Grow Money Business with Grant Bledsoe

This week on the podcast Grant and Sean discuss the SpaceX IPO, the recent supreme court ruling that President Trump cannot fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook for cause, the impacts on incoming Chairman Warsh, and Microstrategy's current bitcoin position.  We also review and article about rising margin debt from the Wall Street Journal, and interesting moves in the dollar, oil, and gold. RESOURCES: The T...

In this episode of Grow Money Business Grant and Sean the upcoming SpaceX and OpenAI IPOs and whether the stock indexes should include them on day one of trading.  They also cover whether they'll be opening Trump accounts for their kids, and whether stocks are still compelling given that the earnings yield is creeping lower.  Resources: The Risk Premium for Holding Stocks Over Bonds Is Vanishing w...

In this episode of Grow Money Business Grant and Sean discuss the disconnect between the feeling like everything is going up in price even though market values are climbing too.  They also review the gold/oil trade, their thoughts on prediction markets, and an article about index funds are handling the upcoming SpaceX and OpenAI IPOs.   RESOURCES: Stock Indexes Are Contorting Themselves to Include...

Grant and Sean review a number of topics in today's episode of Grow Money Business, including whether you should file early for Social Security given that the trust is projected to be depleted sometime in 2033.  They also review the lifetime exclusion amount for estate taxes, what they think the price of oil will be in 12 months, and how the geopolitical climate will impact portfolios.    Resource...

Sean Barter rejoins the show in this episode of Grow Money Business for another spirited debate on the capital markets.  Sean and Grant take turns arguing whether bitcoin will end the year above or below $85,000, whether we'll see a 15% correction in the S&P 500 this year, whether the Fed will cut rates twice this year, and whether the easy money has already been made in the AI trade.  We also rev...

Grant's colleague Sean Barter joins the show this week to discuss the markets.  They flip a coin to argue for & against whether the Mag 7 stocks finish higher or lower on the year, whether mortgage rates are going up or down, whether you should hold gold in your portfolio, and whether we're entering a stock picker's market.  We also cover the month in the markets and an article from Morningstar ab...

In this episode of Grow Money Business we review what happened in the markets in 2025, focusing on gold, U.S. and non-U.S. stocks, and what to expect going forward   RESOURCES: Understanding Gold – Hedge, Diversifier, or Overpriced Insurance? quantpedia.com/understanding-gold-hedge-diversifier-or-overpriced-insurance/?a=6080  

In this episode of Grow Money Business we take stock of the potential AI bubble, the recent Nvidia earnings call, and the November rout in cryptocurrencies.   RESOURCES: Boom, bubble, bust, boom. Why should AI be different? crazystupidtech.com/2025/11/21/boom-bubble-bust-boom-why-should-ai-be-different/  

In this episode of Grow Money Business we review the government shutdown and what's holding up an agreement, how that impacts the financial markets, what's happening with gold, and a different perspective on the AI spending race.   RESOURCES:   The Hilarious World of Estate Planning words.paulollinger.com/p/the-hilarious-world-of-estate-planning

In this episode of Grow Money Business we cover the current state of the market and whether we're in a bubble or not.  We also respond to a listener question about whether they should add gold or bitcoin to their portfolio, and review an article on why mortgage rates haven't moved much even though the Federal Reserve recently reduced short term interest rates.   RESOURCES: Borrowing costs are fall...

In this episode of Grow Money Business we dive into the independence of the federal reserve, including the recent allegations of mortgage fraud by one of the fed's governors and some of the history of the central bank going back to the early 1900s.  We also cover whether active management in bonds makes sense, and everything that's happened in the markets over the last month.   Resources: Why the...

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act has been passed into law, and we dive into it's details in this episode of Grow Money Business.  We cover the changes to tax laws that you should know about, including planning opportunities around charitable giving, solar panels & EVs, Social Security, and the child tax credit.  We also cover an article about the most important financial metric that even millionaire...

This episode of Grow Money Business covers everything you need to know about Social Security: from how to get through to your local office & the expected wait times for their 1-800 number to how long we'll be able to pay retiree benefits.  The background here is that the trustees of Social Security are required to publish a report on the funding of the program annually.  The 2025 report was publis...

In this episode of Grow Money Business we review what the markets have done as news of trade negotiations has trickled out over the last few weeks.  We review whether tariff policy leads to inflation to consumers, Moody's recent downgrade of US debt, and what to look for in the coming weeks as we approach the 90-day tariff pause deadline. RESOURCES: Moody's Ratings downgrades United States ratings...

This episode of Grow Money Business covers tariffs, Trump's recent economic policy, the market's reaction, and how we should interpret all this as investors.  We cover an article commenting on a recent wonky U.S. government bond auction and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's comments, and put the rapid pace of the news cycle in perspective. RESOURCES: US Treasury secretary: no risk of China weapon...

While college savings accounts like 529s provide some nice tax benefits, there are strings attached (including the dreaded 10% penalty for non-education related withdrawals).   In this episode of Grow Money Business we dive into how much parents should really be saving for their kids' college education amid a changing landscape for education and student loans.   We also cover an interesting month...

We've seen a massive amount of change in the federal government in the last month since Trump was inaugurated for his second term.   The threat of tariffs and inflation, DOGE's dismantling of legacy government programs, and discussion of annexing Canada and Greenland has many people concerned.   This episode we cover the gamut from a financial perspective, including how investors should interpret...

It's been an interesting few weeks in the markets since President Trump's inauguration.   A Chinese company produced an AI chatbot that performs as well as U.S. competitors at a fraction of the cost.   Nvidia's stock lost 17% the following day after the company published its work, confirming the threat to Nvidia's business model.   We cover an article highlighting what this all means, review the o...

Should you be concerned that the market's just made several all time highs?   This question comes up in various forms any time stock markets set new records.   As tempting as it is to assume that what goes up must come down, the market doesn't think that way.   We cover this concept in detail in today's episode, along with Vanguard's recent 2025 market forecast and an update on how markets have do...

A lot has happened in the markets over the last few weeks. In this episode we cover what's new in the stock, bond, and crypto markets since the election, and to should expect from the Trump administration with regard to economic and tax policy. Resources: Small-cap stocks on verge of ending 3 years of futility with record run — if it holds marketwatch.com/story/small-cap-stocks-on-verge-of-ending-...

This week on the show we field a listener question about whether their concern about government spending should be reflected in their investment portfolio.  We also review an article about market efficiency / inefficiency, and provide an update on mortgage and long term bond rates. RESOURCES: Mob Rule humbledollar.com/2024/10/mob-rule/   Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order: Why Na...

Most Americans have at least some of their retirement savings sitting in workplace retirement plans like 401ks, 403bs, SEP-IRAs and the like.  And when you leave a job, due to a retirement transition or not, many people wonder what they should do with the savings they've accumulated in the plans.  We've noticed that the more people tend to have in their retirement plans, the more reluctant they ar...

Downsizing from your large, long-held family home is a popular concept for retirees, but may not always be the best choice.  Even though smaller homes are less costly & easier to maintain, giving up your family's major meeting venue may not be the best choice.  This week we respond to a listener question on whether downsizing might be right for them, and cover Nvidia's recent earnings call and an...

Mailbag Question: "I'd like to give more money to a couple different charities this year, but my tax person said it wouldn't help my taxes.  Is there a way I can make a gift that reduces my taxes?"   Intro: "There are a ton of different ways to give to charity, but not all of them will help you on your taxes.  This week we cover a listener question about tax efficient charitable giving, and when i...

Mailbag Question: "Everything I hear about Social Security is bad, and it sounds like the program will run out of money in a few years.  Is there a good reason I shouldn't file for benefits now before the money runs out?"   Intro: "Many retirees are concerned about the state of Social Security, and some of them even expect the program to crumble in the next few years.  Does that mean you should ge...