The Higher Standard

Inflation is back at 4.2%, the Fed is suddenly looking less “patient” and more “are we doing this again?," mortgage rates are flirting with the wrong side of uncomfortable, and the bond market is basically standing in the corner whispering, “I told you so.” In this episode, Chris, Saied and Rajeil break down the latest CPI print, why 7% mortgage rates may not be off the table, how today’s inflation setup is starting to rhyme a little too hard with the 1970s, and why the market is still partying like AI, SpaceX, and IPO hype can solve every macro problem. Spoiler: they cannot. Also, somehow, we get from Fed policy to stolen oil tankers, WWE nostalgia, ear holes, and anonymous bags of dicks. Welcome back to The Higher Standard.💥 Have you left your "honest ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️" review?This episode is proudly brought to you by Fridays. Because real wealth starts with your health. If you want to feel sharper, stronger, and more in control, visit joinfridays.com and use code HIGHER for an exclusive discount.📩 NEWSLETTER: https://tr.ee/O6FWkv👕 THS MERCH: http://www.thspod.com🔗 Resources:No reference material this week. We are slackers.... sorry, not sorry.⚠️ Disclaimer: Please note that the content shared on this show is solely for entertainment purposes and should not be considered legal or investment advice or attributed to any company. The views and opinions expressed are personal and not reflective of any entity. We do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, and listeners are urged to seek professional advice before making any legal or financial decisions. By listening to The Higher Standard podcast you agree to these terms, and the show, its hosts and employees are not liable for any consequences arising from your use of the content.

This episode is a full-on “the headline is the least important part” takedown. We break down how the U.S. manufacturing side of the jobs data is quietly screaming recession (32 straight months of declines… yeah, that’s a thing), while the media does victory laps on top-line numbers like we’re not all watching the revisions come in later with a chair and popcorn. Then we get into the weirdest plot twist of the labor market: retirees are re-entering and grabbing new roles at rising rates, while under-25 workers are fading from the “new job” pipeline—because apparently the American Dream is now a part-time shift… after you already retired. Add in the usual THS spice: AI hype, crypto whiplash, and the “sensational headlines vs. reality” problem that keeps everyone emotional and nobody informed.💥 Have you left your "honest ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️" review?This episode is proudly brought to you by Fridays. Because real wealth starts with your health. If you want to feel sharper, stronger, and more in control, visit joinfridays.com and use code HIGHER for an exclusive discount.📩 NEWSLETTER: https://tr.ee/O6FWkv👕 THS MERCH: http://www.thspod.com🔗 Resources:Retirees are increasingly re-entering the labor market (Hedeye via X)NEW: Job growth SURGED in January, adding 130,000 total non-farm jobs and 172,000 private sector jobs (Rapid Response 47 via X)I wouldn’t exhale with today’s job numbers (Mark Zandi via X)Historic Negative Jobs Revisions: 1 Million Fewer Jobs Added In 2025 (Zero Hedge via X)2025 Worst Year for U.S. Hiring Since 2003 (Walter Bloomberg via X)U.S. home prices will be flat in 2026 (Lance Lamber via X)⚠️ Disclaimer: Please note that the content shared on this show is solely for entertainment purposes and should not be considered legal or investment advice or attributed to any company. The views and opinions expressed are personal and not reflective of any entity. We do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, and listeners are urged to seek professional advice before making any legal or financial decisions. By listening to The Higher Standard podcast you agree to these terms, and the show, its hosts and employees are not liable for any consequences arising from your use of the content.

Episode 320 is a reminder that inflation isn’t a mystery and it definitely isn’t caused by your paycheck going up. This one cuts straight through the noise: tariffs aren’t “tough policy,” they’re a hidden tax, war risk isn’t some abstract headline, it’s an inflation accelerant, and the Fed is stuck trying to clean up a fiscal mess it didn’t create. While markets pretend everything is fine, corporate margins sit at historic highs, consumers keep spending, homeowners are insulated, and the cost quietly gets passed down the line. Wages get blamed, voters get distracted, and the money printer stays off-camera. Calm on the surface, pressure underneath... and a tariff time bomb sitting right in the middle of it all.💥 Have you left your "honest ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️" review?This episode is proudly brought to you by Fridays. Because real wealth starts with your health. If you want to feel sharper, stronger, and more in control, visit joinfridays.com and use code HIGHER for an exclusive discount.📩 NEWSLETTER: https://tr.ee/O6FWkv👕 THS MERCH: http://www.thspod.com🔗 Resources:American consumers are bearing 96% of tariff costs, study finds (Morning Brew via Instagram)Tariffs have raised $200,000,000,000 in revenue for the U.S., but… (Yahoo! Finance via Instagram)Consumer sentiment up 2.5 points from December, but… (Yahoo! Finance via Instagram)Elon Musk made his first appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos (Yahoo! Finance via Instagram)Citi’s CEO Jane Fraser warns staff in memo… (Business Insider via Instagram)Starbucks jumps after U.S. sales rise for the first time in 2 years… (Yahoo! Finance via Instagram)Rent concessions are on the rise in American Sunbelt cities… (Wall Street Journal via Instagram)The ‘Inverse Cramer’ fund launched 3 years ago… (Join Autopilot via Instagram)Studios’ share of the domestic box office in 2025 (CNBC via Instagram)⚠️ Disclaimer: Please note that the content shared on this show is solely for entertainment purposes and should not be considered legal or investment advice or attributed to any company. The views and opinions expressed are personal and not reflective of any entity. We do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, and listeners are urged to seek professional advice before making any legal or financial decisions. By listening to The Higher Standard podcast you agree to these terms, and the show, its hosts and employees are not liable for any consequences arising from your use of the content.

Markets are doing that thing where everything looks fine until you zoom out and realize risk is quietly pooling in all the wrong places. In this episode of The Higher Standard, we break down why green screens don’t mean healthy markets, how capital is hiding in mega-cap tech, and what our new U.S. Markets Risk Profile and Synthetic Volatility Index reveal about fragility beneath the surface. We unpack the Trump–Fed showdown, why central bank independence actually matters, and how Jamie Dimon’s warning fits into a growing confidence problem. Then we hit housing, where sales are up, prices are easing, rates are moving — and affordability is still broken — before closing on rising consumer stress. This isn’t a market in free fall; it’s a market quietly mispriced on risk.💥 Have you left your "honest ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️" review?This episode is proudly brought to you by Fridays. Because real wealth starts with your health. If you want to feel sharper, stronger, and more in control, visit joinfridays.com and use code HIGHER for an exclusive discount.📩 NEWSLETTER: https://tr.ee/O6FWkv👕 THS MERCH: http://www.thspod.com🔗 Resources:A major development in Trump’s Fed feud is set to happen next week in the Supreme Court (CNBC)Jamie Dimon warns Federal Reserve subpoena 'not a good idea' (Fox Business)Trump Says Dimon ‘Wrong’ to Criticize DOJ Probe of Fed’s Powell (Bloomberg Law)Median Sales Price of Houses Sold for the United States (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis)⚠️ Disclaimer: Please note that the content shared on this show is solely for entertainment purposes and should not be considered legal or investment advice or attributed to any company. The views and opinions expressed are personal and not reflective of any entity. We do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, and listeners are urged to seek professional advice before making any legal or financial decisions. By listening to The Higher Standard podcast you agree to these terms, and the show, its hosts and employees are not liable for any consequences arising from your use of the content.