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March 23, 2026 | Season 8 | Episode 8

One Middle East headline can knock Dow futures down hundreds of points, and the next can launch a rally just as fast. That kind of market volatility is exhausting, but it’s also a test of whether we’re investing with a plan or just reacting to the news.

We walk through what the early-morning whipsaw in stocks, oil, and Treasury yields reveals about geopolitical risk and portfolio management. Then we get practical about investing psychology: how fear and greed show up as panic, euphoria, and the expensive urge to “do something.” We lean on ideas from James Clear’s Atomic Habits to focus on daily patterns that create clear thinking, and we share simple tools that keep us grounded when the media cycle is trying to hijack our attention.

From there, we connect the dots to the bigger macro picture: inflation pressure from higher energy prices, shifting expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts, and why input costs like the producer price index can matter before consumers feel it. We also touch on a less obvious driver of inflation and growth, the artificial intelligence buildout and rising chip and component prices, plus why gold can behave in surprising ways when rates move.

Finally, we zoom out with history, comparing modern trade tensions and conflict to the Napoleonic era and the long-tail consequences that still shape today’s world, including Iran’s memory of humiliating treaties and why that matters for current sentiment.

Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s stressed by the markets, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What’s the one habit that helps you stay calm when headlines hit?

** For informational and educational purposes only, not intended as investment advice. Views and opinions are subject to change without notice. 

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