Rob Nichols

Continuing our focus on the likely impacts of financial regulatory reform on the financial services industry and the overall economy, we get the perspective from the President and COO of the Financial Services Forum.

While not as well known as some other associations, the Financial Services Forum is "a non-partisan financial and economic policy organization comprising the CEOs of 19 of the largest and most diversified financial services institutions doing business in the United States". Need I say more?

Those interested in hearing the views of this important group from its leader will find it a most productive use of one's time.

The length of the interview is 17 minutes 38 seconds.


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Todd Groome

In this twilight period before earnings season gets into full swing and the all-important third quarter macro economic reports provide the vital insights into the strength of the US economic recovery, we arranged for a series of podcast interviews with key leaders in various segments of the financial services industry to give their initial thoughts and opinions on the financial regulatory reform bill working its way through Congress.

My first guest is Todd Groome, Chairman, Alternative Investment Management Association. In this interview, we learn how hedge funds, private equity, and other alternative investment organizations might perceive the prospective changes.

The length of the interview is 16 minutes 02 seconds.


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Foxbusiness.com

Upcoming Media Appearances

Bloomberg radio, "Taking Stock with Pimm Fox", Tuesday, June 15, 4 pm (eastern)

"Ron Insana program", Wednesday, June 16, 7:15 am (eastern)

William C. Dunkelberg

Those looking for Friday's job data to hit the latest whisper number (+900,000) are likely to be disappointed.

In my conversation with the Chief Economist for the National Federation of Independent Business (representing that segment of the US economy that is responsible for most of the job creation - small business) we explore the likely square root recovery for the US economy, the state of small business (not especially good) and how it augers for new job creation (also, not especially good).

Understanding why and how small businesses are in less than stellar shape - well into an economic recovery - and its implications - economic and political - are topics investors in large, publicly-traded companies may want to take some time investigating.

The length of the interview is 15 minutes 03 seconds.

To listen to the interview, click here

Christopher Chabris, Ph.D. and Daniel Simons, Ph.D.

If someone told you to keep your eye on a bouncing ball, do you think you would notice a gorilla entering into then departing your field of vision?

We kick off our summer reading series with the authors of "The Invisible Gorilla: And Other Ways Our Intuitions Deceive Us". In a most fascinating conversation with the cognitive psychologists, we explore key elements of behavioral science and many of its applications to decision-making including the myth of intuition, the illusion of knowledge (e.g. Amaranth), and the appeal of confidence and certainty ("...we prefer people who are confident even when we have all the information we need to see that they are less accurate in what they are saying."). Bernie Madoff, anyone?

Investors seeking to gain a better understanding of their own investment decision-making process will find the time spent listening to this podcast as time well spent.

The length of the interview is 16 minutes 28 seconds.


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Don Rissmiller

"Kick the can down the road" seems to be the policy response of governments, Europe being the latest to do so. My fourth interview with the Chief Economist at Strategas Research Partners begins with this issue and the virtually inevitable consequence when "the bill comes due". We also discussed the inherent conflict between the positives of the cyclical recovery presently experienced in most regions of the world and the secular risks of a (still) structurally imbalanced world. We end with a quick look at the US consumer.

The length of the interview is 14 minutes 25 seconds.

To listen to this interview, click here

Dr. Ian Bremmer

As important as China and other emerging economies are to the global economy, precious little time is devoted to understanding their form of capitalism. And when it comes to western oriented economies, even less time is taken to understand which form of capitalism will emerge as the dominant economic philosophy in the aftermath of the ongoing credit and economic crises.

My interview with the founder and president of Eurasia Group, the world's leading global political risk research and consulting firm, and author of The End of the Free Market: Who Wins The War Between States and Corporations addresses these vital and transformational issues that are and will impact the global economy. Investors who take the time to go down the learning curve and seek to understand this emergent battle - its consequences and likely outcomes - will benefit significantly.

The length of the interview is 12 minutes 30 seconds.

To listen to this interview, click here

Dr. Robert Litan

We conclude our Innovation Series with a discussion on the financial regulatory reform working its way through Congress, America's global innovation position, the competitive threat from emerging markets' companies, and the public policy considerations.

Dr. Robert Litan, Vice President, Research and Policy, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation; Senior Fellow, Economic Studies, Brookings Institution, is our guest.

The length of the interview is 13 minutes 15 seconds.

To listen to this interview, click here

Lakshman Achuthan

The recent market volatility has brought back into the discussion the risk of a double dip in the US economy. To this and other economic issues we turn to the prescient Managing Director of the Economic Cycle Research Institute (ECRI).

Mr. Achuthan describes how the ECRI analysis points toward a deceleration of economic and profits growth and not a double dip. In this interview, we also explore the unique methodology of ECRI, the Euro rescue package, the impact of a shocks, and the preconditions necessary for shocks to alter the direction of a prevailing economic trend.

Note: In addition to the above noted website, those wishing to learn more about Mr. Achuthan and ECRI might consider his book, Beating the Business Cycle.

The length of the interview is 16 minutes 58 seconds.

To listen to this interview, click here

Dr. Ross Levine

Does recently maligned financial innovation produce an economic good? The third installment in our Innovation Series explores this question with the James and Merryl Tisch Professor of Economics and Director William R. Rhodes Center for International Economics and Finance, Watson Institute for International Studies, Brown University.

Fresh off his Economist magazine on-line debate with Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz, Dr. Levine - the advocate for financial innovation - describes why financial innovation is not just important but "necessary for growth". We also discussed the role of regulation viz-a-viz financial innovation and the future of the economics profession (including the George Soros funded Institute for New Economic Thinking initiative.

The length of the interview is 14 minutes 12 seconds.

To listen to this interview, click here

Dr. Paul Kedrosky

We continue our Innovation Series with the well-known editor of the popular blog, Infectious Greed, by exploring his views on financial regulatory reform - its potential negative impact on angel investing and the implications for innovation, as well as the risk that banks would be constrained from assisting early stage growth companies. We also discussed the appropriate role of government in spurring innovation and the under appreciated aspect re how immigrants play a key role in America's standing in innovation.

The length of the interview is 15 minutes 44 seconds.

To listen to this interview, click here