Economic and Political Insights is a newsletter for readers who want clear, evidence-based analysis of economic policy, personal finance, financial markets, and politics.
The focus is on incentives and tradeoffs -- less daily outrage, more analysis (although some outrage is unavoidable in the political section.) I try very hard to be nonpartisan and objective.
Economic policy:
The foundational post for the blog, titled a third party economic policy platform, starts with the observation that economic outcomes are worsening and new policy approaches are needed for entitlement reform, health insurance, student debt, taxes, energy and the environment, and education.
One of the key findings of this blog, discussed further in the post, neither party is solving the household debt problem and the attempts to fix the Social Security cannot be resolved independently from factors impeding the growth of household savings, namely household debt. After all, the assumption that future households will save more for retirement is central to most Social Security reform proposals.
The blog has numerous articles on health insurance reform and student debt.
The post competition in the education industry makes the case that competition among education providers (different courses, methods of instruction and teachers) inside a school is a more effective way to improve education outcomes than competition between schools.
The post, capital gains reform can’t just be a housing patch, discusses the impact of higher capital gains tax rates on gain realizations as well as housing impacts. This analysis indicates reforms broadening the tax base will be more effective than higher rates.
Most people believe the energy policies of President Trump and President Biden have nothing in common. This post, Trump and Biden on Wind and LNG, shows both Administrations often ignored basic economic principle and the national interest to advance their own preferences and the whims of their base. (See we do have something in common.) Also, see the analysis on rising power costs and inflation.
Personal Finance
The personal finance section of the blog provides advice on a wide variety of decisions.
Analysis supports the view that more people need to prioritize debt repayment over additional savings, young people entering the workforce, and people nearing retirement need to shed their mortgages instead of increasing 401(k) contributions.
A recent article on AGI linked subsidies (the ACA premium tax credit and the RAP student loan) shows the subsidies are incentivizing young adults to choose conventional over Roth retirement accounts leading to less than optimal results in retirement.
There are substantial number of article on how disbursement strategy in retirement can impact your retirement, including this one on the limitations of the four percent rule and this one on how the sequence of returns impacts 401(k) investors.
One often under-looked way to reduce both sequence risk and inflation risk is the use of Series I savings bonds, an essential investment which can outperform ETFs holding traditional bonds.
Market Analysis
Two recent articles in the market analysis section of the blog look at the world through the eyes of a portfolio manager.
The discussion of United Health concluded that UNH was a well-managed company with great upside potential but was not on my purchase list because of my concerns about the health insurance industry regulations and business practices. A successful portfolio manager needs to balance return and risk and does not have to chase all big fish. This is the type of post that can only be written by a person with an interest in economic policy and investments.
The evaluation of the 2026 crypto market concluded the downturn was largely a result of portfolio managers choosing AI stocks as their high-beta play instead of crypto and actual gold over digital gold as their hedge.
Politics:
The blog tracks but tries to not dwell over politics. One concern is that polarization could actually increase due to a high level of resignations because candidates in both parties were courting the fringe.
I am creating a database of potentially competitive House races including this post on places where a third-party candidatemight compete.
This of course hooks up nicely with the foundational memo on a third-party economic agenda.
Final Note: Portion of some of the articles are behind a paywall but most material is free and I am committed to maintaining this balance. I hope you support my work by taking out a free or paid subscription and please enjoy the material.
