Learn Finance 101

Auto loans and leases exemplify ABF's enduring appeal: predictable, collateral-backed income in an uncertain world. As 2025 data affirms resilience amid challenges, this segment remains a cornerstone for diversified portfolios.

Today, we turn our lens to asset-backed finance (ABF), a cornerstone of modern lending that's surging in prominence.

In this episode, we explore the explosive growth and transformation of private credit in 2025. Once a niche financial sector, private credit has ballooned to $1.5 trillion globally, with projections reaching $2.8 trillion by 2029. We break down how private credit—direct, non-bank lending to companies—has surged in popularity, especially as banks retreated from riskier loans after the 2008 financia...

This episode dives into Polymarket, the decentralized prediction market platform that has taken the crypto world by storm. Founded in 2020 by Shayne Coplan, Polymarket lets users bet peer-to-peer on everything from elections to pop culture, using USDC stablecoins and blockchain technology for global reach and transparency. After overcoming regulatory hurdles—including a CFTC ban and a dramatic rel...

In this episode, we explore Kalshi, a ground breaking prediction market platform that has revolutionized event forecasting in finance. Founded in 2018 by Tarek Mansour and Luana Lopes Lara, Kalshi transformed the landscape by securing federal regulation under the CFTC, allowing users to trade on real-world outcomes like elections and economic data. With trading volumes now exceeding $1 billion wee...

While it's funny and super relatable, "girl math" shines a light on real cognitive biases that can sneak into our financial decisions, especially around compulsive or impulse purchases. Today, we'll laugh at the memes, break down the specific types of biases with examples, discuss why the term can be problematic, and – most importantly – share detailed, actionable tips to outsmar...

Ecological economics, developed by Herman Daly, Robert Costanza, and others, views economies as part of the environment, prioritising sustainability and recognising the limits of natural resources. It arose from concerns over resource depletion and environmental harm, critiquing mainstream economics for overlooking ecological constraints. Unlike growth-focused models, ecological economics advocate...

In 2025, falling interest rates are supporting economicrecovery, though global growth remains subdued at 2.3%. Central banks are cautiously easing policy, with mortgage rates falling and some regions pausing rate cuts due to persistent inflation. While lower rates are encouraging lending, investment, and activity in sectors like real estate and energy, challenges such as rising public debt, inflat...

Post-Keynesian economics, building on John Maynard Keynes’s work, emphasizes uncertainty, financial instability, and income distribution, offering a heterodox alternative to neoclassical and new Keynesian economics. Developed by Joan Robinson, Hyman Minsky, Paul Davidson, and others in the mid-20th century, it emerged from dissatisfaction with mainstream equilibrium models. It extends Keynes’s foc...

Major institutions forecast modest global GDP growth for the coming year, below historical averages, supported by easing inflation and resilient labour markets but constrained by trade tensions, geopolitical risks, and policy uncertainty. Advanced economies are expected to lag, while emerging markets and key developing nations provide stronger momentum. Inflation should continue moderating, with c...

This episode provides a comprehensive summary of all the major geopolitical and financial market events that shaped 2025. From the resurgence of protectionist policies that sent shockwaves through stock exchanges to fragile alliances tested by ongoing conflicts and emerging tech rivalries, 2025 redefined volatility. We'll unpack it month by month, expanding on key financial and geopolitical events...

New Institutional Economics examines how institutions - such as laws, norms, and organizations - shape economic outcomes by reducing uncertainty and transaction costs. It emphasizes the importance of property rights and governance in development, but faces criticism for being hard to measure and sometimes overlooking issues like inequality.

New Institutional Economics studies how institutions—like laws, norms, and organizations—shape economic outcomes by reducing uncertainty and transaction costs. It highlights the importance of property rights, governance, and historical context in economic development. While influential in policy and development studies, it faces criticism for being hard to quantify and for sometimes overlooking is...

Embedded finance and digital payments are transforming the financial industry in 2025. Financial services like payments, loans, and insurance are being integrated into non-financial platforms, making transactions seamless and supporting the rise of neobanks. Key trends include the use of AI for personalized services, faster payment systems, and blockchain for secure transactions. These innovations...

Behavioral economics combines psychology with economics to explain how real people make decisions, highlighting that individuals are not always rational. It explores biases like loss aversion and heuristics, and introduces concepts such as nudges to improve choices. The field is widely used in policy, finance, and marketing, but faces criticism for lacking a unified framework and for challenges in...

Austrian economics focuses on individual choices and subjective value, arguing that markets work best with minimal government intervention. It rejects mathematical modeling and favors logical reasoning. Critics say it lacks empirical evidence and overlooks market failures, but its ideas influence libertarian thought and debates on central banking.

In 2025, regulatory changes and compliance are central to the finance sector. Regulatory technology (RegTech) is rapidly advancing, using AI and real-time monitoring to automate compliance tasks like KYC and AML, reduce costs, and improve accuracy. Key trends include predictive analytics, unified financial crime systems, and a shift toward risk-based frameworks, especially for digital assets. Whil...

Monetarism, led by Milton Friedman, is an economic theory that emphasizes the importance of controlling the money supply to manage economic activity and inflation. It argues that monetary policy is more effective than fiscal policy for ensuring economic stability. Monetarists advocate for steady, rules-based increases in money supply rather than discretionary interventions. While monetarism influe...

In 2025, financial planning is being transformed by automation, AI, and upskilling. Generative AI enables real-time forecasting and budgeting, while automation reduces errors and frees finance professionals for strategic tasks. Cloud-based platforms improve collaboration, and upskilling in AI and data analytics is a priority for nearly half of finance leaders. These changes make financial planning...

Tokenization of real-world assets (RWAs)—digitizing assets like real estate, bonds, and art on blockchain—is revolutionizing finance in 2025, with a market surge of 260% to $23 billion. Coupled with decentralized finance (DeFi), it’s unlocking liquidity and efficiency, potentially transforming $30 trillion in assets by 2030. This episode explores trends, applications, challenges, and the future of...

Marxian economics, rooted in Karl Marx’s 19th-century critique of capitalism, analyzes economies through class struggle and historical materialism. Developed in Das Kapital (1867) and The Communist Manifesto (1848, with Engels), it views economic systems as evolving through contradictions, with capitalism’s internal flaws leading to its collapse.

Sustainable and green finance, centered on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing, is a cornerstone of the financial landscape in 2025.

September showed a global economy tougher than expected—OECD's upgrade to 3.2% growth clashes with World Bank's 2.3% slowdown warning, labour holds firm but inflation sticks. Markets ended down weekly despite Friday's bounce, as valuation worries and tariffs temper Fed-fuelled gains. With debt burdens high and AI reshaping jobs, resilience meets risks head-on.

Neoclassical economics, emerging in the late 19th century, is the backbone of modern mainstream economics, emphasizing rational choice, marginal utility, and market equilibrium. Pioneered by Alfred Marshall, William Stanley Jevons, Carl Menger, and Leon Walras, it built on classical economics but introduced mathematical rigor and subjective value.

AI and ML are pivotal in 2025, offering unmatched efficiency and innovation. Financial institutions embracing these technologies will gain a competitive edge, provided they navigate challenges like bias and regulation responsibly. The future of finance is data-driven, with AI at its core, promising a more efficient and accessible ecosystem.