FT Alphachat - podcast cover

FT Alphachat

Financial Timesftalphaville.ft.com
Alphachat is the conversational podcast about business and economics produced by the Financial Times in New York. Each week, FT hosts and guests delve into a new theme, with more wonkiness, humour and irreverence than you'll find anywhere else

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Episodes

How to price in a Trump or Clinton presidency?

Citi's chief global political analyst Tina Fordham joins Cardiff Garcia for a trip around the global economy to discuss the economic risks of either a Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton victory in November. Visit FT.com/Alphachat for show notes and links. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 23, 201621 min

Forecasting the next-generation political economy

Forecasts about geopolitics and economics are often distorted by flawed institutional incentives and a range of cognitive biases. Dan Drezner, a professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, tells Cardiff Garcia and Mary Childs how forecasters typically go wrong, and he outlines what he calls the five "known unknowns" that will frame the political economy of the next generation. The three also discuss the foreign policy views of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton...

Sep 14, 201645 min

A trip through Trumpland

Sociologist Arlie Hochschild spent five years in the Louisiana bayou as part of her study of the American right. Hochschild tells host Cardiff Garcia how Donald Trump's nomination has appealed to the Louisiana residents who feel their story has increasingly been ignored. Visit FT.com/Alphachat for show notes and links. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Sep 06, 201624 min

The drug price short

Corporate villains are sometimes behind sudden increases in drug prices, but these unwanted surprises are often the result of a complicated and opaque healthcare system. The FT's David Crow joins Cardiff Garcia and Mary Childs to discuss in this snack-sized episode of the weekly podcast. Visit FT.com/Alphachat for show notes and links. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Sep 02, 201623 min

The protectionist policy controlling Canadian milk prices

The price of milk in Canada is disproportionately higher than it is in the US or even France, thanks to a government policy known as Supply Management implemented in the 1970s to protect dairy farmers from market instability. What does this policy mean in practice and how does it affect Canada's involvement in global trade? FT Alphaville's Cardiff Garcia and Matt Klein discuss with guest George Pearkes, Canadian expat and macroeconomic strategist at Bespoke Investment Group. Visit FT.com/Alphach...

Aug 26, 201634 min

The inaugural econ film review: Tron and Tron Legacy

Alphaville's Izzy Kaminska leads a rousing panel analysing the economic and financial themes as well as the two visions of the tech industry portrayed in the Tron movies. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aug 19, 201652 min

Alphachatterbox: Heidi Williams on the economics of medical innovation

The 2015 MacArthur Genius Grant recipient and MIT professor joins host Cardiff Garcia to discuss her work on the incentive systems that drive innovation in medical technology, including the effect of patents on the development of early stage cancer drug treatments. Visit FT.com/Alphachat for show notes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Aug 05, 20161 hr 1 min

Alphachatterbox: Gavyn Davies and Tyler Cowen on the productivity puzzle

FT Alphaville's Izabella Kaminska leads Gavyn Davies, chairman of Fulcrum Asset Management and an FT blogger, and Tyler Cowen, professor of economics at George Mason University, in a discussion on the forces causing productivity stagnation. Visit FT.com/Alphachat for show notes and links. This conversation was recorded at the FT Festival of Finance on July 1, 2016 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Jul 29, 201653 min

Tackling the housing 'trilemma', and the business of MMA

What are the economic and social tradeoffs of deciding where to live and how can one measure these? An economist at the Oregon Office of Economic Analysis joins Cardiff Garcia and Kara Scannell to discuss a system he developed for this exact purpose. Then, how did a failing business promoting mixed martial arts grow to become a global brand valued at $4bn? Cardiff talks the economics of the sport with John S. Nash, a writer for the UFC and MMA industry website Bloodyelbow.com. Visit FT.com/Alpha...

Jul 22, 201649 min

With all eyes on Brexit, what aren't we seeing?

Economists, analysts and bloggers in attendance at the FT's Festival of Finance weigh in on the global economic activity we might be missing because of Brexit-myopia. Then Cardiff Garcia quizzes Tyler Cowen, blogger and economist at George Mason University, in a game of "Overrated, Underrated", and guest co-host Kara Scannell discusses JP Morgan's lift in bank teller wages. Visit FT.com/Alphachat for show notes and links. Music by Minden. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informati...

Jul 15, 201629 min

Fact-checking Brexit claims with Tim Harford

Tim Harford joins host Cardiff Garcia to discuss the potential economic effects of the UK leaving the EU. The referendum campaigns that preceded Brexit included a number of exaggerations and, in some cases, outright lies. But there are also nuanced and difficult questions that cannot be answered definitively, and deserve careful scrutiny. Music by Minden. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 01, 201626 min

Credit and crises, and the economic shocks of 2016 thus far

During normal economic cycles, increasing credit hides an economy's deeper problems, but when a financial crisis hits, all of that credit flips from shock absorber to shock multiplier. Professor of economics Alan Taylor explains his research. Then, FT journalists discuss some of the biggest shocks of 2016, including the change in perception at the Fed over what type of monetary policy would benefit the US economy. Visit FT.com/alphachat for show notes and links. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/pr...

Jun 24, 201639 min

Social bonds served up at McDonald's, the US education divide, and a look at Wall St post-crisis

Across the US, McDonald's restaurants serve an underappreciated role: as defacto community centres for people at the margins of society. It's a story chronicled by bond trader-turned-journalist Chris Arnade, who talks to the FT's Cardiff Garcia and Mary Childs about why this happened. They also discuss how access to education shapes modern American society, and whether Wall Street employees have been punished enough for the role played by their industry in the 2008 financial crisis. Visit FT.com...

Jun 17, 201646 min

The economics of striking a work-life balance

Finding a balance between work and your personal life matters not just to you and your family; it can also make companies and the economy in general more productive. Economist and author Heather Boushey joins Cardiff Garcia and Mary Childs to discuss the many policy provisions, from paid family leave to flexible work schedules, that could improve this productivity, and Cardiff and Mary dive deeper into hedge fund culture. Visit FT.com/alphachat for show notes and links. Music by Minden. Hosted o...

Jun 10, 201640 min

Maria Konnikova on psychology, work, and why we all get conned

Maria Konnikova, a writer and author of “The Confidence Game: Why We Fall For It… Every Time” talks to host Cardiff Garcia about her work and the challenge of judging the quality of social-science research. The two also discuss big data, open-plan offices, sleep and the psychological effects of pornography. Maria also describes the methods and traits of con artists, and explains why everyone is susceptible to being a victim. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Jun 06, 20161 hr 13 min

What's going on in hedge fund land?

Many investors are questioning the benefit of allocating chunks of their money to hedge funds after recent bouts of financial market turbulence and poor performance. The FT's US financial correspondent Mary Childs joins Cardiff Garcia to discuss the big players and their idiosyncratic personalities, contentious issues like fees and benchmarking metrics, and the institutional lack of diversity among top fund managers. Visit FT.com/alphachat for show notes and links. Music by Minden. Hosted on Aca...

Jun 03, 201638 min

Spotlight on the Australian economy

Guy Debelle, assistant governor at the Reserve Bank of Australia, discusses with Cardiff Garcia and Matt Klein how decisions by the Federal Reserve have an effect on Australian monetary policy (and how they don't), Australia's experience with capital account liberalisation, fluctuations in the Chinese economy, and the foreign exchange code of conduct from the Bank of International Settlements. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

May 27, 201633 min

The life and times of Paul Volcker: Part 2

In the second half of the extended interview, former Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker discusses his appointment as president of the New York Federal Reserve Bank of New York, his famous tenure as Fed chair in the 1980s, and some of his thoughts on the current financial system. Hosted by Cardiff Garcia. Visit FT.com/alphachat for a full transcript of the interview. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 22, 201653 min

The life and times of Paul Volcker: Part 1

The former chairman of the Federal Reserve talks to host Cardiff Garcia about the years prior to his inflation-fighting days of the 1980s, including his economics education, early career at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and US treasury, and his role in ending the Bretton Woods system of global finance. Visit FT.com/alphachat for a full transcript of the interview. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 22, 201650 min

A private equity problem, and the economics of gangster states

What does it mean for a private equity firm to value its investments accurately? FT Alphaville's Matt Klein joins host Cardiff Garcia to address this surprisingly tricky question. Then, anthropologist Tassie Hirschfeld discusses the political economy of the criminal underworld, a topic rarely examined in conventional economics. Visit FT.com/alphachat for show notes and links. Music by Minden. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

May 20, 201638 min

America's savings problem and secrecy in South Dakota

Why do many Americans have trouble saving money for emergencies? Economist Allison Schrager debates this question and the impact of oil prices on spending with hosts Cardiff Garcia and Shannon Bond. Then, the FT's Kara Scannell explains why foreigners are sending their money to South Dakota to set up family trusts. Visit FT.com/alphachat for show links and notes. Music by Minden. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 13, 201635 min

Status-chasing economics, and the science of a good day

Economist turned author Caroline Webb joins hosts Cardiff Garcia and Shannon Bond to talk about her new book How To Have a Good Day, in which she dissects 25 years worth of behavioural science research to explain everything from productivity to our most personal relationships. Caroline sticks around to discuss the dilemma of how to quantify the impact on the economy of status-seeking behaviour. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

May 06, 201636 min

How Jamaica turned its debts around

In the final episode of a four-part series on sovereign bankruptcy, the FT's Robin Wigglesworth tells the story of Jamaica's fiscal turnaround, which took a punitive austerity programme and a dose of good luck. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 29, 201612 min

How Greece restructured its debt

In the third of a four-episode series, the FT's Robin Wigglesworth examines the novel but controversial way Greece restructured €200bn of its debts, which demonstrated potential improvements to the messy sovereign debt restructuring process. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 28, 201611 min

When a country defaults

In the second of a four episode series the FT's Robin Wigglesworth examines what happened when Argentina defaulted on $80bn of its bonds in 2001, at the time the biggest sovereign default in history. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 27, 201613 min

When a country goes bankrupt

In the first episode of a four part series on sovereign bankruptcy, the FT's Robin Wigglesworth looks at how and when countries fall into distress, and examines whether Italy's debts are sustainable. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 26, 201614 min

Underrated moments in economic history, and a stagnationist's outlook on the future

Economist Brad DeLong examines three key but underappreciated events in economic history with host Cardiff Garcia. Then, author and former banker Satyajit Das discusses a variety of stagnationist trends that he says could yield an economic disaster worse than the Great Recession if something doesn't change, as outlined in his recent book The Age of Stagnation. Plus a conversation about starting a new career at middle age. Visit FT.com/alphachat for show notes and links. Music by Minden. Hosted o...

Apr 22, 201647 min

The quant episode

In an episode dedicated to investing and quantitative analysis, hosts Shannon Bond and Cardiff Garcia are joined by US markets editor Robin Wigglesworth to discuss quirky new alternative data that money managers use to make investment decisions. Robin also offers some insight into what first quarter earnings indicate for corporate performance in 2016. Then, the FT's John Authers talks to Meb Faber of Cambria Investment Management about cloning the strategies of the world's most famous and aggres...

Apr 15, 201643 min

The only path to expertise, and what now for Disney's succession plan

Psychologist Anders Ericsson, author of Peak: Secrets from the new science of expertise, joins hosts Cardiff Garcia and Shannon Bond to discuss his career's findings in the way people become experts in their fields. Then, the FT's Matt Garrahan discusses who could become the next leader of Disney, where the question of who would succeed Bob Iger as CEO has been thrown wide open by this week's exit of chief operating officer Tom Staggs. Visit FT.com/alphachat for show notes and links. Hosted on A...

Apr 08, 201654 min

The future of wearables and the downfall of two healthcare companies

Wearable technology, including the Apple Watch and Google Glass, has been limited in appearance and functionality, but Amanda Parkes, chief technologist at Manufacture NY, thinks it has a promising future. She joins hosts Cardiff Garcia and Shannon Bond to discuss the relationship between technology and fashion and the privacy issues for the wearables of the future. Then, the FT's David Crow explains the latest developments in the Valeant and Theranos sagas. Plus a quick debate about executive p...

Apr 01, 201650 min
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