Podcasts about jp morgan

This week: Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan passed away at the age of 100. Today: Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck examine Greenspan's legacy and the way it's being emulated by the Fed's current chair, Kevin Warsh. Then, the hosts discuss succession at JPMorgan now that CEO Jamie Dimon's latest heir apparent, Marianne Lake, has left the company. And finally they look at the latest PowerPoint from SoftBank's Masayoshi Son and try to understand if a goose has value and if eggs can lay more eggs. In the Slate Plus episode: The New Meme Stock on the BlockWant to hear that discussion and hear more Slate Money? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you'll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Slate Money show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/moneyplus to get access wherever you listen.Podcast production by Jessamine Molli. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 4160 │ June 27, 2026 A chairman for life, $17 billion unaudited, and a founding member the ICC wants for killing children. They call it, The Board of Peace. WHAT THIS EPISODE COVERS Dispatch Two of The Eighteenth Brumaire of Donald Trump follows the permission structure documented in Dispatch One into the architecture behind it — tracing the Board of Peace, a privately governed institution chaired for life by President Trump with $17 billion in unaudited sovereign donations held at JP Morgan, no democratic accountability, and a founding member who accepted his seat by phone because Switzerland was legally obligated to arrest him for crimes against humanity if he landed, and the Pentagon technology architecture now being consolidated under a civilian whose own words name Peter Thiel's Palantir as the future of American defense. Scott Kesterson then maps the Peter Thiel network — co-founder of PayPal, Facebook's first outside investor, founder of Palantir, co-founder of the Dialog Society that has operated secretly for 20 years, funder of JD Vance's Senate campaign, and publisher of the 2009 essay stating democracy and freedom are incompatible — against the documented placements of Thiel-connected figures throughout the Trump administration, the Pentagon AI architecture, and the Board of Peace. The episode closes with the Brumaire mechanism named precisely: the most sophisticated influence operation is not the one that lies about the problem — it is the one that tells the truth about the problem and controls the map to the solution. KEY QUESTIONS ADDRESSED  What is the Board of Peace — who chairs it for life, who holds its $17 billion in unaudited donations, why could one of its founding members only accept his seat by phone, and where does the $400 million Qatari aircraft go when Trump leaves office? What is the documented relationship between Peter Thiel, JD Vance, Emil Michael at the Pentagon, Palantir's AI targeting architecture, and the Dialog Society — and what does Thiel's own published statement that democracy and freedom are incompatible mean for the institutions being dismantled around it? What is the Brumaire mechanism — and how does the pattern Marx documented in 1852 France, that Paine lived and nearly died for, map onto the America First movement's energy being used to demolish the institutional architecture that constrained the very billionaire class the movement was supposed to challenge? BABOUT BARDSFM BardsFM is a daily independent podcast covering faith, liberty, history, and information warfare. Hosted by Scott Kesterson — combat veteran, documentary filmmaker, and rancher. Over 4,100 episodes and 50 million lifetime downloads. New episodes every weekday. bards.fm This episode was researched and produced under the Sentinel Framework v3 — the analytical methodology built by Scott Kesterson — with AI-assisted research synthesis at a 70/30 human/AI authorship ratio, fully disclosed. All analysis, conclusions, and editorial judgments are those of Scott Kesterson. AFFILIATE LINKS Bards Nation Health Store: www.bardsnationhealth.com MYPillow promo code: BARDS >> Go to https://www.mypillow.com/bards and use the promo code BARDS or... Call 1-800-975-2939.  EMPShield protect your vehicles and home. Promo code BARDS: Click here Treadlite Broadforks...best garden tool EVER. Promo code BARDS26: TreadliteBroadforks.com EnviroKlenz Air Purification, promo code BARDS to save 10%: www.enviroklenz.com Morning Intro Music Provided by Brian Kahanek: www.briankahanek.com Founders Bible 20% discount code: BARDS >>> TheFoundersBible.com Windblown Media 20% Discount with promo code BARDS: windblownmedia.com White Oak Pastures Grassfed Meats, Get $20 off any order $150 or more. Promo Code BARDS: www.whiteoakpastures.com/BARDS Mission Darkness Faraday Bags and RF Shielding. Promo code BARDS: Click here DONATIONS: If you wish to support this podcast directly you can donate here... DONATE: Click here MAILING ADDRESS: Xpedition Cafe, LLC Attn. Scott Kesterson 591 E Central Ave, #740  

Chris and Erik talk about their respective trips to Denver and Miami, why the American terminal at LAX is a nightmare with 75 elevators and no baggage claim in sight, the rule that there should only ever be two modes of transportation to get anywhere, paying $3,500 for first class to Pittsburgh and the whole game of airline status and upgrades, flying with kids and the under-two pre-boarding gripe, Erik falling in love and crying to an AI album, debating AI vs CGI, the JPMorgan exec fired for stealing a Knicks trash can,pretty privilege and whether a Megan Fox type would get away with the same move, Rodney Alcala the Dating Game serial killer and how you used to be able to disappear before the internet and DNA, the Florida couple who got the wrong embryo from their fertility clinic and what kind of baby would throw you the most, the movie Slanted, not wanting to cry over blue people in Avatar, Chris's upcoming tour dates, and much more!Ethos: Get your free life insurance quotes at https://ethos.com/goldenhourHims: Visit https://hims.com/golden for your free online visitGet two extra episodes every month at https://Patreon.com/TheGoldenHourPodcastTo submit to the show email: thegoldenhoursubs@gmail.com or Dropbox Link: https://www.dropbox.com/request/fqtbexhxyaky9X8f8MV1In the subject line, specify whether your submission is King It or Sting It, Debate Club, Rip My Drip, Relationship Advice, or Flaunt My Aunt. In the body of the email, include the attachment, your name, where you're from, and in the case of Flaunt My Aunt, the name of your relative.SUBSCRIBE to The Golden Hour Podcast: http://www.youtube.com/c/KingandtheSting Get your King and the Sting merch at https://thicccboy.com/collections/sale-home-pageFollow #TheGoldenHourInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.golden....Twitter:https://twitter.com/the_golden_hrFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/KingandtheStingAnd check out Brendan, Chris, & Erik on social media!Brendan Schaub:https://www.instagram.com/brendanschaubhttps://twitter.com/BrendanSchaubhttps://www.facebook.com/OfficialBren...Chris D'Elia:https://twitter.com/chrisdeliahttps://www.instagram.com/chrisdelia/https://www.facebook.com/chrisdeliaof...Erik Griffin:https://twitter.com/ErikGriffinhttps://instagram.com/erikgriffinhttps://www.facebook.com/erikgriffinc... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Happy Friday! The crew catches up, with Rory linking up with NBA Champ, Deuce McBride, and also attending the Jay-Z pop up. The guys react to Giannis leaving the Bucks for the Miami Heat, and a questionable trade sending LaMelo Ball to the Timberwolves. JP Morgan makes headlines again, after their employee went viral for dumping trash out to steal a Knicks themed trash bin, and a Love Island cast member gets called out for her racist messages less than 24 hours after making her first appearance on the show. Billboard puts out their staff Top 50 Songs of 2026, which features some surprising names, and XXL puts out their annual Freshmen Class list. The Grammys announce five new categories, and a caller has some interesting questions for the cast. Up and coming Dallas artist, Rjtheweirdo, drops by to talk about his new project, At Least She’s Beautiful. He shares some of his musical influences, dream collaborators, and his experience being signed to Ty Dolla $ign. He also speaks on balancing his life as a musician with his life as a father, being related to Eric Bellinger, and how he got his aesthetic. His new album, At Least She’s Beautiful, is out now! All lines provided by Hard Rock Bet Visit your nearest Boost Mobile store or https://www.boostmobile.com/promo/25-forever Bask & Lather: Use code RORYANDMAL for 20% offSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Story of the Week (DR):JP Morgan's news weekThe Lurid Lawsuit, Salami Scandal and Trash-Can Thief Vexing JPMorgan's PR Department AND Meme of 'JPMorgan's HR Department in 2026' Has People in Stitches Amid Sex Scandal and Knicks Bin IncidentShe Stole a Knicks Trash Can Off the Street and Lost Her Job at JPMorganThe Trash Bin That Cost Her Career: Who Is Angie Báez? JPMorgan DEI Executive Fired After Viral Knicks Parade VideoThe Trash-Can Thief: Angie Báez, an Executive Director of Community and Industry Engagement at the bank, was captured on a viral video during the New York Knicks championship parade emptying a public trash bin onto a Manhattan sidewalk so she could steal the limited-edition, blue-and-orange Knicks-themed container.The Resolution: JPMorgan quickly terminated her employment after the video went viral. Báez eventually returned the trash bin and was issued $175 in sanitation fines.But what kinds of thing DON'T get you fired and get you fined?In 2023, JPMorgan Chase agreed to a $290 million (1,657,143x) settlement to resolve a class-action lawsuit from survivors of Jeffrey Epstein. The bank was accused of actively ignoring glaring red flags and helping bankroll Epstein's sex-trafficking operation for 15 years.Internal documents and later congressional probes revealed that the bank processed roughly 4,700 suspicious transactions totaling $1.1 billion for Epstein. They failed to file a single Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) until after his death.Who Kept Their Job? Mary Erdoes: The Head of Asset & Wealth Management was fully aware of Epstein's status as a high-risk sex offender, reviewed his account, and was directly implicated in internal communications regarding his status. She faced zero professional demotions and remains one of the top candidates to eventually succeed Jamie Dimon as CEO.In 2020, JPMorgan Chase entered a deferred prosecution agreement and agreed to pay a record $920 million (5,257,143x) to settle federal charges of market manipulation.For nearly a decade, traders on JPMorgan's precious metals and U.S. Treasuries desks engaged in "spoofing"—placing tens of thousands of fake, deceptive orders to artificially move market prices and maximize their own profits. The FBI stated that traders "openly disregarded U.S. laws."While a couple of mid-to-high-level traders (like Michael Nowak and Gregg Smith) were later criminally convicted and sentenced to prison, the executive leadership team responsible for supervising them and implementing compliance programs suffered no casualties. Top management stayed perfectly secure, chalking the multi-million dollar fraud up as the work of a few "bad apples."The Salami Scandal: Veteran wealth manager Brent Bodner was fired by JPMorgan in 2024 after he expensed a $642.50 deli platter (containing wings, sandwiches, and salads) for a Super Bowl gathering at his Beverly Hills home. The bank accused him of intentionally misclassifying a personal party as a pre-approved business meeting.Bodner counter-sued, jokingly dubbing the controversy the "salami incident." He argued that the event was a legitimate client-acquisition dinner that only two prospects ended up attending, and that the minor coding error was used as a pretext to push him out.The Resolution: A FINRA arbitration panel sided heavily with Bodner, ruling that JPMorgan acted preemptively out of paranoia that brokers were leaving for rivals. The panel ordered JPMorgan to pay Bodner $4.25 million in damages.The Lurid Lawsuit: Chirayu Rana, a former vice president on JPMorgan's leveraged finance team, leveled highly salacious allegations against his female supervisor, Executive Director Lorna Hajdini. Rana's lawsuit alleges he was subjected to a campaign of racial discrimination, severe harassment, and forced sexual relations under the threat of having his career sabotaged.The Resolution: Rana rejected a $1M settlement offer, countering with a demand for up to $22 million before escalating the fight to court. Both Hajdini and JPMorgan strongly deny the allegations as entirely fabricated, and the legal battle is moving toward a highly publicized trial.JPMorgan Chase promotes Petno, Rohrbaugh to copresidents, setting up two more successors for DimonThe Wait to Replace Jamie Dimon Keeps Getting Longer: Another potential successor, Marianne Lake, is leaving JPMorgan, as the longstanding chief executive enters his third decade atop the bank.How JPMorgan went from 3 female CEO contenders to an all-male succession raceJPMorgan named Doug Petno and Troy Rohrbaugh, current co-heads of the bank's commercial and investment bank, as co-presidents, setting them up as the frontrunners to succeed longtime CEO Jamie Dimon. Their promotions, the bank said in a press release, "are part of the Board's ongoing succession planning process."Petno and Rohrbaugh were among a handful of powerhouse candidates poised to succeed Dimon, including Jennifer Piepszak, chief operating officer, Marianne Lake, CEO of the commercial bank, and Mary Erdoes, CEO of asset and wealth management.Marianne Lake, a Potential Dimon Successor, Leaves JPMorganOne-time Retention and Continuity equity awards to the following Operating Committee members:Doug Petno, Co-President and CEO of the Commercial & Investment Bank, and Troy Rohrbaugh, Co-President and CEO of Consumer & Community Banking, in the amount of $30M each;Mary Erdoes, CEO of Asset & Wealth Management, and Jennifer Piepszak, Chief Operating Officer, in the amount of $20M each.JPMorgan Chase unveils $50 billion buyback, Goldman Sachs raises dividend after Fed stress testA 6 year study shows which CEOs are pushing RTO mandates: The ones with the biggest egosFortune 500 bosses demanding staff return to the office share one trait: narcissism, research findsA six-year study tracking corporate executives revealed that strict return-to-office (RTO) mandates are heavily driven by narcissism and executive ego, rather than actual employee productivityWharton organizational psychologist Adam Grant noted that researchers used reliable corporate proxies to quantify CEO narcissism, including the oversized scale of their compensation packages, the size of their signatures, and the prominence of their photos in company annual reports.The data showed that leaders with highly inflated self-opinions consistently coveted maximum power and status, making them the most aggressive opponents of remote work.Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan pushed hard for a 5-day-a-week return to the office. Why they're now letting employees work from homeGameStop CEO Cohen spurns $35 billion pay plan to focus on plan to buy eBayGameStop CEO on His eBay Pursuit: ‘I'm Not Going to Stop, I'm Not Going to Go Away'GameStop unveiled a compensation package worth roughly $35B for Ryan Cohen ​in January, hinging on a turnaround that requires him to lift the struggling company's market value more than tenfold and sharply boost its profit.In May, Cohen surprised Wall Street with an unsolicited offer to buy eBay for roughly $56 billion in cash and stock to ‌turn the e-commerce company into ⁠a bigger competitor to Amazon.EBay's board rejected the proposal, calling the offer "neither credible nor attractive."Cohen argued that he doesn't want the package ⁠so that GameStop's leadership can fully focus on its operating performance and the planned acquisition.SpaceX handed lowest possible ESG rating by MSCI: Triple C score puts Elon Musk's company on par with Russia after 2022 invasion of UkraineMusk 'most obvious risk' following SpaceX's lowest possible ESG rating“Board of Directors: The SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES board currently has an independent majority, which enables it to more effectively fulfill its critical function of overseeing management on behalf of shareholders. The company has failed to split the roles of CEO and chairman, which may limit the board's independence from current management interests. Split CEO and chairman roles are characteristic of 67% of companies in this market.”Welltower CFO's $167 million pay package sets new recordWelltower's Tim McHugh is the new highest-paid finance chief among the biggest U.S. companies. His $167 million pay package in 2025 not only dwarfs that of his CFO peers but also outpaces the compensation of many CEOs.McHugh's pay at Welltower, a real-estate investment trust focused on rental housing for seniors, surpasses the $139 million compensation package received by Tesla's Vaibhav Taneja in 2024. This puts him more than $135 million above Alphabet's Anat Ashkenazi, the next highest-paid CFO in 2025. And it secures him a spot in the club of executives making $100 million or more, a group that remains rare.Here's what the article DID NOT MENTION: CEO Shankh Mitra: $821MGoodliest of the Week (MM/DR):DR: Scientists Say New Method Turns Coffee Grounds Into High-Potency Renewable FuelAccording to a press release from South Korea's National Research Council of Science and Technology, a team of researchers at the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) have developed a method to convert spent coffee waste into high-quality charcoal, known as biochar.While that's a feat in and of itself, the kicker is the method's blistering speed: it takes just 90 seconds from start to finish, with no drawn-out drying process or oil separation required. According to the release, the new technique solves a major issue in extracting the latent energy potential of spent coffee beans.DR: Bill to raise minimum wage to $25 an hour will be introduced in Senate DR MMThe bill would incrementally increase the minimum wage from its current rate of $7.25, with the first jump to $12 an hour in the first year of enactment. Major corporations would have six years to work up to a $25 minimum wage, while smaller employers would have a 13-year runway. The legislation would also do away with subminimum wages for tipped workers, such as restaurant servers, youth workers and workers with disabilities. Nearly half of the American workforce makes less than $25 an hour.DR: Federal judge blocks new law aimed at ESG, DEI investing decisionsA federal judge has blocked Kansas from enforcing a new law that requires institutional investment advisers to make certain disclosures when recommending against company management on issues, including environmental, social and governance principles.U.S. District Judge Holly Teeter on Wednesday issued a preliminary injunction halting enforcement of law enacted last session that two major national institutional investment advisers said was unconstitutional because it discriminated based on speech.MM: MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last yearAssholiest of the Week (MM):CEO SPEED ROUND - ONE HEADLINE, ONE CEO, ONE LINERTim Cook - It's pretty sweet to quit your job and let the new guy fight the union: Apple closed America's first unionized store and blocked workers from transfers — now the union is fighting backJamie Dimon - It was easy - we just pointed to the ones with boobs and said “Not you”: How JPMorgan went from 3 female CEO contenders to an all-male succession raceZuck - The best thing about being a little man king with no accountability is I can randomly change and unchange and rechange my mind… about people's lives: Meta pauses an AI training program that tracks employees' keystrokes after an internal leakLarry Fink - Have you SEEN the size of my signature??? Fucking come to work: A 6 year study shows which CEOs are pushing RTO mandates: The ones with the biggest egos“In the six-year study, researchers collected data on Fortune 500 CEOs, using behavioral proxies—signature size, photo size in annual reports, pay gap relative to peers—to construct narcissism scores. The higher the score, the more likely a CEO was to publicly oppose remote and hybrid work and seek additional status (like a board chairmanship). In a separate experiment, CEOs whose egos were primed—by reflecting on the assertive leadership styles of Steve Jobs and Larry Ellison—showed significantly greater opposition to working from home than a control group”Andy Jassy - Now we know EXACTLY when you're wasting our time peeing in a bottle instead of working: Amazon is on a mission to optimize warehouse work. Its latest test puts wearable devices on support staff.Nikesh Arora - If you just said, “Who?”, you better pay attention because I have important things to say: Palo Alto Networks CEO: We're in 'a Darwinian moment' where employees have to prove their AI skills - BRONZE ASSHOLESatya Nadella - If I complain about how everyone TALKS about AI, does that make me sound more sympathetic?: Microsoft's CEO Takes Aim At AI Companies: 'We Have To Walk The Walk' To Convince The Public - GOLDEN ASSHOLEJeff Bezos - I mean, if I'm honest, everyone is terrible and should be laid off: Jeff Bezos Called Washington Post His Worst Investment and Staff He Laid Off ‘Terrible' People - SILVER ASSHOLEBrian Moynihan - I mean, or your kid was late to school because they forgot to make their card for teacher appreciation day, you didn't eat breakfast, and you rushed in to work from the office as fast as you could because working from home isn't allowed anymore: By 7 a.m., Bank of America's CEO has already read 5 newspapers, his email inbox, and hit the gym—he says if you're late to meetings, you're ‘selfish'Dave Ramsey - 0.0001% of Musk's worst day could end hunger ON EARTH, but sure, take away Halloween and pets from the rest of us: Dave Ramsey Says 20% of Americans' Halloween and Pet Budgets Could End Hunger: 'There'd Be No Hungry Kids'Headliniest of the WeekDR: Beloved Grandmother Was Standing in Her Own House When a Tesla, Allegedly on Autopilot, Smashed Through the Wall and Killed Her in Grandchildren's PlayroomA popular password manager was hit by a hack. What you need to know—and how to keep your data safeMM: Ryanair says it will reluctantly not charge parents to sit next to childrenMM: Elon Musk will get a billion shares of SpaceX if he can settle a million humans on MarsJust make it 10 trillion shares if he can safely land Gus who sleeps at the bus station on NeptuneWho Won the Week?DR: The MotherS(C)hIpMM: ESG RatingsPredictionsDR: Symbolically giving up your $35 billion CEO pay package becomes the new $1 salary: proxy statements will say: “Our CEO generously waived his $35 billion pay package as a gesture of sacrifice to lead by example, preserve corporate cash, and show solidarity with displaced workers and stressed stakeholders.”MM: Ryanair announces a new fee children can pay to sit AWAY from their parents

Preston Dill is a stand-up comedian and lead singer of the band Lords Of The Satellite. For more of his comedy, check him out on Instagram @realprestondill and follow his band @lordsofthesatelitte. IN THE NEWS: That woman who stole the Knicks trash can was a “DEI exec” at JPMorgan (she's now been fired), Every Mamdani-endorsed candidate won their primary contest in NYC. Come see how crazy they are, Joy Reid calls Knicks boss James Dolan a 'plantation owner' for accepting Trump's WH invite: 'Hurts my heart', Larry David says Trump's White House UFC fight made him feel embarrassed to be an American, calling the 250th anniversary celebration a travesty, Horrifying video shows teen plunge over waterfall on Disneyland's Tiana's Bayou AdventureGET IT ON!FOR MORE WITH PRESTON DILL:INSTAGRAM: @realprestondill BAND: Lord Of The Satellite (Instagram: @lordofthesatellite) FOR MORE WITH ELISHA KRAUSS:WEBSITE: elishakrauss.comYOUTUBE: Elisha Krauss INSTAGRAM: @elishakrauss TWITTER: @elishakrauss LIVE SHOWS: June 27 - Carson City, NV (2 Shows)July 9 - Las Vegas, NV (2 Shows)July 10 - Las Vegas, NV (2 Shows)July 11 - Las Vegas, NV (2 Shows)Thank you for supporting our sponsors:Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/adam - Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Trustpilot rating as of 6/1/2025.BetOnlineMarathonRewards.comoreillyauto.com/ADAMPluto.tvPodcastOneSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Boomer said JP Morgan is ‘going through it right now' because of the woman stealing a Knicks colored garbage can from the street. A caller brings up bagels for some reason and then Gio takes issue with people who talk to him when he's just not interested.

Boomer says JP Morgan is "going through it right now" over a woman stealing a Knicks-colored garbage can and potentially made-up sexual harassment claims. Next, Fanatics Founder & CEO Michael Rubin joins the studio to talk Fanatics-fest, attending Knicks players, and items for sale. Finally, Gio highlights podcasts dealing with porn addiction, sparking a conversation on phone addiction.

Our Mackenzie Sigalos examines Apple's latest price increases and what growing memory demand means for hardware makers and consumers. Gabriela Santos of JPMorgan Asset Management explains how investors should approach the latest rotation across semiconductors, big tech and the broader market. Chris Perkins of Franklin Templeton discusses what it will take for digital assets to find a durable bottom and what investors should watch next. Our Kate Rooney reports on the accelerating race by OpenAI and Anthropic to reach the public markets and what it could mean for the AI investment landscape. Tim Hayes of Ned Davis Research analyzes fresh economic data and its impact on rates and equities. Leslie Picker reports on succession planning at JPMorgan and the latest developments surrounding Wall Street's largest bank. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Megyn Kelly is joined by Mark Halperin, host of "Next Up with Mark Halperin,” to discuss the victories of candidates backed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani in New York City, debates over Israel and antisemitism within the Democratic Party, the controversial background of Democratic Socialist candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier, her history of controversial tweets, Jack Schlossberg's defeat in NYC primary, the New York Times' ridiculous coverage of his loss, and more. Plus, Chamath Palihapitya, co-host of the "All-In Podcast," joins to discuss Tucker Carlson's announcement that he is leaving the Republican Party, the debates over Israel and America's role abroad, divisions within the GOP over the future of the party, the rapid rise of artificial intelligence, the economic and political disruption caused by AI, whether the benefits will improve our future or create new problems, how AI may reshape traditional jobs, a JPMorgan executive fired for dumping garbage all over NYC to steal a Knicks-themed trash can, Larry David's criticism about America 250 and White House UFC event, how the World Cup has renewed American Patriotism, and more.   Halperin- https://www.youtube.com/@NextUpHalperin Palihapitiya- https://x.com/chamath   Brooklyn Bedding: Upgrade your sleep with Brooklyn Bedding—Visit https://brooklynbedding.comand use promo code MEGYN for 30% off sitewide! Supersure Insurance: Upgrade your business insurance to a year-round SuperAgency at https://Supersure.com/Megyn Byrna: Go to https://Byrna.com or your local Sportsman's Warehouse today. Shopify: Launch your dream business with Shopify. Sign up for your $1/month trial at https://Shopify.com/Megyn and start selling today!     Follow The Megyn Kelly Show on all social platforms: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MegynKelly Twitter: http://Twitter.com/MegynKellyShow Instagram: http://Instagram.com/MegynKellyShow Facebook: http://Facebook.com/MegynKellyShow Find out more information at:https://www.devilmaycaremedia.com/megynkellyshow Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Today's show breaks down Kodai Senga's rough loss to the Cubs, Carlos Mendoza's reaction, and Gio's warning about the dead Mets, followed by Aaron Boone addressing Jazz Chisholm's lollipop antics and a JPMorgan employee getting fired. Next, Boomer and Gio try to untangle the messy Geno Smith situation and Tyreek Hill's broken-leg controversy, before hitting Yankees updates, more Mets misery from Evan Roberts, and Billy Bush ripping Al Roker. Then, Becky Hammon defends her Jalen Brunson take, Gio stands by his KAT opinion, and Donna calls in to protest the show's ongoing lollipop jokes, followed by news on Matt Miller's amputation and Jim Kelly's stroke. Finally, the crew reviews the top drugs of each decade, discusses the NFL skipping its supplemental draft, shares C-Lo's final updates with C-Mac's lollipop defense and the SNY kid-caster, and wraps up with a fed-up caller and Gio's childhood love for Teemu Selanne.

Alice Han and James Kynge dive into why JPMorgan has cut its Hong Kong employees off from Anthropic's Claude. That comes after Goldman Sachs quietly restricted AI access for their employees in the city. With ChatGPT already blocked on the mainland, are U.S. companies drawing a new line around Hong Kong? And what does it mean for the city's future as a global financial hub? They also discuss Lululemon's Great Wall yoga festival, which was meant to celebrate Chinese culture. Instead, a Japanese-style drum in the promotional imagery set off a nationalist firestorm — over 50 million views on Weibo and counting. It's the latest in a long line of foreign brand missteps in China. Why is it so hard to get it right? And finally: China hasn't qualified for the World Cup — but football fans have found someone to root for: Chinese referee Ma Ning, who has picked up sponsorships from Lenovo and Hisense and 210,000 new social media followers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

JPMorgan upgraded IBM Corp. (IBM) as the firm sees greater confidence in the company's tech outlook. Ben Watson shows how the short and long-term price action show how bulls keep momentum surging in the stock. ======== Schwab Network ========Empowering every investor and trader, every market day. Subscribe to the Market Minute newsletter - https://schwabnetwork.com/subscribeDownload the iOS app - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/schwab-network/id1460719185Download the Amazon Fire Tv App - https://www.amazon.com/TD-Ameritrade-Network/dp/B07KRD76C7Watch on Sling - https://watch.sling.com/1/asset/191928615bd8d47686f94682aefaa007/watchWatch on Vizio - https://www.vizio.com/en/watchfreeplus-exploreWatch on DistroTV - https://www.distro.tv/live/schwab-network/Follow us on X – https://twitter.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/schwab-network/ About Schwab Network - https://schwabnetwork.com/about

JPMorgan's upgrade for IBM Corp. (IBM) set the foundation for a rally Tuesday as the rest of the tech sector takes a beating from an AI memory sell-off in South Korea. Marley Kayden walks investors through the upgrade and outlines the bull case JPMorgan sees in Big Blue. Tim Biggam offers an example options trade for IBM. ======== Schwab Network ========Empowering every investor and trader, every market day.Options involve risks and are not suitable for all investors. Before trading, read the Options Disclosure Document. http://bit.ly/2v9tH6DSubscribe to the Market Minute newsletter - https://schwabnetwork.com/subscribeDownload the iOS app - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/schwab-network/id1460719185Download the Amazon Fire Tv App - https://www.amazon.com/TD-Ameritrade-Network/dp/B07KRD76C7Watch on Sling - https://watch.sling.com/1/asset/191928615bd8d47686f94682aefaa007/watchWatch on Vizio - https://www.vizio.com/en/watchfreeplus-exploreWatch on DistroTV - https://www.distro.tv/live/schwab-network/Follow us on X – https://twitter.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/schwab-network/About Schwab Network - https://schwabnetwork.com/about

LIL #004: How the Ultra-Wealthy Actually Invest Their MoneyThe stock market isn't their strategy. It's their holding tank. Here's what the data reveals.Episode SummaryIn this episode of The Lifestyle Investor Podcast, host Justin Donald breaks down how the wealthiest families in the world actually allocate their portfolios, using data from Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, and UBS. You'll learn why the ultra-wealthy borrow against stocks instead of selling them, where real wealth is created in inefficient markets, and why the "safe" 60/40 portfolio had one of its worst years in a century.Question of the DayWhat percentage of your portfolio is currently in the stock market vs. alternative investments? Drop a number below - no judgment, just curious where everyone's starting from.Key TakeawaysThe wealthiest families hold over half their net worth in alternatives, not public equitiesBorrowing at 4-5% to invest at 12-15% is how the ultra-wealthy compound without sellingEfficient markets offer no edge for retail investors - inefficient markets are where wealth is createdOne group of Austin centi-millionaires collectively holds just 5% in stocksConcentrate to make money, diversify to keep it - not the other way aroundTimestamped Outline00:00 - Introduction - the shift from public to private markets00:28 - Why wealthy families keep money in stocks (not the reason you think)00:52 - The arbitrage game - borrowing at 4-5% to invest at 12-15%01:38 - Stacking returns - stocks, whole life policies, and compounding leverage01:57 - The stock market as a holding tank, not a strategy02:15 - Efficient markets vs. inefficient markets03:02 - Where the real opportunity lives - private businesses and real estate04:01 - What the ultra-wealthy actually invest in (family office data)05:42 - The Austin centi-millionaire group that holds just 5% in stocks06:46 - Why the 60/40 portfolio era is over07:26 - Concentration to make money, diversification to keep it09:00 - The shift from public to private - and what's coming nextLinks & ResourcesFlash Boys by Michael Lewis (recommended read on retail investor disadvantage)The Lifestyle Investor Lens (weekly newsletter) - https://lifestyleinvestor.com/newsletterConnect & CTAEnjoyed this? Subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.Every week, The Lifestyle Investor Lens breaks down what's changing in the world of wealth, what the wealthy are doing differently, and how to build passive income that funds your life today: https://lifestyleinvestor.com/newsletterCreditsHost: Justin Donald © 2026 Lifestyle Investor. All rights reserved.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jean Sung has spent over 20 years inside the rooms where Asia's wealthiest families decide what to do with their money.Head of the JPMorgan Chase Foundation across 13 countries. Founder of J.P. Morgan Private Bank's Philanthropy Centre in Asia. Two decades of sitting across from ultra-high-net-worth individuals, multi-generational family offices, and some of the most powerful philanthropists on the planet.And after all of it, her conclusion is uncomfortable.Most of what we call charity isn't working.Not because people don't care. But because the entire system was built on the wrong foundation. Donations that feel good. Band-aid solutions that never touch the root of the problem. Nonprofits running on passion with no performance metrics, no accountability, and no path to scale. Wealthy donors writing the same check to the same 20 organizations year after year and calling it impact.What she's calling for is a complete restructuring of how philanthropy is practiced in Asia and beyond. Stop treating giving like charity. Start treating it like investment. Same rigor. Same accountability. Same demand for return. Because if you don't do well, you cannot do good.The conversation goes deep on the gap between intention and action, why Asian philanthropic giving is vastly underestimated and almost entirely invisible, how the now generation of wealthy families is finally starting to deploy capital the right way, and why the world needs fewer think tanks and a lot more do tanks.This is one of the most honest, challenging, and clear-eyed conversations I have had on this show.I hope it changes how you think about giving.Apply to work with me: https://www.michaelxcampion.com/Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelxcampion/Guest — Jean Sung: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jean-k-sung-312b3338/Jean Sung is the Executive Director and Head of The Philanthropy Centre, J.P. Morgan Private Bank, Asia Pacific. She founded the Philanthropy Centre for J.P. Morgan's private banking arm after spending eight years managing the JPMorgan Chase Foundation's corporate giving across 13 Asian countries. With two decades of experience advising ultra-high-net-worth individuals, multi-generational family offices, and global philanthropists, Jean is one of the most experienced and respected voices in strategic philanthropy in Asia. She serves on the boards of the Bai Xian Asia Institute, LinkREIT's Sustainability Committee, the McCain Global Leaders Advisory Council, and the UWCSEA Foundation, among others.(00:00:00) The "Now Gen" and Why Jean Hates the Term Next Gen(00:01:25) 20 Years, 13 Countries: Jean's Journey at JPMorgan(00:03:45) Why People Give and Why That Needs to Change(00:06:36) Band-Aid Solutions and the Mattress Story(00:09:34) What Communities Actually Need vs. What Donors Think They Need(00:14:57) How Jean Got the Job Running the JPMorgan Chase Foundation(00:16:41) Rethinking Grants: From Finite Donations to Sustainable Investment(00:24:38) What Do You Want Your Dash to Mean(00:27:33) Why Your Foundation and Your Investment Portfolio Should Talk to Each Other(00:38:11) Hands Up Not Handouts: The Danger of Dependency(00:47:56) How Asian Families Think About Wealth, Succession, and Giving(00:54:57) Think Tanks vs Do Tanks: The Gap Between Intention and Action

The great lie of the Epstein scandal isn't just what he did, but how the powerful around him suddenly claimed they couldn't remember him at all. Presidents, princes, billionaires, academics, bankers, and celebrities who once courted his money and shared his jets all reached for the same script when the walls closed in: I barely knew him. It was a coordinated act of survival, not an accident. Institutions like Harvard, MIT, Deutsche Bank, and JP Morgan played the same game, pretending they never saw the red flags. Legacy media, instead of hammering the contradictions, often published these denials straight, allowing amnesia to masquerade as truth. Forgetting became strategy, and strategy became cover.But memory leaves evidence. Flight logs, photographs, donations, and testimonies remain, and every denial only underscores the complicity of those who looked away. The survivors don't get to forget; they live with scars while the powerful rewrite history. What the amnesia act reveals is cowardice: a willingness to erase reality to protect reputation. Epstein built his empire on memory, yet his circle tried to survive through erasure. In the end, their denials brand them more deeply than their associations ever could—because the attempt to forget is itself proof they remembered perfectly well.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-moscow-murders-and-more--5852883/support.

Leaked correspondence between Jes Staley—former CEO of Barclays and long-time JPMorgan executive—and Jeffrey Epstein laid bare more than just casual business exchanges; they revealed a troubling bond rooted in intimacy, trust, and privilege. In one exchange, Staley mused, “That was fun. Say hi to Snow White,” to which Epstein replied, “What character would you like next?” Staley coyly responded, “Beauty and the Beast,” turning their relationship into a grotesque pantomime. More damningly, Staley described Epstein as “family” and spoke of a “profound” connection, while photos of young women were also swapped—all under the guise of everyday correspondence. Far from distancing himself, Staley sustained contact well past Epstein's 2008 conviction, even joining him on his private island in 2009—behavior that defied any claim of a “purely professional” relationship.The fallout was swift—and deserved. The UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) concluded that Staley “recklessly misled” both Barclays and regulators by downplaying the closeness of his ties with Epstein. A £1.8 million fine (later reduced to £1.1 million) and a lifetime ban from senior financial roles followed. The Upper Tribunal upheld the sanctions, emphasizing that Staley knowingly took a calculated risk, hoping the truth would stay buried. But the emails, held up like digital incriminators, ensured his downfall. His denials, evasive demeanor in court, and attempt to frame the relationship as innocuous only magnified the breach of trust. In financial leadership, reputation is everything—and Staley burned his.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:Epstein-Staley Emails Reveal Friendship Forged at JPMorgan (yahoo.com)Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-moscow-murders-and-more--5852883/support.

Jes Staley, the former Barclays CEO and longtime JPMorgan executive, admitted during legal proceedings and regulatory scrutiny that he had engaged in consensual sexual relations with one of Jeffrey Epstein's assistants. Staley has maintained that the relationship was consensual and separate from any criminal conduct tied to Epstein's trafficking enterprise. However, the admission became a flashpoint because it directly contradicted earlier public statements in which Staley sought to minimize the depth and nature of his association with Epstein. Court filings and internal communications revealed that Staley's relationship with Epstein was more extensive than initially portrayed, including visits to Epstein properties after Epstein's 2008 conviction. The acknowledgment of a sexual relationship with an employee inside Epstein's orbit has intensified scrutiny over what Staley knew about Epstein's operations and whether he exercised appropriate judgment as a senior banking executive entrusted with safeguarding institutional integrity.In the aftermath of the broader Epstein file revelations, calls have grown louder for regulators and law enforcement to more fully investigate Staley's conduct. Critics argue that his proximity to Epstein, combined with inconsistencies between his private communications and public statements, raises serious questions about transparency and oversight at the highest levels of global finance. UK regulators have already taken action related to how Staley characterized his ties to Epstein, and additional revelations from unsealed documents have fueled renewed demands for deeper inquiry. Advocacy groups and some lawmakers contend that anyone who maintained a close relationship with Epstein—particularly after his first conviction—should face thorough review, not only for potential criminal exposure but for failures of governance and ethical responsibility. The Staley episode has become emblematic of the broader reckoning unfolding across financial and political elites as more information tied to Epstein's network continues to surface.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-moscow-murders-and-more--5852883/support.

This is the first of four episodes we did in partnership with Finance Montreal, recording panellists at their Sustainable Finance Summit. Today you'll hear from Dr. Sarah Kapnick, the ex-chief scientist of NOAA and how global head of climate advisory at JPMorgan, talking about the weirdening of our natural world is impact all our resources - from drought and the Colorado River to the soil health and how fertilizer shocks are hitting your food supply. And John E. Morton Head of Nature Finance and Investment at the World Wildlife Fund discussing why half of global GDP depends on nature becoming as important as climate in the eyes of investors.Enjoy!Episode Reading:Climate Intuition: Food security: The fates of farming and food in a warming worldClimate Intuition: Food security under pressure: Iran conflict disruptions and a brewing El NiñoIntegrating nature into financial decision-making Guests:Host: Mike Disabato, MSCI Sustainability & ClimateGuest: Dr. Sarah Kapnick, JPMorgan & John E. Morton, World Wildlife Fund

In this week's episode of the AJ Bell Money & Markets podcast, Charlene Young and Danni Hewson unpack the latest developments in the Middle East and what they mean for markets, oil prices and your everyday finances. They also dive into fresh UK inflation figures and what they could mean for interest rates in the second half of 2026. Danni takes a closer look at the blockbuster SpaceX IPO and why investors are piling in, Charlene runs through some eye-catching ‘trillionaire maths' and reflects on 10 years since the Brexit vote. There's a warning for motorists over the cost of spreading car insurance payments and Danni sits down with JP Morgan to find out what's happening on the ground in Korea and other emerging markets. Plus, we bring you a teaser of a special series of video chats with Bill Ackman, CEO of Pershing Square.   [00:08] Intro [01:26] Middle East impact on markets and oil [06:30] UK inflation update and interest rate expectations [16:42] Pizza Hut sale [22:04] SpaceX IPO review [36:07] Bill Ackman [37:57] Brexit vote – 10 years on [42:34] Which? warning on car insurance [45:28] Interview – Emily Whiting, investment specialist at JP Morgan

Thursday, June 18th, 2026 Today, Trump's Ballroom is up to $600m with half coming from taxpayer dollars; MAGA election denier Mike Collins will face John Ossoff in the Georgia Senate race this November; a hacktivist has exposed members of Peter Theil's secretive Dialog Society; New Mexico's Justice Department has ordered JP Morgan and Google to preserve records tied to Jeffrey Epstein and his associates; two military veterans have sued challenging Tommy Tuberville's Alabama gubernatorial bid because he lives in Florida; a federal judge has limited the enforcement of Idaho's transgender bathroom access law; and Allison and Dana deliver your Good News. Thank You, Helix 20% off Sitewide | 25% off Luxe Mattresses | 30% off Elite Mattresses when you go to HelixSleep.com/dailybeans Thank You, HomeServe For 50% less your first year, go to HomeServe.com/dailybeans. Void in Florida. The Latest Breakdown:The Breakdown | Caught in a Cover-up StoriesJPMorgan, Google Records Sought in Probe Into Epstein's New Mexico Ranch | WSJ 6 takeaways from Tuesday's primaries in Georgia, Alabama, Oklahoma, California and D.C. | NBC News | AP News Trump said no taxpayer money would be spent on the ballroom. A contractor's invoices show otherwise | Washington Post Leak Exposes Members of Peter Thiel's Secretive ‘Dialog' Society | WIRED Good Trouble Call your NJ state Reps and tell them to pass bill S2260/A2218!TRCNJ.org →Comment on FR-6518-P-01 Equal Access  in HUD Programs Revisions  →Triumphal Arch - Section 106 Assessment Draft Programmatic Agreement →Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance -  Open For Comments →The Forest Service is accepting public comments until June 7th →Recall Gov. Jeff Landry - Louisianadeservesbetter.com →STOP the deportation of Mohsen Mahdawi - Action Network →detentionwatchnetwork.org →FieldTeam6.org →Standwithminnesota.com →Tell Congress Ice out Now | Indivisible, Defund ICE | 5Calls →Congress: Divest From ICE and CBP | ACLU →ICE List  →iceout.org Good NewsVote now for House of Black Cat Magic! GATEWAY LOUNGE | Teresa Trull and Barbara Higbie: Reunion, Pride & CD Release. Opening act Jeannie Tanner. June 24 - Chicago →Share your Good News & Good Trouble - The Daily Beans →Beans Talk audio -beans-talk.simplecast.com →Email Dana LGBTQ Owned eating establishments in your area - hello@mswmedia.com Subject: “Dana's Project” Subscribe to the MSW YouTube Channel - MSW Media - YouTube Harry Dunn is running for CongressHarry Dunn for Maryland Our Donation Links Blue Wave California - bluewavecalifornia.org/concert Donate to Public Citizen - https://citizen.org/beans/ The Daily Beans is donating $10,000 and invites you to give what you can to support their life-affirming work - Donate to It Gets Better / The Daily Beans Fundraiser Pathways to Citizenship link to MATCH Allison's Donationhttps://crm.bloomerang.co/HostedDonation?ApiKey=pub_86ff5236-dd26-11ec-b5ee-066e3d38bc77&WidgetId=6388736 Join Dana and The Daily Beans in support of Human Rights Campaign http://onecau.se/_ekes71 More Donation LinksNational Security Counselors - Donate, ActBlue.com/donate/msw-bwc, WhistleblowerAid.org/beans Dr. Allison Gill - The Breakdown | Allison Gill, Mueller, She Wrote @muellershewrote.com - Bluesky, MSW & The Daily Beans Podcast @muellershewrote - Instagram, MSW Media - YouTube →Federal workers - email AG at fedoath@pm.me and let me know what you're going to do, or just vent. I'm always here to listen.  Dana Goldberg - Dana is on Patreon! At Dana's Dugout, @dgcomedy - Bluesky, @dgcomedy - IG, Dana Goldberg - Facebook,  DanaGoldberg.com More from MSW Media - Shows - MSW Media, Cleanup On Aisle 45 pod, The Breakdown | Allison Gill Reminder - you can see the pod pics if you become a Patron. The good news pics are at the bottom of the show notes of each Patreon episode! That's just one of the perks of subscribing! patreon.com/muellershewrote Listener Survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortFollow the Podcast on Apple:https://apple.co/3XNx7ckWant to support the show and get it ad-free and early?https://patreon.com/thedailybeanshttps://dailybeans.supercast.com/https://apple.co/3UKzKt0 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jamie Dimon was pulled directly into the U.S. Virgin Islands' lawsuit against JPMorgan because he had served as the bank's chief executive during most of the period when Jeffrey Epstein remained a valued client despite his 2008 conviction and repeated internal warnings about his conduct and financial activity. The Virgin Islands alleged that JPMorgan knowingly benefited from Epstein's business, ignored red flags and continued supplying the banking infrastructure that helped sustain his trafficking operation. As the bank's most powerful executive, Dimon was ordered to sit for a deposition about what he knew, when senior management learned of the concerns surrounding Epstein and why the relationship was not terminated until 2013.During his deposition, Dimon said he had never met or spoken with Epstein and did not remember being informed about him while Epstein was a customer. That testimony became a major point of contention because evidence showed that other senior JPMorgan figures—including Jes Staley and Mary Erdoes—were involved in discussions concerning Epstein, while compliance personnel had repeatedly raised concerns. The Virgin Islands unsuccessfully sought to question Dimon a second time after obtaining additional evidence, but his testimony still placed his leadership under intense scrutiny and raised questions about how such a controversial client could remain at the bank without the chief executive knowing. JPMorgan ultimately paid $75 million to settle the Virgin Islands' claims without admitting liability, in addition to a separate $290 million settlement with Epstein's victims.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.com

Michael Smith—Managing Partner and Founder, Emerald Advisors Michael Smith shares how a client-first philosophy, niche specialization, and independence helped Emerald Advisors grow from $385mm to more than $1B in assets. In Summary What happens when an advisor builds a business around client service rather than operational efficiency? Jason Diamond speaks with Michael Smith, Founder and Managing Partner of Emerald Advisors, about the path from a successful Merrill practice to an independent RIA that has grown from approximately $385mm to more than $1B in assets. Along the way, Michael shares the story of being told he was “overservicing” clients, why that moment became a catalyst for independence, and how a highly specialized service model fueled the firm's growth. Drawing on lessons from a 24-year Navy career, Michael offers a perspective on leadership, specialization, client care, and what it takes to build a durable business in today's wealth management landscape. The Storyline Growth is often viewed as the result of marketing, referrals, acquisitions, or scale. Michael Smith sees it differently. After building a successful practice at Merrill, Michael found himself at odds with the constraints of the traditional wirehouse model. What ultimately stood out wasn't compensation, technology, or platform capabilities. It was a philosophical difference around client service. When he was told he was spending too much time helping clients navigate tax planning, equity compensation, and other financial decisions outside the traditional scope of investment management, he began to question whether the model aligned with the way he wanted to serve families. That realization eventually led him to launch Emerald Advisors in late 2019. The firm started with roughly 85 clients and approximately $385mm in assets. Today, Emerald serves more than 225 families and oversees more than $1B in assets. Throughout the conversation, Michael reflects on the lessons learned from building an independent firm, developing a niche around concentrated stock positions and executive compensation, navigating custodial and technology decisions, and creating a culture rooted in accountability and service. Underlying it all is a simple belief: when firms become highly intentional about who they serve and how they serve them, growth often becomes the outcome rather than the objective. Topics Covered Merrill breakaways and independence Client service as a growth driver Building an RIA RIA growth and scalability Organic growth strategies Concentrated stock positions and equity compensation planning Ideal client personas and niche specialization Schwab and Fidelity custody relationships Advisor succession and enterprise value Navy leadership principles in wealth management The rise of mega RIAs Advisor technology and infrastructure > Download a transcript of this episode… Listen and Learn Highlights for Advisors Why did being accused of “overservicing” clients become a turning point? (08:15)Michael explains how a conversation with management revealed a deeper misalignment between his client-service philosophy and the wirehouse model. What does client service look like beyond portfolio management? (11:30)The discussion explores how tax planning, equity compensation guidance, and proactive coordination can deepen client relationships. Why can specialization accelerate growth? (15:45)Michael shares why serving a defined niche often creates stronger referrals, greater expertise, and clearer positioning. How has the RIA landscape evolved since 2019? (20:30)Michael reflects on the rise of mega RIAs, changing technology capabilities, and why he believes independent firms still have significant advantages. What role do custodians really play in an independent business? (23:15)Michael discusses his experience working with Schwab and Fidelity and why he views custodians as strategic partners rather than competitors. Is the wirehouse model still the right fit for some advisors? (26:45)The conversation challenges the assumption that independence is the best path for everyone and explores the realities of running a business. Does reaching $1 billion in assets actually change anything? (32:45)Michael offers a practical perspective on growth, success, and why asset milestones can be misleading. What can advisors learn from the “steamboat” philosophy? (37:15)Drawing on his Navy experience, Michael shares a leadership framework that continues to shape how he approaches business building and decision-making. Key Takeaways Exceptional client service can become a meaningful competitive advantage when it extends beyond investment management. Independence gave Michael the flexibility to build a service model that aligned with his philosophy rather than adapting his philosophy to fit the platform. Developing a niche around executive compensation and concentrated stock positions helped accelerate Emerald's growth. The ability to make technology, custodial, and operational decisions quickly remains a significant advantage for independent firms. Not every advisor should be independent. Running a business requires a different set of skills and responsibilities than serving clients alone. Growth milestones are useful, but they do not define success. Michael believes success existed long before Emerald reached $1 billion in assets. High-performing teams with a clear client focus often find that growth becomes a natural byproduct of execution. https://youtu.be/RjzsMcC2DnY Quotable Moments “I literally had to go back and Google the word overservicing.” “Servicing the client is the most important thing that we can do today.” “If you serve a niche and you're very good at that niche, that word gets around.” “Growth becomes the outcome.” FAQs Can an advisor really “over-service” clients? The discussion explores the tension between efficiency and depth of service. While some business models prioritize scale and consistency, others are built around solving a broader range of client problems. The right answer often depends on the advisor's philosophy and business model. Does specialization still matter in a relationship business? Michael argues that developing expertise in a specific area can accelerate growth by making referrals easier and helping advisors become known for solving a particular set of problems. What actually changes when an advisor becomes independent? Beyond economics, independence often creates more flexibility around client service, technology, processes, and business decisions. At the same time, advisors assume responsibility for running the business itself. Is full independence the right path for every advisor? No. Michael acknowledges that many advisors benefit from the structure, support, and resources available within traditional firms. Independence offers flexibility, but it also introduces complexity and responsibility. How should advisors think about the $1 billion milestone? Michael views asset milestones as useful benchmarks but not measures of success. In his view, business quality, client outcomes, and sustainability matter more than any specific asset number. What role does an ideal client persona play in growth? Rather than trying to serve everyone, Emerald built its business around a clearly defined client profile. Michael believes that focus improves service, creates operational consistency, and supports organic growth. How can advisors balance growth with client service? One of the central themes of the episode is that growth and service are not necessarily competing objectives. In some cases, a differentiated service model becomes the reason a business grows. The discussion explores the tension between efficiency and depth of service. While some business models prioritize scale and consistency, others are built around solving a broader range of client problems. The right answer often depends on the advisor's philosophy and business model. Michael argues that developing expertise in a specific area can accelerate growth by making referrals easier and helping advisors become known for solving a particular set of problems. Beyond economics, independence often creates more flexibility around client service, technology, processes, and business decisions. At the same time, advisors assume responsibility for running the business itself. No. Michael acknowledges that many advisors benefit from the structure, support, and resources available within traditional firms. Independence offers flexibility, but it also introduces complexity and responsibility. Michael views asset milestones as useful benchmarks but not measures of success. In his view, business quality, client outcomes, and sustainability matter more than any specific asset number. Rather than trying to serve everyone, Emerald built its business around a clearly defined client profile. Michael believes that focus improves service, creates operational consistency, and supports organic growth. One of the central themes of the episode is that growth and service are not necessarily competing objectives. In some cases, a differentiated service model becomes the reason a business grows. Related Resources The Transitioning Advisor's Lament: Things I Wish I Knew Before Freedom vs. Familiarity: Is it Worth Disrupting Comfort for Something That Might Be Better? IBD vs. RIA Revisited: Two Independent Pathways for Advisors to Consider Advisor Transition Report 2026 Guest Bio Michael Smith, CPWA® is the Founder and Managing Partner of Emerald Advisors, an independent wealth management firm overseeing more than $1 billion in assets for affluent families, executives, and business owners with complex planning needs. Mike entered the wealth management industry in 2005 after a distinguished 24-year career in the United States Navy, where he served both as an enlisted sailor in the Submarine Force and later as a Limited Duty Officer aboard USS Abraham Lincoln and on major staffs around the world. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Management and an MBA with dual emphases in Finance & Accounting and International Business. Throughout his career, Mike has been known for his commitment to comprehensive planning, helping clients navigate complex issues involving concentrated stock positions, executive compensation, tax strategy, estate planning, philanthropy, and multi-generational wealth transfer. His client-first approach and passion for education have helped Emerald Advisors grow from a startup firm in 2019 to a nationally recognized RIA serving more than 225 families. Outside of the office, Mike is an avid ultrarunner, golfer, lifelong learner, and dedicated advocate for children’s health initiatives. He is a current member of the Legacy Council at Seattle Children’s Hospital and has served in leadership and board roles supporting the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes, the ALS Association, and the Alyssa Burnett Adult Life Center. He is also the proud father of Kat Smith. NOTE: The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Diamond Consultants. Neither Diamond Consultants nor the guests on this podcast are compensated in any way for their participation. View the transcript of this episode… From “Overservicing” Clients to Building a $1B RIA: A Merrill Breakaway Story A conversation with Jason Diamond and Michael Smith, Managing Partner and Founder of Emerald Advisors.      Jason Diamond: Welcome to the latest episode of our podcast series for financial advisors. Today’s episode is From “Overservicing” Clients to Building a $1B RIA: A Merrill Breakaway Story. It’s a conversation with Michael Smith, managing partner and founder of Emerald Advisors. I’m Jason Diamond and this is the Diamond Podcast for financial advisors. Mindy Diamond: At Diamond Consultants, we help elite advisors identify the right environment for their businesses to thrive whether that’s at a wirehouse, boutique or independent firm. With nearly three decades of experience, we’ve guided thousands of advisors and represented more than a quarter of a trillion dollars in assets transitioned and, each year, one in four advisors managing a billion dollars or more who change firms are our clients. Our process is education driven and based on building relationships starting as your strategic partner well before you’re even thinking of a move. To schedule a confidential conversation, call us at (908) 879-1002. Wondering why advisors change firms and where they’re headed? Are transition deals going up or down? Those very questions and more inspired us to create our annual advisor transition report. It’s the award-winning, data-driven resource designed for advisors that connects the dots between the motivations around movement and the firm’s appetite for top talent. Arm yourself with the knowledge you need to make smart decisions. Download your copy at diamond-consultants.com/transitionreport. Jason Diamond: Growth is often viewed as the result of better marketing, stronger referrals, a larger team and even acquisition and that’s all true yet growth can be the byproduct of something else entirely. For example, Michael Smith built a successful practice at Merrill then, one day, he was told he was spending too much time with his clients, or his management put it over-servicing clients. For Michael, that wasn’t a warning sign about his approach, it was a signal that he might have outgrown the firm and the model. Today, Michael is the founder and managing partner of Emerald Advisors, the independent RIA he launched in late 2019 with roughly 385 million in assets and 85 client relationships. Less than seven years later, the firm has grown to more than a billion in assets while remaining deeply focused on a highly-specialized client base and an unusually hands-on service model. What makes this story particularly interesting isn’t just the growth, it’s the thinking behind it. Michael’s perspective was shaped long before he entered wealth management. After serving more than two decades in the Navy, he brought a leadership philosophy centered on accountability, discipline and what he calls steamboat people, those who keep moving forward regardless of conditions, that mindset continues to influence how he builds his team, serves clients and evaluates opportunities. In this episode, we discuss the decision to leave Merrill, the realities of launching a fully independent RIA, why specialization can accelerate growth, the evolving role of custodians and technology and why he believes exceptional client service remains one of the industry’s most durable competitive advantages. Because Michael’s experience suggests that growth isn’t always the result of finding more opportunities, sometimes it’s the result of creating the freedom to execute the vision you already had so let’s jump in. Michael, thank you so much for joining us today. For starters, can you walk us through your background and what brought you to the world of wealth management? Michael Smith: Jason, thank you so much for the opportunity to be here today, I do listen to the podcast a lot especially before I left Mother Merrill. But my background and how I got into financial services is really distinct because I was on the board of JDRF back in the day and the national sponsor for JDRF was UBS PaineWebber and they’re like, “Mike, why don’t you be a financial advisor?” And my master’s degree was actually a finance and accounting in portfolio management because I’ve managed my own portfolio for years and years and so, when I couldn’t get a job, I just fell into it because I couldn’t get a job and I needed a job. That was 21 years ago, Memorial Day so that’s how I got into this industry. Jason Diamond: It’s a unique background, it’s super interesting and I want to talk more about it. You mentioned Mother Merrill, we’ll certainly get there. Before we do, give us a little bit of context on the current business you operate, Emerald Advisors, any context you can share on size, number of staff, types of clients you serve would be great. Michael Smith: Sure. So, we launched Emerald in 2019, November 2019 with about 85 clients and you always talk about this on the podcast how scared it is to launch and go independent. And I would say we took over about 95% of our clients that we wanted to bring over and today we’re at about 230 clients, I think we have some onboarding right now, we have just over a billion of assets. So, we launched with the 85 clients and around 350, 385 million, now we’re over a billion. Jason Diamond: Good for you. Michael Smith: Thank you. And I launched with four employees and we’re now at 11. And I would give a shout-out to one of my key employees because, when I launched, I actually hired somebody that had no experience with us and that was really a good thing because that allowed that person to really focus on operations and back office stuff while my business partner Emily and I were able to focus on bringing on the clients and alleviating any issues that they may have or thought. Jason Diamond: So, meaning you hired somebody basically immediately upon launch to help you with the transition and with this next chapter? Michael Smith: Correct. I hired them before but they started the day we launched. Jason Diamond: Brilliant, I love it. Oh, let’s definitely talk more about that because I think that’s a great strategy for … You’re right, you said it in a joking manner now because you’re seven years past but it’s a very real fear that advisors have and I think it’s worth talking more about. I want to mention too you have, obviously, built this business and grown this business dramatically. I don’t want to make this episode about the pandemic but you moved the business at a, certainly, a unique time. Did it impact your growth at all? Did you feel like you hit a brick wall? Just curious about your thoughts. Michael Smith: No, Jason, that’s a great observation. I would venture to say that the pandemic was actually a good thing for us. Jason Diamond: Interesting. Michael Smith: And I say that because, all of a sudden, you could hit pause because everyone was relearning how to do business, how do we do client reviews, how do we communicate with clients in a environment. So, I think the pandemic allowed us to just really reset our expectations visiting with clients because I used to fly a lot because I have clients in 38 different states so this has actually been, not just good for me, but good for the industry because I think it’s reset our expectations that we don’t have to be every day with a client facing. Jason Diamond: I agree with that largely and it’s true of our business too, by the way, it’s certainly reshaped the way people expect to be communicated with. I think Zoom has become much more mainstream, phone calls and we’ve heard from many other advisors who say something similar. I was just curious because you moved so close to or if there was an impact but I get, honestly, I think you’re right, it allowed you to have this nice natural inflection point and almost like flipping a switch of a clean slate. Michael Smith: It allowed us to learn the processes too. So, we launched in November 1st, by March we were in lockdown and so it gave us the opportunity to take several months of just learning the processes of how to be an RIA, it was pretty good. Jason Diamond: Absolutely. So, one of the things you mentioned in that was the way in which you serve clients and I’d read something funny and I think it was around the time of your move. You were talking about that, Merrill, you had a manager who spoke about that you would overserve your clients, you serve clients too much, tell me about that. Michael Smith: That was such an interesting topic because I got called down to the ops officer’s office and they’re like, “Ugh, Mike.” And it brought my admin down with me and they’re like, “Mike, these reports that you’re taking care of your clients too much,” and I’m like, “What do you mean?” “Well, you’re overservicing them.” Jason, I literally had to go back and Google the word overservicing because I was like, “How do you overservice the client? I’m not making their bed.” It was just so funny to me that I got counsel for overservicing clients when we’re in a client-facing job and I think that was part of the catalyst. Jason Diamond: Tell me more about what they meant, you think. Michael Smith: Hindsight, I think they … I like to take care of people which means I’m very intuitive towards taxes, I understand how the tax code works, I understand how everything impacts their bottom line. So, when we’re doing deferred comp enrollments or 401(k) enrollments or I’m a big believer in Roth 401(k)s and backdoor Roths and I’ve been doing them for years, I think what Mother Merrill wanted at that time was us not to do that. And, again, nothing against Merrill, I get it but this is how they wanted us to act and I wasn’t in that mold, I was taking care of clients to a much deeper depth is how I would say it. Jason Diamond: And I think that speaks to you outgrew the model not necessarily the firm. I think Merrill does a lot of things really well, you would agree with that, I think given that you built 85 clients and 350 million in assets is nothing to sneeze at. But the model that it seems like you value client service and an integrated client service experience of that and the wirehouse model oftentimes doesn’t put a premium on that. Tell me about your ethos or your thoughts around client service today and what being independent enables you to do. Michael Smith: So, that’s an interesting observation because one of my clients actually just mentioned to me that the reason we’re growing so much is because of our service model and the fact that we deliver a tremendous amount of value over just portfolio management. I said my managers is in portfolio management, I don’t do that any longer, I have a staff that handles that for me but it’s really the servicing of the clients because they don’t know what we know and I think servicing the client is the most important thing that we can do today. Jason Diamond: Give me some examples of what you mean by servicing the client in a more holistic way. I agree with you, by the way, portfolio management, table stakes, financial planning, table stakes, tell me more about what you mean. Michael Smith: By that I mean we do a quarterly review on tax. So, a lot of people don’t understand how taxes work and how estimated taxes work. So, estimated taxes are January 1st to March 31st, January 1st to May 31st, January 1st to August 31st, that’s how you do your estimated tax payments, you figure out what that is. And for compensated employees where they have RSUs that come in at different times of the year or different grants or exercise their options at a different time, that can affect their estimated tax liability and I’m not big on giving Uncle Sam any more money than they have to have until they need it. And then everyone doesn’t understand how the penalties and interest works on the IRS. And I’m big on the tax payments because that’s where we can add a lot of value for not a lot of time and we integrate it with our portfolio so we know what we’re doing with our gains. And I happen to reside in Washington State which has a long-term capital gains tax rate once you surpass about 270,000 of long-term capital gains. So, it’s super important for us to be aware of this and that’s how we service them. We also help them with their rebalancing of their 401(k)s, things that wirehouses cannot supposed to do, we are not supposed to be helping them with some of their aspects of life. Jason Diamond: Yup. That’s what I was alluding to earlier, it’s limitations on the model, not because they’re bad models, it’s just a different way, a different ethos around client service. You mentioned RSUs and corporate employees, I know that’s a niche you have is around concentrated stock positions and equity comp plans. I guess let me ask you two different questions around this. First of all, why that niche? Interested. And then, second of all, do you think a team needs to have a specialization to be competitive these days or do you think it’s okay just to be like, “My job is to be the best advisor and I want to service assets wherever those assets may come from?” Michael Smith: Another great observation. I’m going to address the niche first and foremost. I think, and I talked to R.J. Shook’s staff just recently, and having a niche gives you a specialization and it also accelerates your growth factor. If you serve a niche and you’re very good at that niche, then that word gets around. If you’re a jack of all trades, you can do lots of things but I don’t think you’re focused and you’re not hitting the right numbers that I like to see. And I think that would be my theme is the niche allows you to focus on a very specific type of ideal client, that’s a Schwab thing where you have an ideal client persona and our firm has an ideal client persona. As far as having the equity comp, I absolutely was one of the teams at Merrill Lynch that was equity compensation designated, I managed a couple of plans. My exposure to that, Jason, I haven’t thought about this in a very long time, came from UBS where I had team members that were colleagues that were associated with the Nextel Sprint plan. And I always thought that you’re taking care of the top executives but, really, my background being in the military was how do we take care of the troops, the troops, I call them sailors, and how do we educate those sailors. And one of the things I’ve always said in my entire career in the military and I still say to this day is 50% of every bonus or a promotion or something like that should go to long-term savings. So, I use that same mentality with RSUs, with stock options, with bonuses. Set that aside, let that grow because you’re not used to spending it and you will learn to spend what you make. Jason Diamond: I think that’s a great reason, it’s super smart and I love your explanation, it was a very simplistic way. Honestly, even I hadn’t thought about that around your niche, I think, becomes almost like a force multiplier for your own growth because it’s much easier to become the guy in X, Y, Z vertical than to be the guy in every financial advisor of America, across America. Let me ask you a follow-up question, you mentioned the ideal client persona. I spend a lot of time at our firm thinking about this as well, what does your ideal client persona look like. How do you think about an opportunity though that differs from that persona? So, it’s great. Obviously, everybody, it’s easy, you get somebody who’s your perfect prospect, they walk in the front door, sign me up. But when you get something that’s not down the fairway for you, is it just I evaluate it on a one-off basis or are you super disciplined to that approach because it’s who your firm is? Michael Smith: I truly haven’t given that a whole lot of thought but I will tell you how I would handle that because I am handling it with some one-offs. I like the opportunity because you’re stretching your brain in that you’re thinking about how somebody else is reacting so you’d never know. So, I like it from a learning perspective but I also know it comes with a lot of other baggage, I’ll call it baggage, because, all of a sudden, they want to short the market, they want to go long-short strategies. So, all of a sudden, they’re not in our niche and, all of a sudden, they’re taking a lot of time, they’re draining our time so I think you got to be very careful about what you wish for. And there’s a lot of great advisors out there that will walk circles around these topics that I’m like, “Okay, I would rather refer somebody so they get the right experience than give them the wrong experience.” Jason Diamond: I absolutely love that answer. The bow you just put on it, I think, is the appropriate way in my mind to put a bow. At the end of the day, wouldn’t you rather service somebody more optimally even if you don’t believe it’s yourself, I agree with that. I want to ask you one more point on the client service piece. I was playing around on your website and, on your service model, you have health as a component of the client experience of your diagram. Why do you think health matters in a financial context? Michael Smith: I always believed in a healthy mind and a healthy body will bring so much joy to you and I think health is just part of your persona. If you don’t take care of yourself and your body and your mind, then it doesn’t matter what I do, I think you got to start with health. So, I’m very big on the executive physicals, I routinely require all of our staff to have an annual physical. And, again, they’re young people but you got to have these annual … I live and breathe going to see a doctor every year to do my annual physical, not because I think I’m pretty good health, I still run, I do a lot of things but I think your life starts with being healthy. Jason Diamond: Yeah, it’s refreshing to hear that, no doubt. It’s funny to think about but 2019 is a long time ago now and, in RIA world, I almost think of it like dog years. You’ve been around the block now for a little while so I’m curious how have you seen this space change since you launched in 2019? Michael Smith: In 2019, I didn’t know what I was doing, I could barely get out a wet paper bag but I do think it’s changed dramatically. I would say the biggest thing I’ve seen in just the six and a half, almost seven years is the rise of the mega RIAs and how they’re going to shape the industry. Everyone talked about fee compression at Merrill Lynch. When I was at Merrill, we talked about fee compression, then they talked about robo-advisors and now they’re talking about artificial intelligence replacing advisors, I don’t believe that and I don’t think that’s going to happen in the RIA space. What I see the RIA space maturing is into these very big mega firms as well as these independent RIAs like myself that serve a very niche market where we can walk in our lane. The ability to transact today is so much easier as an RIA than it was at a wirehouse as well because we have instant access to technology. My military background, my Navy background says make a decision right, wrong or different, if you don’t like it afterwards or you get new data, course change. So, in our industry, we can change on a notice. I hired a tech firm last year, I didn’t like the experience nine months into it, guess what, they’re not coming back. So, I can do that but you can’t do that at the bigger firms and even the bigger mega firms would have a hard time navigating a change just like that on a dime. Jason Diamond: You bring up an interesting point. To the extent you face competition, do you find yourself competing more against traditional wirehouse type firms or RIAs like yourself, mega caps RIAs? Are your clients attuned to any of this? Michael Smith: That’s an observation I haven’t thought of either there, Jason. I would say I don’t feel that I have a … I know there’s competition out there but we have a growth issue more than we have anything else so I don’t … I can’t take on the clients that want to become my clients so I’m not competing with people too much. Jason Diamond: A capacity issue, you mean? Michael Smith: Yeah, I have a capacity issue. Jason Diamond: I think you’re not alone in that. How can I even think about competition and the like when … A lot of advisors would probably say that. I want to talk more about the capacity situation but, before I do, let’s talk a little more about the RIA setup. Who do you custody with, remind us, and why or how did you arrive at that decision? Michael Smith: Yeah. So, when I launched, I went with Schwab, Schwab is a phenomenal partner, they helped me get a lot of stuff done, I couldn’t have done it without Schwab. During the pandemic, I realized that I should probably … So, remember, during the pandemic, we had a lot of issues with the banking industry, it was almost like a financial crisis but in a very compressed time. So, during the COVID, I decided to add Fidelity as another custodian so now I have two custodians and I opened accounts on both sides of the house but I like the custodians that are there to help you, they’re very good at what they do. I don’t even consider them a competitor and they aren’t competitors, they have their own branch so I don’t consider them competitors, I think they’re my partners and both Charles Schwab and Fidelity are good partners. Jason Diamond: Yeah, I think that’s the healthy way to look at the custody relationship. That’s a very common approach, I think, is launching with one custodian and then adding a secondary custodian or a tertiary custodian down the line for one reason or another so I appreciate you sharing that because we get those types of nuts and bolts questions a lot so I figured I’d ask you. One last question on the setup and then we’ll shift gears. Has anything been a negative? So, you talked about leaving Mother Merrill behind and, Mother Merrill, we use it facetiously but obviously it implies a degree of comfort and the homeland so I’m curious if you miss anything. Michael Smith: I miss the camaraderie of being with a bunch of other folks. I mentioned this when I first launched, I mentioned it year over year with my team, the one thing that we miss as an RIA and, again, Dynasty has their benefits as well and the mega RIAs have their benefits but, if you’re a true independent like myself, we get to go to conferences that we want to and that’s a timing issue, really, a time constraint. But one thing Merrill and Morgan, JPMorgan, and the other big wirehouses have as well as the megas, they have the ability to put conferences together for their advisors or their administrators and have this education. That’s the one thing that, I think, would evolve in the RIA industry in the future as well. They’re not my competitors, they’re my business colleagues. And if we think of them as competitors, and a lot of people do because I don’t want to share my client information or what I do with my competitor because they may steal them, if you’re that insecure, then you’re probably not the right advisor in the first place. Jason Diamond: I don’t disagree with that. It’s interesting too, I hear two common answers to that question, not about Merrill but just about somebody who’s broken away, what do you miss about the captive firm world. Either on this podcast or just in conversations with advisors, brand comes up a lot and then the point you just raised. I’ll even hear like, “Hey, forget the conferences and the trainings, just being able to have an office where I’ve got eight other advisors on a row for me, it’s a little bit of a different setup than in the independent space,” and I think that’s just a reality of you take the good with the bad. And for other advisors, by the way, one of the things I want to ask you about to this point is do you believe that there are advisors that are just better served in the W2 traditional firm world or do you think that every advisor should be looking at the RIA space? Michael Smith: I think that wirehouse serves a great purpose and- Jason Diamond: Okay, me too. Michael Smith: … there’s a lot of great people that are great advisors in that wirehouse, they need the structure. What I hadn’t alluded to is, and I mentioned this to a former manager from Merrill Lynch of mine just recently, actually, I was like, “I don’t think advisors realize what it takes to run a business.” I’m not trying to sugarcoat it, running an RIA is hard work, it takes a lot of your time day in and day out to run a business as well as taking care of and servicing your clients so I do think the wirehouse venue is the right way to go. And, Jason, I want to go back to one other thing about your identity. I launched as the Smith Group because that’s what I was known at Merrill Lynch. Within three or four months, I changed that name to a firm because I did not want to be associated with it. So, when you’re at one of the wirehouses, you’re known as your team name or something of that sort, I didn’t want to be known as that, I wanted to be known as Emerald Advisors not the Smith Group because, all of a sudden, you have a single point of failure. So, brand identity, it’s not so unique inside the wirehouse because it’s a team name versus Merrill or Morgan Stanley or something like that. Jason Diamond: It’s a good segue because I’ll tell you where my mind goes when you bring that up. My mind goes is you’re smart in a way that you might not even realize or maybe you do realize which is that, if and when it ever comes time to sell this business, it is probably more valuable without your name attached to it or maybe not. But in some way, shape or form, as an RIA, you have an obligation to be thinking about that or it’s probably on your radar, maybe not an obligation. Have you given an ounce of thought to M&A either acquiring businesses, growing in that way or, ultimately, when you succeed out of this business and what the RIA space enables you to do? Michael Smith: To answer that question, yes. Everyone’s thinking about merger and acquisition, I think about succession planning from day one. I actually thought about I’m a big team person, I come from the submarine force where everyone is a key player on a submarine, every single person has a job and responsibility on a nuclear submarine. So, inside the financial services industry, I know Merrill Lynch was very big on teaming, I understand Morgan Stanley is as well because teaming gives them a breadth of responsibility where the responsibilities are shared. So, mergers and acquisitions or selling my business, I think, if you’re not thinking about that … And I’m not thinking about selling my business because that’s a distraction to me. If I needed the money, then I would’ve went to a wirehouse and that’s okay, you monetize your life’s work. Today, I’m all about what’s right for the client, what’s right for my team and what’s right for where I want to be in the next 10 to 20 years. So, I am growing, I do want to grow, I’m looking at opening offices in probably three locations in the next 24 months or so. Jason Diamond: Well, that’s what I was going to say, plenty of advisors I think would say the same, I have a lot of runway. But what about the other side of this equation which is you’ve had tremendous organic growth, you’ve tripled your client base, you’ve more than tripled the asset base, have you thought about acquisition as a mean to jet fuel the inorganic growth side of things? Michael Smith: I have but not in the typical sense that you’re looking at as buying a book of business. I want to partner with like-minded advisors that share that common thread of taking care of clients where you can serve as their trusted counsel and sit in the meetings with their attorneys and sit in the meetings with the accountants and give them sage counsel that you can only do because you’ve been with the family for 20 years. You know this family and that, not always, but I think that’s missed a lot in other firms. Jason Diamond: Yeah, I think that’s fair. I just thought of something else that you brought up. You brought Dynasty so I’m going to ask … I’m going to pull on this thread. That implies to me that you’re at least loosely aware of the supportive independence models that are out there yet you chose a very independent, autonomous path, why? Michael Smith: Because I didn’t know what I was doing. Jason Diamond: Fair. Michael Smith: Let’s be honest, I like Dynasty, I talked with Dynasty when I left. I talked to them all, I talked to Rockefeller, I talked to Morgan, I talked to Dynasty and then, when push came to shove, I wanted to be Mike Smith and launch my own firm and learn. And I will tell you, you learn drinking through a fire hose and we did that, we learned, I know the mistakes. What I didn’t want to do is just go to someplace where this is the stuff you’re going to have to use. So, I think Dynasty is a great launching platform, I think there’s other ones out there that are similar to Dynasty or the Rockefellers or the Morgans, it’s truly what you’re trying to achieve in life. What do you want for you and your clients and I always put my clients before me because I’ve always had this lifelong thing of, you do the right thing, you’re going to get taken care of. Jason Diamond: Yeah. And that’s a very common analysis, by the way, and it’s very common too for big advisors like yourself to say I did my homework across all of those different categories. I looked at the traditional wirehouses and regional firms and boutique firms, I looked at the independent broker dealers, I looked at the support platforms and the aggregators and the roll-ups and here’s ultimately what I landed on and why. Did you always know that though or was that something that it took you a diligence process to figure out? There was plenty of advisors, by the way, who come to us and they’re like, “I knew for the last five years that I was sitting there I was launching an RIA someday.” Michael Smith: Yeah. I did not know that and, to be honest with you, hindsight, I think one of those partners probably could have made me a little bit better at first because then I could have focused on clients versus focusing on, hey, how to open a business, who’s your technology … We talked about custodians and some other things but we didn’t talk about technology, how do you go find that technology. Where’s your email address come from? Who’s your chief compliance officer? When it resides on you, you got to look in the mirror. So, I think those parties out there that provide that for brand-new advisors launching could be very beneficial. I had in my mind what I needed to do and I knew I’m very frugal so mine boiled down to how much money I wanted to spend, to be honest with you. Jason Diamond: I think it is a cost benefit analysis, it is. It’s absolutely … Because if you list the functions of a support platform on paper and you showed it to somebody who didn’t know the industry, they would say, “Why on earth wouldn’t you do this? They’re taking off your plate compliance and tech and custody and the like,” and the answer is because there’s a cost associated with it and plenty of advisors decide what you decide, I wanted … Or I just wanted a greater degree of autonomy and freedom, to your point, the name on the door piece, I wanted this to be mine. Michael Smith: And, Jason, I think it also goes to the uncertainty. I had never done anything since Navy, financial advising and then launching. So, for me, I was launching with four employees I had to take care of and here I was going to hire a third party that I was going to have to spend X amount on and I didn’t even know what my income was going to be. That’s different if you’re a multi-billion dollar FA coming out of a wirehouse, the monetary dynamics are different. Jason Diamond: Agreed. Okay, here’s a good one for you. We get this concept from advisors, from firms, from private equity that a billion dollars in assets is like this magic number in our industry. Do you feel like anything’s changed now that you’re at a billion and what’s the next chapter for Emerald Advisors? Is it just continuing on this steady trajectory and serving clients and trust that everything else comes with that? Michael Smith: I go back and forth on a billion, everyone thinks that’s the right number, the biggest number that you need but I think it’s just an arbitrary numbers because it didn’t define who I was. And a lot of people define success at a billion, they define success that you’re a successful firm at a billion. I think I was a successful firm at 300 million, I was a successful financial advisor with 20 clients in 2005. I would say a billion is a multiplier, what I would tell new advisors out there today is gather assets. The more assets you have, the more revenue you generate. The more revenue you generate, the more money you can put in your pocket which means the longer you can stay in the industry. The problem with the industry is an attrition problem, not anything else. So, assets just give us the ability to have revenue which gives us the ability to grow. Jason Diamond: And is that the plan? Keep adding assets, keep growing one client at a time with the focus though, obviously, on what makes you which is a very client-centric service model. Michael Smith: Correct. There’s a lot of things I want to do in the next couple of years and expanding our footprint is our biggest one with the right partners and then just keep adding. I have a business development officer that I’m probably offer a job to here pretty soon and things are going well. Jason Diamond: Yeah, that’s great. You mentioned the tech stack and the other components of the business and I hear you on the frugal cost-benefit analysis. But who did you turn to for some of those early decisions, was it Schwab primarily who helped hold your hand through that? Michael Smith: Schwab was very good at helping me identify the tech stack at first and the tech stack is actually the one consistent, there’s a lot of things I’ve been consistent on but tech is one that I’ve stayed with them. I launched with RightSize, now they’re Advisory, they’re very good, they do the right job for us and I’m big on cybersecurity. So, tech was helpful from Schwab, Schwab helped us with that. Jason Diamond: So, we spoke a little bit about your naval experience but, I’m curious, can you tell us how has your naval experience shaped your perception or your experience in wealth management? Michael Smith: My Navy path was a lot different than many officers. I served 12 years as an enlisted person before I got my direct commission as a Mustang officer, typically called limited duty officers or loud, dumb and obnoxious as I like to say. But that experience gave me a unique perspective because I was able to be the enlisted side and officer which are the workers and then the management side so I had both experiences which was unique. When I was commissioned, Admiral Jerry Ellis, a submarine admiral that commissioned me, heard this lesson to the podium, he was just talking about me in this point but he said, “There are three kinds of people in every organization. You have rowboat people who need to be pushed, you have sailboat people who move whenever the conditions are favorable and then there’s steamboat people, they move continuously through calm or storm.” And he said, “This is Ensign Michael Smith,” he said, “Make your course.” And that’s always stood with me because you do have those three types of people in life. You got people that are just … They’re robo people, they go until they get tired. You got sailboat people that go wherever the wind blows them and then you got steamboat people that chart their own course. I would say for advisors out there make your course or just be happy with what you’re doing. But for some of us hard chargers, I think that analogy has stayed with me my entire career. Jason Diamond: It’s fantastic. I love the analogy, great naval tie in also. Thanks for sharing that. We got time for one more question. You have a fascinating background, a fascinating path to the industry, obviously, an incredibly disciplined approach around client service, any parting thoughts, words of wisdom especially as it relates to growth? That’s what strikes me most about your story is the growth that your move unlocked and that’s what every advisor who listens to our show is looking for. Michael Smith: I’m going to give another plug to Schwab on this. We actually were fortunate and I got their consulting group to come in right afterwards and I’m a big believer in having offsite. So, I’ve had an offsite, two offsites a year for my team and it’s the entire team unlike the wirehouses where you don’t take your admins and stuff like that. I take my entire team to an offsite and we group up on what we’re trying to achieve and have goals and objectives for the year. Schwab allowed us to use their consultants and we came up with our ideal client persona. Teams or firms that have this model become high performing. When you become high performing, growth becomes the outcome. I couldn’t do anything but grow. Jason, I couldn’t not grow because I had this ideal client persona, I knew how I was going to do it, it was measurable. So, growth becomes the outcome and, if you hold people responsible, then we’re all going to grow together and it’s a fun outcome. Jason Diamond: Fantastic, it’s a great place to end. Thank you so much for sharing your expertise with us, I can’t wait to see what the next chapter holds for Emerald, this has been a lot of fun. Michael Smith: Jason, thank you so much. I appreciate everything you do for the industry as well. Mindy Diamond: As a financial advisor, you hold yourself to the highest standards of integrity, honesty and credibility. You are successful because you take your professional responsibility seriously and are dedicated to your clients. But are you living your best business life? Are your goals aligned with your firms or could a better option exist? Should I Stay or Should I Go? Is a book written with you in mind? It’s a self-guided journey that walks you through the key steps that we take with our advisor clients. This strategic thought process and roadmap to professional self-discovery is designed to help you ask the right questions and think critically and objectively whether you’re considering change or not. Learn how to get your copy at diamond-consultants.com/thebook. From “Overservicing” Clients to Building a $1B RIA: A Merrill Breakaway Story A conversation with Jason Diamond and Michael Smith, Managing Partner and Founder of Emerald Advisors.      Jason Diamond: Welcome to the latest episode of our podcast series for financial advisors. Today’s episode is From “Overservicing” Clients to Building a $1B RIA: A Merrill Breakaway Story. It’s a conversation with Michael Smith, managing partner and founder of Emerald Advisors. I’m Jason Diamond and this is the Diamond Podcast for financial advisors. Mindy Diamond: At Diamond Consultants, we help elite advisors identify the right environment for their businesses to thrive whether that’s at a wirehouse, boutique or independent firm. With nearly three decades of experience, we’ve guided thousands of advisors and represented more than a quarter of a trillion dollars in assets transitioned and, each year, one in four advisors managing a billion dollars or more who change firms are our clients. Our process is education driven and based on building relationships starting as your strategic partner well before you’re even thinking of a move. To schedule a confidential conversation, call us at (908) 879-1002. Wondering why advisors change firms and where they’re headed? Are transition deals going up or down? Those very questions and more inspired us to create our annual advisor transition report. It’s the award-winning, data-driven resource designed for advisors that connects the dots between the motivations around movement and the firm’s appetite for top talent. Arm yourself with the knowledge you need to make smart decisions. Download your copy at diamond-consultants.com/transitionreport. Jason Diamond: Growth is often viewed as the result of better marketing, stronger referrals, a larger team and even acquisition and that’s all true yet growth can be the byproduct of something else entirely. For example, Michael Smith built a successful practice at Merrill then, one day, he was told he was spending too much time with his clients, or his management put it over-servicing clients. For Michael, that wasn’t a warning sign about his approach, it was a signal that he might have outgrown the firm and the model. Today, Michael is the founder and managing partner of Emerald Advisors, the independent RIA he launched in late 2019 with roughly 385 million in assets and 85 client relationships. Less than seven years later, the firm has grown to more than a billion in assets while remaining deeply focused on a highly-specialized client base and an unusually hands-on service model. What makes this story particularly interesting isn’t just the growth, it’s the thinking behind it. Michael’s perspective was shaped long before he entered wealth management. After serving more than two decades in the Navy, he brought a leadership philosophy centered on accountability, discipline and what he calls steamboat people, those who keep moving forward regardless of conditions, that mindset continues to influence how he builds his team, serves clients and evaluates opportunities. In this episode, we discuss the decision to leave Merrill, the realities of launching a fully independent RIA, why specialization can accelerate growth, the evolving role of custodians and technology and why he believes exceptional client service remains one of the industry’s most durable competitive advantages. Because Michael’s experience suggests that growth isn’t always the result of finding more opportunities, sometimes it’s the result of creating the freedom to execute the vision you already had so let’s jump in. Michael, thank you so much for joining us today. For starters, can you walk us through your background and what brought you to the world of wealth management? Michael Smith: Jason, thank you so much for the opportunity to be here today, I do listen to the podcast a lot especially before I left Mother Merrill. But my background and how I got into financial services is really distinct because I was on the board of JDRF back in the day and the national sponsor for JDRF was UBS PaineWebber and they’re like, “Mike, why don’t you be a financial advisor?” And my master’s degree was actually a finance and accounting in portfolio management because I’ve managed my own portfolio for years and years and so, when I couldn’t get a job, I just fell into it because I couldn’t get a job and I needed a job. That was 21 years ago, Memorial Day so that’s how I got into this industry. Jason Diamond: It’s a unique background, it’s super interesting and I want to talk more about it. You mentioned Mother Merrill, we’ll certainly get there. Before we do, give us a little bit of context on the current business you operate, Emerald Advisors, any context you can share on size, number of staff, types of clients you serve would be great. Michael Smith: Sure. So, we launched Emerald in 2019, November 2019 with about 85 clients and you always talk about this on the podcast how scared it is to launch and go independent. And I would say we took over about 95% of our clients that we wanted to bring over and today we’re at about 230 clients, I think we have some onboarding right now, we have just over a billion of assets. So, we launched with the 85 clients and around 350, 385 million, now we’re over a billion. Jason Diamond: Good for you. Michael Smith: Thank you. And I launched with four employees and we’re now at 11. And I would give a shout-out to one of my key employees because, when I launched, I actually hired somebody that had no experience with us and that was really a good thing because that allowed that person to really focus on operations and back office stuff while my business partner Emily and I were able to focus on bringing on the clients and alleviating any issues that they may have or thought. Jason Diamond: So, meaning you hired somebody basically immediately upon launch to help you with the transition and with this next chapter? Michael Smith: Correct. I hired them before but they started the day we launched. Jason Diamond: Brilliant, I love it. Oh, let’s definitely talk more about that because I think that’s a great strategy for … You’re right, you said it in a joking manner now because you’re seven years past but it’s a very real fear that advisors have and I think it’s worth talking more about. I want to mention too you have, obviously, built this business and grown this business dramatically. I don’t want to make this episode about the pandemic but you moved the business at a, certainly, a unique time. Did it impact your growth at all? Did you feel like you hit a brick wall? Just curious about your thoughts. Michael Smith: No, Jason, that’s a great observation. I would venture to say that the pandemic was actually a good thing for us. Jason Diamond: Interesting. Michael Smith: And I say that because, all of a sudden, you could hit pause because everyone was relearning how to do business, how do we do client reviews, how do we communicate with clients in a environment. So, I think the pandemic allowed us to just really reset our expectations visiting with clients because I used to fly a lot because I have clients in 38 different states so this has actually been, not just good for me, but good for the industry because I think it’s reset our expectations that we don’t have to be every day with a client facing. Jason Diamond: I agree with that largely and it’s true of our business too, by the way, it’s certainly reshaped the way people expect to be communicated with. I think Zoom has become much more mainstream, phone calls and we’ve heard from many other advisors who say something similar. I was just curious because you moved so close to or if there was an impact but I get, honestly, I think you’re right, it allowed you to have this nice natural inflection point and almost like flipping a switch of a clean slate. Michael Smith: It allowed us to learn the processes too. So, we launched in November 1st, by March we were in lockdown and so it gave us the opportunity to take several months of just learning the processes of how to be an RIA, it was pretty good. Jason Diamond: Absolutely. So, one of the things you mentioned in that was the way in which you serve clients and I’d read something funny and I think it was around the time of your move. You were talking about that, Merrill, you had a manager who spoke about that you would overserve your clients, you serve clients too much, tell me about that. Michael Smith: That was such an interesting topic because I got called down to the ops officer’s office and they’re like, “Ugh, Mike.” And it brought my admin down with me and they’re like, “Mike, these reports that you’re taking care of your clients too much,” and I’m like, “What do you mean?” “Well, you’re overservicing them.” Jason, I literally had to go back and Google the word overservicing because I was like, “How do you overservice the client? I’m not making their bed.” It was just so funny to me that I got counsel for overservicing clients when we’re in a client-facing job and I think that was part of the catalyst. Jason Diamond: Tell me more about what they meant, you think. Michael Smith: Hindsight, I think they … I like to take care of people which means I’m very intuitive towards taxes, I understand how the tax code works, I understand how everything impacts their bottom line. So, when we’re doing deferred comp enrollments or 401(k) enrollments or I’m a big believer in Roth 401(k)s and backdoor Roths and I’ve been doing them for years, I think what Mother Merrill wanted at that time was us not to do that. And, again, nothing against Merrill, I get it but this is how they wanted us to act and I wasn’t in that mold, I was taking care of clients to a much deeper depth is how I would say it. Jason Diamond: And I think that speaks to you outgrew the model not necessarily the firm. I think Merrill does a lot of things really well, you would agree with that, I think given that you built 85 clients and 350 million in assets is nothing to sneeze at. But the model that it seems like you value client service and an integrated client service experience of that and the wirehouse model oftentimes doesn’t put a premium on that. Tell me about your ethos or your thoughts around client service today and what being independent enables you to do. Michael Smith: So, that’s an interesting observation because one of my clients actually just mentioned to me that the reason we’re growing so much is because of our service model and the fact that we deliver a tremendous amount of value over just portfolio management. I said my managers is in portfolio management, I don’t do that any longer, I have a staff that handles that for me but it’s really the servicing of the clients because they don’t know what we know and I think servicing the client is the most important thing that we can do today. Jason Diamond: Give me some examples of what you mean by servicing the client in a more holistic way. I agree with you, by the way, portfolio management, table stakes, financial planning, table stakes, tell me more about what you mean. Michael Smith: By that I mean we do a quarterly review on tax. So, a lot of people don’t understand how taxes work and how estimated taxes work. So, estimated taxes are January 1st to March 31st, January 1st to May 31st, January 1st to August 31st, that’s how you do your estimated tax payments, you figure out what that is. And for compensated employees where they have RSUs that come in at different times of the year or different grants or exercise their options at a different time, that can affect their estimated tax liability and I’m not big on giving Uncle Sam any more money than they have to have until they need it. And then everyone doesn’t understand how the penalties and interest works on the IRS. And I’m big on the tax payments because that’s where we can add a lot of value for not a lot of time and we integrate it with our portfolio so we know what we’re doing with our gains. And I happen to reside in Washington State which has a long-term capital gains tax rate once you surpass about 270,000 of long-term capital gains. So, it’s super important for us to be aware of this and that’s how we service them. We also help them with their rebalancing of their 401(k)s, things that wirehouses cannot supposed to do, we are not supposed to be helping them with some of their aspects of life. Jason Diamond: Yup. That’s what I was alluding to earlier, it’s limitations on the model, not because they’re bad models, it’s just a different way, a different ethos around client service. You mentioned RSUs and corporate employees, I know that’s a niche you have is around concentrated stock positions and equity comp plans. I guess let me ask you two different questions around this. First of all, why that niche? Interested. And then, second of all, do you think

Could the market's hottest AI trades be creating the next generation of meme stocks? And if a sneaker company can reinvent itself as an AI firm, what exactly are investors buying today - earnings, or imagination? We explore why companies are rushing to attach themselves to the AI narrative and what that means for valuations. We examine a provocative debate around SpaceX, Samsung and SK Hynix as investors pile into AI-linked winners, blurring the line between fundamentals and market enthusiasm. Plus, JPMorgan's bullish call on a chip stock, Microsoft's expanding AI footprint in China, Apple's warning that the AI boom could push prices higher, and Singtel's latest data centre bet on Asia's AI future. As US markets weigh geopolitics, oil prices and interest rates, we ask: are investors witnessing the birth of durable AI champions - or the early signs of speculative excess? Hosted by Michelle Martin.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Celso Otero, gestor de fondos en Renta 4, analiza la reapertura de Ormuz y los protagonistas de la jornada en Wall Street: Apple, JPMorgan, Accenture, Kroger...

In this episode of Mission Matters, Adam Torres interviews Afsheen Afshar, Founder & Managing Partner of Pilot Wave Holdings, at the iConnections Global Alts New York conference. Afsheen discusses how Pilot Wave Holdings acquires and scales physical businesses by leveraging artificial intelligence to drive growth and operational improvements. Drawing from leadership roles at Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, and Cerberus Capital Management, he shares how his experience at the intersection of technology, investing, and business operations led him to launch Pilot Wave Holdings. Follow Adam on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/askadamtorres/ for up to date information on book releases and tour schedule. Apply to be a guest on our podcast: https://missionmatters.lpages.co/podcastguest/ Visit our website: https://missionmatters.com/ More FREE content from Mission Matters here: https://linktr.ee/missionmattersmedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Mission Matters, ⁠Adam Torres⁠ interviews ⁠Afsheen Afshar⁠, Founder & Managing Partner of Pilot Wave Holdings, at the iConnections Global Alts New York conference. Afsheen discusses how Pilot Wave Holdings acquires and scales physical businesses by leveraging artificial intelligence to drive growth and operational improvements. Drawing from leadership roles at Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, and Cerberus Capital Management, he shares how his experience at the intersection of technology, investing, and business operations led him to launch Pilot Wave Holdings. Follow Adam on Instagram at ⁠https://www.instagram.com/askadamtorres/⁠ for up to date information on book releases and tour schedule. Apply to be a guest on our podcast: ⁠https://missionmatters.lpages.co/podcastguest/⁠ Visit our website: ⁠https://missionmatters.com/⁠ More FREE content from Mission Matters here: ⁠https://linktr.ee/missionmattersmedia⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jamie Dimon was pulled directly into the U.S. Virgin Islands' lawsuit against JPMorgan because he had served as the bank's chief executive during most of the period when Jeffrey Epstein remained a valued client despite his 2008 conviction and repeated internal warnings about his conduct and financial activity. The Virgin Islands alleged that JPMorgan knowingly benefited from Epstein's business, ignored red flags and continued supplying the banking infrastructure that helped sustain his trafficking operation. As the bank's most powerful executive, Dimon was ordered to sit for a deposition about what he knew, when senior management learned of the concerns surrounding Epstein and why the relationship was not terminated until 2013.During his deposition, Dimon said he had never met or spoken with Epstein and did not remember being informed about him while Epstein was a customer. That testimony became a major point of contention because evidence showed that other senior JPMorgan figures—including Jes Staley and Mary Erdoes—were involved in discussions concerning Epstein, while compliance personnel had repeatedly raised concerns. The Virgin Islands unsuccessfully sought to question Dimon a second time after obtaining additional evidence, but his testimony still placed his leadership under intense scrutiny and raised questions about how such a controversial client could remain at the bank without the chief executive knowing. JPMorgan ultimately paid $75 million to settle the Virgin Islands' claims without admitting liability, in addition to a separate $290 million settlement with Epstein's victims.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-moscow-murders-and-more--5852883/support.

Send us Fan MailWhy are so many students disengaged in school? Why are employees doing the bare minimum at work? Why do organizations struggle to build initiative, innovation, and genuine commitment?In this episode of Thinking 2 Think, Executive Director, leadership advisor, and former NYPD officer M.A. Aponte explores what he calls The Compliance Trap—the hidden system that rewards obedience, discourages intellectual risk-taking, and produces disengaged students, quiet quitting employees, and stagnant workplace cultures.Drawing from research on intrinsic motivation, employee engagement, psychological safety, organizational culture, and modern education systems, this episode examines how schools and workplaces often reward compliance instead of critical thinking, initiative, creativity, and ownership.You'll learn:✅ Why rewards can undermine intrinsic motivation✅ The unintended consequences of PBIS and behavior-based systems✅ The real causes behind quiet quitting and workplace disengagement✅ How compliance culture affects schools, businesses, and families✅ The connection between student behavior and employee behavior✅ Why psychological safety is essential for innovation and performance✅ How CEOs, managers, principals, teachers, and parents can build cultures that encourage thinking instead of obedience✅ Practical strategies for developing proactive students and engaged employeesWhether you're a parent, teacher, school administrator, CEO, entrepreneur, manager, or simply someone interested in leadership, psychology, education, and organizational culture, this episode will challenge how you think about motivation, performance, and human development.Think Clearly. Lead Boldly. Stay Logical.Support the showAbout the host: M.A. Aponte is a former JPMorgan banker, former Merrill Lynch wealth manager, former NYPD officer, Army Officer, and Executive Director of a Charter School in Florida. He is the author of The Logical Mind and host of Thinking 2 Think. Join My Substack for more content: maaponte.substack.comConsulting/Advisory Services: MAAponte.comProfessional LinkedIn Page: www.linkedin.com/in/maaponteFinancial Budget/Wealth Management app (FREE): https://centsora.com/CHECK OUT OUR NEW CRITICAL THINKING GAME APP! Currently in BETA: Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.base692af669b00f0dc8d8ad6653.appWeb: https://play.google.com/apps/testing/com.base692af669b00f0dc8d8ad6653.app*Coming soon to Apple Store

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-opperman-report--1198501/support.

This week Matt connects two stories most of the press is filing as background noise. First, a brand-new Fed chair just took the oath, the old chair never actually left, and the smart money is already positioned for a move nobody at the podium will admit out loud. Then, our biggest foreign lenders are quietly walking away from the table after 40 years of bankrolling America — and that's the single biggest threat to the equity in your home right now. Matt walks through the playbook, the receipts from JP Morgan's private bank, and the regular-person version of the move the family offices and Ivy League endowments already made. Where Matt points listeners for help putting inflation on their side → inflationdefense.com  

Ten straight up weeks, then a sharp pullback — and if you're two to five years on either side of retirement, the fear is real. This is the Retirement Red Zone: the last mile into and out of your retirement date, and the most fragile window in your entire financial life.This week on Money On Tap, Ben Brayshaw and Dan Michelon turn last week's market-history conversation into a practical playbook for anyone near retirement: how to avoid the paralysis that wrecked so many retirements in 2008–2009, and what to actually do right now.What you'll learn:Why a 35-year-old and a 65-year-old should do the opposite thing in a pullbackThe accumulation-to-distribution switch most people don't know existsWhat history says: after 40 sharp selloffs since 1980, markets were higher 75% of the time a year laterSequence-of-returns risk — why the first five years decide everythingBuilding a 1–3 year retirement runway with ~4% cash and T-billsRebalancing a 60/40 that drifted to 75/25Diversifying away from a top-10 that's now 40% of the S&P (8 of them tech)Buffered ETFs — a 20% buffer with a 12–15% cap, explainedFoundational income, annuities, and the tax-aware withdrawal piece most firms skipPlus Money In The News:Consumer prices rose 4.2% annually in May — the highest in three years (CNBC, Jeff Cox)Elon Musk poised to become the first trillionaire — and just how much a trillion dollars really isA top JP Morgan strategist's four ways to prep your portfolio for “considerable danger” (David Kelly)Mentioned on air: Our short sequence-of-returns risk video — watch it at brayshawfinancial.com.Read the companion blog: brayshawfinancial.com/blogSchedule a free consultation: app.greminders.com/t/9f3ce72e/initialconsultaFull Money On Tap episode library: brayshawfinancial.com/money-on-tapContact UsPhone: 855-226-8551Email: info@yourmoneyontap.comOffice: 116 South River Road, Bedford, NH 03110Web: brayshawfinancial.comWhat is the retirement red zone, and why does it matter? The retirement red zone is the roughly ten-year window covering the five years before and the five years after your retirement date. It matters more than almost any other period because of sequence-of-returns risk: a major market downturn while you're beginning to withdraw income can permanently damage the plan, even if the market later recovers. Two people who invest identically but retire a few years apart can end up with opposite outcomes based solely on timing. Navigating the red zone means shifting from maximizing gains to mitigating losses — stress-testing the plan, building a cash runway, rebalancing, diversifying, and adding guardrails like buffered ETFs and guaranteed income.

People in Idaho are getting sick (unsurprisingly) from drinking raw milk, a grandfather in Thailand learned by adopting a monkey isn't always the best idea, and there's finally been an arrest in the Anna Kepner case. Target got called out for charging more for larger clothing sizes, the JPMorgan case is back in the news, and a Venezuelan immigrant took his wife to a Trump hotel, which ended up exactly how you thought it might! Phones are being blamed for people not having babies, an influencer went viral for all the wrong reasons, and we talk about what we're watching. We also discuss the FIFA World Cup and the Knicks championship run!

In this episode of BioTalk with Rich Bendis, Sara Dauber, Vice President, Startup Banking for J.P. Morgan's Innovation Economy team, joins the conversation to discuss how early-stage life science and healthcare companies can think more strategically about banking, financing readiness, and long-term growth.   Sara shares how her career moved from life science operating companies to NIH and now to J.P. Morgan, where she works with early-stage life science and healthcare ventures across the DMV and surrounding regions. Drawing on her experience inside startups, supporting SBIR-funded companies, and advising founders from the business side, Sara brings a practical perspective on what early-stage teams need as they begin raising institutional capital and building the systems behind a company.   The conversation explores how J.P. Morgan supports companies across the full lifecycle, from inception through IPO and beyond. Sara also discusses the importance of secure banking infrastructure, investor readiness, cap table management, startup-focused resources, and relationship-building in a market where founders are often asked to do more with limited time and capital.   Rich and Sara also revisit her time at NIH, her work with BHI Entrepreneurs-in-Residence, and the value of the BioHealth Capital Region ecosystem in helping entrepreneurs connect with the right advisors, funders, and partners.   Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.   Sara Dauber is Vice President, J.P. Morgan's Startup Banking team, where she works with early-stage life science and healthcare companies in the DMV and broader Mid Atlantic. Before joining J.P. Morgan, Sara spent more than 14 years in life science operating companies, often working with early-stage startups across finance, program management, corporate development, business development, and operations. She later worked with NINDS at NIH, supporting SBIR-funded companies with business support. Today, she brings that experience to her work with founders as they build, finance, and scale life science and healthcare companies.  

In pursuing civil enforcement under the Virgin Islands' Criminally Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (CICO), former U.S. Virgin Islands Attorney General Denise George didn't just target Jeffrey Epstein's estate and his immediate corporate structures — she cast a far wider net that reached into major financial institutions she believed enabled and obscured his criminal enterprise. After securing a blockbuster $105 million settlement with Epstein's estate and co-defendants for human trafficking, child exploitation, fraud, and corrupt use of tax incentives, her office issued subpoenas to multiple banks, including JPMorgan Chase, Deutsche Bank, and Citibank, seeking detailed account records, wire transfers, and communications related to Epstein's myriad corporations, trusts, and financial vehicles. These subpoenas were intended to trace how funds moved through Epstein's networks and whether banks knowingly facilitated or failed to flag suspicious activity tied to his sex-trafficking scheme.George then took the extraordinary step of filing a federal lawsuit against JPMorgan Chase, accusing the bank of “knowingly facilitati[ng], sustain[ing], and conceal[ing]” Epstein's human trafficking operations and alleging it financially benefitted from maintaining and managing his accounts over years. The complaint portrayed JPMorgan as indispensable to Epstein's ability to pay recruiters and victims, maintain secrecy, and profit from his criminal enterprise — claims that expanded the legal exposure beyond individuals directly implicated in abuse to the financial systems that kept Epstein's operation solvent. Although Deutsche Bank was not named as a defendant in George's suit, the broader investigative push signaled an effort to hold major financial players accountable for oversight failures or complicity in facilitating one of the most notorious trafficking networks in recent history.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-moscow-murders-and-more--5852883/support.

The Epstein files were never sitting in one neat box waiting to be opened. They were scattered across years of court cases, law-enforcement investigations, civil lawsuits, sealed filings, grand jury materials, prison records, congressional productions, and federal agency archives. Some of the most important records came through the courts: the Palm Beach criminal case, the federal non-prosecution agreement litigation, Virginia Giuffre's civil case against Ghislaine Maxwell, survivor lawsuits against Epstein's estate, litigation against banks like JPMorgan and Deutsche Bank, and other dockets where depositions, exhibits, emails, flight logs, address books, settlement records, and sworn testimony surfaced piece by piece. That is why the public record grew in fragments: one batch from a lawsuit, another from a judge unsealing documents, another from discovery, another from congressional subpoenas, and another from media fights over access.The FBI and DOJ held another major universe of Epstein material: interview reports, search-warrant returns, victim statements, photographs, videos, seized electronics, financial records, investigative notes, jail records, and internal communications connected to both the original Florida investigation and the later SDNY case. Congress then became another repository as the House Oversight Committee sought unredacted files, transcripts, agency productions, and testimony from people connected to Epstein's staff, legal team, financial network, and incarceration. So when people say “the Epstein files,” they are really talking about a sprawling archive spread across courts, the FBI, the DOJ, the Bureau of Prisons, congressional investigators, civil litigants, banks, estates, and private parties. That scattered structure matters because it makes full accountability harder: no single release tells the whole story, no single agency controls everything, and every redaction, sealed docket, privilege claim, or missing exhibit leaves another gap in a record that was already deliberately fragmented.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.com

Jamie Dimon was pulled directly into the U.S. Virgin Islands' lawsuit against JPMorgan because he had served as the bank's chief executive during most of the period when Jeffrey Epstein remained a valued client despite his 2008 conviction and repeated internal warnings about his conduct and financial activity. The Virgin Islands alleged that JPMorgan knowingly benefited from Epstein's business, ignored red flags and continued supplying the banking infrastructure that helped sustain his trafficking operation. As the bank's most powerful executive, Dimon was ordered to sit for a deposition about what he knew, when senior management learned of the concerns surrounding Epstein and why the relationship was not terminated until 2013.During his deposition, Dimon said he had never met or spoken with Epstein and did not remember being informed about him while Epstein was a customer. That testimony became a major point of contention because evidence showed that other senior JPMorgan figures—including Jes Staley and Mary Erdoes—were involved in discussions concerning Epstein, while compliance personnel had repeatedly raised concerns. The Virgin Islands unsuccessfully sought to question Dimon a second time after obtaining additional evidence, but his testimony still placed his leadership under intense scrutiny and raised questions about how such a controversial client could remain at the bank without the chief executive knowing. JPMorgan ultimately paid $75 million to settle the Virgin Islands' claims without admitting liability, in addition to a separate $290 million settlement with Epstein's victims.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

The great lie of the Epstein scandal isn't just what he did, but how the powerful around him suddenly claimed they couldn't remember him at all. Presidents, princes, billionaires, academics, bankers, and celebrities who once courted his money and shared his jets all reached for the same script when the walls closed in: I barely knew him. It was a coordinated act of survival, not an accident. Institutions like Harvard, MIT, Deutsche Bank, and JP Morgan played the same game, pretending they never saw the red flags. Legacy media, instead of hammering the contradictions, often published these denials straight, allowing amnesia to masquerade as truth. Forgetting became strategy, and strategy became cover.But memory leaves evidence. Flight logs, photographs, donations, and testimonies remain, and every denial only underscores the complicity of those who looked away. The survivors don't get to forget; they live with scars while the powerful rewrite history. What the amnesia act reveals is cowardice: a willingness to erase reality to protect reputation. Epstein built his empire on memory, yet his circle tried to survive through erasure. In the end, their denials brand them more deeply than their associations ever could—because the attempt to forget is itself proof they remembered perfectly well.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.com

In this episode of The OPEX Effect, Jack Forehand and Brent Kochuba break down the market structure impact of the SpaceX IPO, options expiration, dealer gamma, volatility, and the next major setup for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq. They discuss why SpaceX may trade more on flows than fundamentals, how call buying could create a gamma squeeze, and why June OPEX, VIX expiration, FOMC, oil, Iran headlines, and index inclusion could all collide at once.Subscribe to the OPEX Effect on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to the OPEX Effect on Apple PodcastsTopics covered:Why SpaceX is a flows game at the start of tradingHow the SpaceX IPO could affect liquidity across mega cap tech stocksWhy fundamentals may not matter when index flows and forced buying dominateThe role of Nasdaq, Russell, and S&P 500 index decisions in SpaceX tradingHow options could create a gamma squeeze in SpaceXWhy dealer hedging flows can push stocks higher or lowerWhat June options expiration could mean for the S&P 500Why VIX expiration and FOMC create a key market windowHow Core1M signaled the recent volatility spasmWhy expensive calls, not put buying, drove the recent market stressThe key S&P 500 levels Brent is watching into OPEXHow oil, rates, inflation, and Fed policy could affect market volatilityWhy Nasdaq options pricing is diverging from the S&P 500How SpaceX index inclusion could widen the gap between Nasdaq and the S&PWhat would make Brent add protection or look for another short-term market correctionTimestamps:00:00 Opening clips and the SpaceX flow setup05:27 Elon Musk net worth after the SpaceX IPO07:13 SpaceX, liquidity, Mag Seven selling, and index demand12:48 Why SpaceX may trade on flows before fundamentals17:59 What options trading could change for SpaceX22:05 How call buying can create a gamma squeeze28:24 Why June OPEX matters more than a normal expiration33:55 VIX expiration, FOMC, and market path dependency37:20 The Core1M signal and the recent volatility spasm41:22 The S&P 500 gamma map and key risk levels46:25 Why expensive calls drove the market stress50:14 Oil, rates, inflation, and the Fed setup57:03 The JPMorgan collar and the 6900 to 7000 support zone58:32 Nasdaq versus S&P 500 after the SpaceX IPO01:03:14 Brent's summary, SpaceX gamma squeeze risk, and the next market setup

Today's Headlines: SpaceX went public today raising $75 billion at a $1.77 trillion valuation, making Elon Musk humanity's first trillionaire. Moving on, Trump spent Thursday morning threatening to seize Iran's main oil hub Kharg Island, then hours later cancelled strikes because Iran "approved a draft agreement" to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and begin 60 days of nuclear negotiations — except Iran's own state media reported no agreement had been approved and that "the Americans kept changing their positions," though the stock market had its best day in two months anyway because the concept of a deal is apparently enough for Wall Street. In voter suppression news, the USPS quietly changed its rules to require states to hand over voter lists for anyone requesting mail-in ballots, with 23 states suing to stop it and the first judge already declining to block it, because of course they did. Trump dropped Bill Pulte as acting DNI after even Republicans said no, replacing him with Jay Clayton — Manhattan US Attorney, former SEC chair, and someone with no intelligence experience but a strong track record of loyalty to Trump. The DOJ is subpoenaing JP Morgan, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo to investigate alleged "debanking" of conservatives, with the primary evidence being that Trump lost his bank accounts after January 6th, and a DOJ staffer working on Traitor Fund legislation quietly asked to recuse himself because he was planning to file a claim from the same fund he's helping write. In Trump shenanigans news, his birthday UFC cage fight is set up on the White House lawn — with rain in the forecast — and workers will operate 20 hours a day year-round to build his gold arch in DC by the end of his term. And finally, Vance Boelter, the Minnesota man who posed as a police officer and murdered the Democratic speaker of Minnesota's state house, her husband, and their dog, pleaded guilty and received two consecutive life sentences plus 40 years. Resources/Articles mentioned: WSJ: SpaceX Officially Raises $75 Billion in Record-Breaking IPO Axios: Why Kharg Island is central to Trump's escalating Iran threats Axios:Trump cancels Iran strikes as mediators claim deal close AP News: US stocks jump, and oil prices ease on hopes for a deal to get crude flowing globally again CNN: Postal Service won't deliver mail ballots for states that don't hand over voter lists, under plan for Trump directive  Axios: Trump picks Jay Clayton for Director of National Intelligence Lever News: The Epstein Prosecutor With A Portfolio Problem WSJ: Jeanine Pirro's Prosecutors Probe Big Banks for Alleged ‘Debanking' Politico: Top DOJ official planned to make a claim with Trump's ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund' AP News: Man pleads guilty to killing a top Minnesota Democrat and her husband while posing as an officer AP News: Lights! Camera! Cage match! The White House lawn's Octagon is ready for Trump's 80th birthday bash AP News: Administration plans intensive, year-round construction schedule for Trump's triumphal arch Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The great lie of the Epstein scandal isn't just what he did, but how the powerful around him suddenly claimed they couldn't remember him at all. Presidents, princes, billionaires, academics, bankers, and celebrities who once courted his money and shared his jets all reached for the same script when the walls closed in: I barely knew him. It was a coordinated act of survival, not an accident. Institutions like Harvard, MIT, Deutsche Bank, and JP Morgan played the same game, pretending they never saw the red flags. Legacy media, instead of hammering the contradictions, often published these denials straight, allowing amnesia to masquerade as truth. Forgetting became strategy, and strategy became cover.But memory leaves evidence. Flight logs, photographs, donations, and testimonies remain, and every denial only underscores the complicity of those who looked away. The survivors don't get to forget; they live with scars while the powerful rewrite history. What the amnesia act reveals is cowardice: a willingness to erase reality to protect reputation. Epstein built his empire on memory, yet his circle tried to survive through erasure. In the end, their denials brand them more deeply than their associations ever could—because the attempt to forget is itself proof they remembered perfectly well.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.com

The Epstein files were never sitting in one neat box waiting to be opened. They were scattered across years of court cases, law-enforcement investigations, civil lawsuits, sealed filings, grand jury materials, prison records, congressional productions, and federal agency archives. Some of the most important records came through the courts: the Palm Beach criminal case, the federal non-prosecution agreement litigation, Virginia Giuffre's civil case against Ghislaine Maxwell, survivor lawsuits against Epstein's estate, litigation against banks like JPMorgan and Deutsche Bank, and other dockets where depositions, exhibits, emails, flight logs, address books, settlement records, and sworn testimony surfaced piece by piece. That is why the public record grew in fragments: one batch from a lawsuit, another from a judge unsealing documents, another from discovery, another from congressional subpoenas, and another from media fights over access.The FBI and DOJ held another major universe of Epstein material: interview reports, search-warrant returns, victim statements, photographs, videos, seized electronics, financial records, investigative notes, jail records, and internal communications connected to both the original Florida investigation and the later SDNY case. Congress then became another repository as the House Oversight Committee sought unredacted files, transcripts, agency productions, and testimony from people connected to Epstein's staff, legal team, financial network, and incarceration. So when people say “the Epstein files,” they are really talking about a sprawling archive spread across courts, the FBI, the DOJ, the Bureau of Prisons, congressional investigators, civil litigants, banks, estates, and private parties. That scattered structure matters because it makes full accountability harder: no single release tells the whole story, no single agency controls everything, and every redaction, sealed docket, privilege claim, or missing exhibit leaves another gap in a record that was already deliberately fragmented.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse criticized JPMorgan Chief Jamie Dimon over his comments on the CLARITY Act. Meanwhile, banks are saying the quiet part out loud. ~This episode is sponsored by Uphold~ Uphold Exa Credit Card ➜ https://bit.ly/UpholdExa 00:00 intro 00:08 Sponsor: Uphold 01:00 CLARITY Odds 01:29 Brad Garlinghouse vs Jamie Dimon 02:07 Negligent or Liar? 02:20 Ripple vs Congress 02:46 Brad: Revenue & Stablecoin Growth 03:26 RLUSD Growth 03:55 Ripple x Bitso 04:23 RLUSD Mutlichain 04:42 JP Morgan admits there's no JPM Coin demand 05:44 Ripple on RLUSD Demand Unlock 06:20 More trust for RLUSD 06:29 Bank lies exposed 07:16 PNC Bank CEO not worried about deposit flight via Yields 08:25 Banks laugh at bullshit argument 09:05 Banks are slow with A.I. too 09:30 Ripple Launches A.I. Starter Kit 10:23 Mastercard a nothing burger? 10:57 Brad on future acquisitions 11:24 Ripple moving faster than banks 11:47 outro #Crypto #XRP #xrpnews  ~Banks Admit To Lying!?

The AI memory trade continues to surge with optimism from analysts. Diane King Hall explains why JP Morgan raised price targets for Seagate (STX) and Western Digital (WDC) even after both stocks saw strong rallies over the last year. Wells Fargo also upped its price target for Qualcomm (QCOM). In the housing market, Diane notes an earnings loser in Lennar (LEN) after it missed on revenue and deliveries. ======== Schwab Network ========Empowering every investor and trader, every market day.Subscribe to the Market Minute newsletter - https://schwabnetwork.com/subscribeDownload the iOS app - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/schwab-network/id1460719185Download the Amazon Fire Tv App - https://www.amazon.com/TD-Ameritrade-Network/dp/B07KRD76C7Watch on Sling - https://watch.sling.com/1/asset/191928615bd8d47686f94682aefaa007/watchWatch on Vizio - https://www.vizio.com/en/watchfreeplus-exploreWatch on DistroTV - https://www.distro.tv/live/schwab-network/Follow us on X – https://twitter.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/schwab-network/About Schwab Network - https://schwabnetwork.com/about

Brad Spies runs Consensus, the 11-year-old big-tent crypto conference operated by CoinDesk. On day three of Consensus Miami 2026 he sits down with David Sencil to walk through what's actually different this year: 15,000 attendees, JP Morgan, Fidelity, Schwab, DTCC and Swift on the sponsor list, and 1,200 "normie businesses" reached out to about stablecoin onboarding.He's also candid about the Gensler-era detour to Toronto, the 2022 Austin apex (Method Man, Red Man, Disclosure, Celsius the day after), and his own crypto origin story: he bought his first Bitcoin in 2013 and sold it almost immediately. "I kick myself to this day."We cover:- Why JP Morgan, Fidelity, and Swift all bought booths this year- The institutional pipeline built behind closed doors over four years- Stablecoin workshops, normie-business onboarding, and the hackathon stack- Where Consensus goes after Miami 2027 and New York- Why "most every bank account will come with a wallet address"Filmed at Consensus 2026 in Miami.Host: David Sencil

Jon Herold comes in Thursday on a slow news day that gets spectacularly un-slow mid-show. Trump posts a detailed plan to bomb Iran and take Kharg Island, Jon raises a Sun Tzu objection, and then within the hour Trump posts again canceling everything because a peace deal has been approved by every party in the region. Chris Paul had predicted the reversal in the Badlands private Telegram chat before it happened, and Jon finds that deeply satisfying. Jon also spends significant time on the New York Times Epstein book video and arrives at the opposite conclusion the Times intends: the entire narrative confirms the Epstein story was a coordinated op against Trump, not evidence of a coverup. MTG going on CNN to call Trump a traitor over the files does not help his read on her. Federal prosecutors issued subpoenas to JPMorgan, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo in a criminal political debanking investigation, and Jon says expand it immediately to PayPal, YouTube, Instagram, and every platform that kicked people off for political speech. The USPS just proposed new ballot tracking standards tied directly to Trump's election integrity order, and Jon connects it to the USPS blockchain voting patent that has been sitting quietly for years. Senate Democrats are apparently wargaming how to stop Trump from stealing the midterms, and Jon calls it the most telling projection he has seen in months.

Two JP Morgan employees have been at the centre of a salacious lawsuit, in which one – Chirayu Rana has claimed to be the victim of sexual harassment by his senior Lorna Hadjini. The story has exploded online and taken many twists and turns, including Lorna Hadjini filing a countersuit claim of defamation. Freddy Gray is joined by Alex Saeedy, reporter at The Wall Street Journal who has covered the story. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts.Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bitcoin just posted its worst week since the FTX collapse — a 16% slide below $60,000, the steepest drop since Sam Bankman-Fried's exchange imploded in November 2022 — and analysts are warning the modest bounce to ~$61,300 may be short-lived. What makes this scarier than the FTX-era crash: there's no single catastrophic catalyst. Analysts are calling it a "silent bear market" because Bitcoin just broke below its 200-week moving average for the first time in this cycle, rate-cut bets have flipped to rate-HIKE bets thanks to strong U.S. jobs data, gold/silver/BTC are all falling together as the safe-haven thesis breaks, and Friday's $75 billion SpaceX IPO is poised to drain another $22.5B of retail capital directly out of crypto. Add Anthropic launching its zero-day-finding Mythos AI today (the same tech that found the four-year-old Zcash bug), Warsh planning to kill the Fed dot-plot, JPMorgan deploying long-running autonomous AI agents, and today's U.S. CPI print landing into the chaos — and this may be the cleanest structural bear market we've seen all cycle. We break down whether the FTX comparison actually holds, what a 200-week MA break historically means for Bitcoin, and which catalysts could stop the bleeding before $50K comes into play. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#721: The US economy showed robust job growth in May, adding 172,000 new jobs, exceeding expectations. This suggests a broadening of economic recovery beyond essential services. Treasury yields have climbed significantly, reflecting investor concerns about inflation. Inflation remains a significant concern, driven largely by surging energy costs. And there's good news emerging in prescription drug prices. We're going to discuss all of this and more in the June 2026 First Friday episode. Timestamps: Note: Timestamps will vary on individual listening devices based on dynamic advertising segments. The provided timestamps are approximate and may be several minutes off due to changing ad lengths. (0:00) May jobs surge (04:31) Fed rate hike outlook (06:08) Bond yields and stocks (11:57) Home prices keep falling (16:15) Austin housing correction (17:18) Inflation and energy costs (21:21) Gas prices hit budgets (23:05) Consumer sentiment weakens (28:11) JPMorgan market outlook (29:14) Mag Seven loses dominance (33:04) Prescription drug prices drop (39:24) SpaceX IPO plans and demand Resources: JP Morgan article: https://am.jpmorgan.com/us/en/asset-management/adv/insights/market-insights/guide-to-the-markets Free download: Asset Location Made Simple https://affordanything.com/assetlocation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices