Why is having a high dependency rate in an economy inflationary?
10:41 - Was Volcker and the FED given too much credit for taming inflation in the 80’s?
12:20 - How can countries overcome high debt and weakening demography?
16:15 - Why Japan is an exception
18:30 - What happens to the countries who can provide QE?
20:50 - What impact will this trend have on markets?
24:05 - Shift between an emphasis on capital to an emphasis on labour
25:50 - Why will India & Africa not be enough to replace China as the manufacturer of the world?
27:09 - Misconceptions about demography?
28:45 - Anything that could change Manoj thesis?
30:22 - One message to take away from the book?

Manoj Pradhan is Chief Economist at the independent macroeconomic research firm Talking Heads, which he founded in 2016, analyzing global macroeconomic issues and financial markets.

He was previously Managing Director at Morgan Stanley where he led the Global economics team. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley in 2005, he served on the faculty of George Washington University and the State University of New York. He has a Ph.D. in economics from George Washington University and a Masters in Finance from the London Business School.

Manoj Pradhan - 

Website - https://talkingheadsmacro.com/thm/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/manoj-pradhan-437966

WTFinance - 

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/wtfinancee/
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/67rpmjG92PNBW0doLyPvfn
TikTok - https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMeUjj9xV/
iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wtfinance/id1554934665?uo=4
Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-fatseas-761066103/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/AnthonyFatseas

Thumbnail picture from - https://allegiancegold.com/retirement-losing-value-with-weakening-dollar/

Interview recorded - 2nd of September 2022

On todays episode of the WTFinance podcast I had the privilege of speaking with Erik  @esInvests - Self Made Millionaire and Investing & Trading Youtuber.

During the interview we spoke about the importance of consistency, how beginners can get into options trading, misconceptions about the market and current thoughts about the Macroeconomic environment. I hope you enjoy!

0:00 - Introduction
0:21 - Erik’s background?
4:15 - Any certain asset class or derivatives that Erik trades and how has that evolved throughout his career?
6:35 - Where does Erik’s trade ideas come from?
9:20 - Yearly and monthly goals?
12:45 - The importance of consistency
15:00 - Trades in core and speculative portfolios?
17:40 - High liquidity in option markets
22:00 - What is a covered strangled?
25:30 - How beginners can get into options trading?
30:00 - Misconceptions about derivatives and options?
34:15 - Current macroeconomic trends Erik is analysing?
40:35 - Waiting for a trough?
42:00 - Any unique opportunities in the market?
47:10 - One message to take away from our conversation?

Erik didn't come from money and had a single mom that worked 2 jobs to provide for himself and his brother. He says he is nothing special, yet he is a self-made millionaire.  Erik is a Marine veteran, information activist, derivatives trader (15+ years), and investor. 

His 3 Goals :
1. Share Knowledge. Share his experience without the typical finance bs. From investing basics, to options trading, portfolio management, and stock market updates. 
2. Develop Community. Lead the Outlier Community committed to HELPING one another grow
3. Connect Resources. Bring in experts from different fields to share their experience

Erik - 

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/esInvests/featured
Blog - https://www.esinvests.com/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/esInvests

WTFinance - 

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/wtfinancee/
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/67rpmjG92PNBW0doLyPvfn
TikTok - https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMeUjj9xV/
iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wtfinance/id1554934665?uo=4
Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-fatseas-761066103/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/AnthonyFatseas

Thumbnail Picture - https://time.com/nextadvisor/investing/cryptocurrency/dollar-cost-averaging-crypto-investing/

Interview recorded - 13/09/2022

On todays episode of the WTFinance podcast I had the pleasure of speaking with  David Woo Unbound - A former top ranked Wall Street strategist, IMF economist & Founder of Unbound -  a global forum devoted to the promotion of fact-based debates about markets, politics, and economics.

During our conversation we talked about the process behind out-of-consensus predictions, how the market has changed forever, what predictions David has the most conviction about and the importance of investing based on the facts. I hope you enjoy!

0:00 - Introduction
0:25 - David’s thought process behind out-of-consensus predictions?
5:44 - Not just about being right, but how markets move
10:55 - How has the market changed over David’s career?
16:10 - What predictions does David have the most conviction on?
25:21 - Will markets (i.e. bonds & other assets) start acting as they should be in such economic conditions
31:33 - Going away from practical to ideological actions
36:31 - Goal for Unbound?
39:00 - Message to take away from the interview?
40:20 - Where can you find David?

David Woo is the Founder/CEO of David Woo Unbound, a new global forum devoted to promoting fact-based debates about markets, politics and economics.

Until 2021, David was the Head of Global Rates, Foreign Exchange, and Emerging Market Fixed Income Strategy & Economic Research at Bank of America, where he managed the top ranked global macro strategy team on Wall Street. Previously, David was the Head of Global Currency Strategy at Barclays Capital and the Head of Local Markets Strategy for Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa at Citigroup.

David is known on Wall Street for his bold and out-of-consensus calls that includes the RMB devaluation in 2015 and Trump’s victory in 2016. He was also the first Wall Street analyst to initiate coverage on Bitcoin in 2013. Business Insider voted David as one of the 12 smartest people on Wall Street in 2016 and Bloomberg calls him one of the “most outspoken voice on Wall Street."

David started his career at the International Monetary Fund in Washington D.C.. He received his Ph.D in Economics from Columbia University.

David Woo - 

Website - https://www.davidwoounbound.com/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/Davidwoounbound
Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/c/DavidWooUnbound
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-woo-1479a492/?originalSubdomain=il

WTFinance - 

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/wtfinancee/
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/67rpmjG92PNBW0doLyPvfn
TikTok - https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMeUjj9xV/
iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wtfinance/id1554934665?uo=4
Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-fatseas-761066103/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/AnthonyFatseas