The Higher Standard
The Higher Standard is a podcast hosted by Chris Naghibi about building wealth and creating the lifestyle you want. Naghibi aims to cut through the large amount of information and misinformation online so listeners can make better choices. The show focuses on raising your personal baseline and adopting a higher standard for your finances and life. It offers unfiltered talk, practical perspective, and high-quality audio.
Episodes
America’s Hidden Debt Crisis: Why Credit Card Delinquencies Aren’t the Real Problem
America’s next debt crisis isn’t hiding in the numbers. It’s hiding behind them. Credit card delinquencies are either flashing red or perfectly manageable, depending on which statistic you cherry-pick. And somehow, both are technically correct. In Episode 357, we follow the cracks spreading through student loans, subprime auto lending, buy-now-pay-later debt, and the $1.8 trillion private credit m
The $2 Trillion AI Bubble: What Happens If It Actually Works?
AI may be the most important technology of our lifetime. That does not mean Wall Street has priced it correctly. In Episode 356, we dig into Anthropic’s reported $2 trillion ambitions, more than $500 billion in long-term compute commitments, OpenAI’s even larger promises, and 180 years of investors discovering the hard way that great technology and great investments are not the same thing. From Ra
Every Great Company Is a Cult. Here’s How They Get You.
Every great company wants loyal customers. The really great ones want believers. This week, we look at what happens when a business stops selling you a product and starts selling you an identity. From Amazon’s “Day 1” disciples to Tesla shareholders defending Elon Musk like family and OpenAI employees threatening to walk out with Sam Altman, the biggest companies in America have figured out someth
AI Agents Organized, Cheated, and Learned to Hide
Apparently 1,200 AI agents left alone in separate sandboxes will eventually do what humans always do: find each other, form a group chat, cheat the test, and start looking for ways around the cameras. In this episode, we break down the real-world “swarm” incident, why reward hacking may matter more than Skynet fantasies, and what happens when the machines get better at hiding how they reached an a
The Fed Made This Mistake Once. America Paid for 16 Years.
What if the ugliest economic decade in modern American history wasn’t just history — but a warning label? In Episode 353, we go back to 1971, when Nixon closed the gold window, slapped tariffs on imports, froze wages and prices, leaned on the Fed for easy money, and helped light the fuse on the stagflationary mess that followed. Then came the oil shock, Arthur Burns, double-digit inflation, sixtee
Private Equity Is Broken: How Debt, Fees & Leveraged Buyouts Really Work
Private equity sold itself as the smartest money in the room. Turns out, a lot of that “genius” may have just been 40 years of falling rates, cheap leverage, and somebody else willing to pay a higher multiple. We break down how the model actually works, why roughly 33,000 portfolio companies are now stuck waiting for an exit, and what happens when every leveraged buyout starts looking like an adju
OpenAI Bought the Narrative: The Shocking Truth About TBPN & Silicon Valley Media
Silicon Valley didn’t suddenly fall in love with podcasts because everyone discovered the joys of long-form conversation. They figured out something much more valuable: if you control the pipe, you can shape the narrative. In Episode 351, Chris traces that playbook from Hearst and Murdoch to Rogan, Musk, a16z, OpenAI and TBPN—and asks the uncomfortable question behind the new media boom: are you w
Treasury Is Buying Its Own Debt — Scott Bessent’s $40 Trillion Gamble
Episode 350, and apparently the milestone gift is discovering that the United States is now paying the mortgage with the credit card. Chris and Rajeil unpack Scott Bessent’s decision to supersize Treasury bond buybacks just as long-term yields hit 19-year highs and the national debt crossed $40 trillion. We go from Venice’s first bond market to the Treasury-Fed Accord, Japan’s yield-curve-control
Stagflation Is Coming? The Fed’s Inflation & Jobs Trap Explained
In Episode 349 of The Higher Standard, Chris breaks down why cooling CPI doesn’t mean inflation is dead, why the Fed may be walking straight into a stagflation trap, and how a weakening jobs market, rising energy costs, Japan, the yen and a geopolitical oil shock are colliding at exactly the wrong time. From the 1970s and Volcker to CPI vs. PCE, shelter inflation, owners’ equivalent rent and the “
Japan Just Exposed America’s Mortgage Problem And It Can't Be Stopped
Everyone is waiting for the next housing crash. Chris thinks they may be watching the wrong thing. In Episode 348, he connects the lessons of 2008 to today’s mortgage market, where major non-bank lenders are under pressure, Treasury yields keep climbing, and Japan’s fight to defend the yen could be making America’s mortgage problem worse. This isn’t a call for another housing collapse—it’s a warni
The Truth About Situational Awareness: Ken Griffin, Citadel & the AI Bubble
In Episode 347, Chris goes solo and pulls apart one of the wildest Wall Street stories of the year: the near-collapse of Situational Awareness, the AI-focused hedge fund launched by 25-year-old prodigy Leopold Aschenbrenner. What began as a multibillion-dollar bet on the future of artificial intelligence quickly became a masterclass in concentration risk, leverage and what happens when Silicon Val
How AI Will Be The Catalyst For A Recession
Five years, 345 episodes and one painfully empty chair later, THS enters its next era. Chris is back behind the mic with Rajeil riding shotgun, a laptop full of charts and a thesis Wall Street is not going to enjoy: the next recession may not begin with housing or the Fed—it may begin when America’s trillion-dollar AI buildout collides with cheaper, open-weight Chinese models. From market correcti
Saied’s Final Episode: The End of an Era, CPI Shock & the Fed’s AI Gamble
After five years, 345 episodes, countless laughs, arguments, predictions, detours and unforgettable moments, this episode marks the end of an era for The Higher Standard. Saied is stepping away from the show to begin an important new chapter in his life, and while we are incredibly proud of him, there is no pretending this is not a painful and deeply emotional moment. THS was never just a podcast…
Kevin Warsh’s AI Inflation Fantasy: Is the Fed Rewriting the Rules?
Kevin Warsh says AI is about to make everything cheaper, which sounds incredible until you remember corporations have never met a cost savings they could not quietly turn into margin. In Episode 344, Chris and Saied break down the Fed’s shiny new task forces, the strange cast of academics, CEOs, and venture capitalists chosen to “modernize” monetary policy, and the growing fear that Washington is
Palantir CEO Alex Karp Exposes the AI Scam Corporate America Is Falling For
Alex Karp went on CNBC to talk about Palantir’s new Nvidia initiative, but what came out was much bigger than a partnership announcement. In this episode, Chris and Saied break down what Palantir actually does, why Gotham, Foundry, Apollo, and AIP matter, and why Karp believes the next phase of AI is not consumer chatbots — it is controlled, sovereign, mission-critical AI inside governments, milit
The Housing Affordability Crisis Just Became Political Theater
In this episode of The Higher Standard, Chris, Saied, and Rajeil break down how America’s housing affordability crisis got dragged into political theater. A bipartisan housing bill meant to address supply, zoning, institutional buyers, and long-term affordability suddenly became leverage in a fight over election legislation... but the real problem runs much deeper than Washington’s latest circus.
Buy, Borrow, Die... How America's Tax Code Built a New Aristocracy
America doesn’t tax wealth. It taxes people who need paychecks. In this episode, we break down Ray Madoff’s The Second Estate and the playbook behind America’s new aristocracy: buy, borrow, die. Billionaires can borrow against appreciated stock, avoid selling assets, donate shares for tax benefits, use trusts to move wealth, and die with a stepped-up basis that can erase decades of capital gains.
The 1970s Inflation Pattern Is Repeating... And Nobody Wants to Say It
Inflation is back at 4.2%, the Fed is suddenly looking less “patient” and more “are we doing this again?," mortgage rates are flirting with the wrong side of uncomfortable, and the bond market is basically standing in the corner whispering, “I told you so.” In this episode, Chris, Saied and Rajeil break down the latest CPI print, why 7% mortgage rates may not be off the table, how today’s inflatio
Elon Musk’s SpaceX IPO, Fed Rate Hikes, Bitcoin Crash & Gold Replacing Treasuries
The economy is not crashing. It is freezing. In this episode of The Higher Standard, Chris and Saied break down the Fed’s Beige Book, a bifurcated consumer, sticky inflation, margin-squeezed businesses, and a labor market that has become low-hire, low-fire. Then the conversation turns to the real insanity: Treasury buybacks, Bitcoin liquidations, Ethereum weakness, gold replacing U.S. Treasuries a
SpaceX IPO Exposed: Elon’s $28.5 Trillion AI Moonshot or Greatest Rug Pull in History?
In this episode of The Higher Standard, Chris and Saied dive headfirst into the wildest S-1 filing Wall Street may have ever seen: SpaceX, Starlink, XAI, Mars colonies, asteroid mining, lunar economies, data centers in space, and Elon Musk casually trying to justify a $28.5 trillion total addressable market like he’s ordering lunch. The guys break down whether this is a visionary master plan to ma
Zuckerberg Just Said That At Meta, Your Job Is Training Its Replacement
AI is no longer just helping you write emails or clean up spreadsheets; it is watching, learning and preparing to do the job itself. In this episode, Chris and Saied break down Zuckerberg’s stunning explanation of employee-trained AI, the corporate obsession with cutting headcount in the name of “efficiency,” Elon Musk’s robot economy and the trillions in wages suddenly sitting in the crosshairs.
AI Just Changed How Everything Gets Valued
This week on The Higher Standard, we break down hotter inflation, Warsh’s awkward Fed handoff, housing cracks, rising delinquencies, and why “resilient economy” may be the new “transitory.” Then we get into the big one: AI may be destroying the moat that terminal valuations are built on. If innovation moves so fast that no company can confidently project cash flows five to ten years out, venture c
AI May Have Just Broke the Tax System
This week on The Higher Standard, Rajeil was out, Slim was “furloughed,” and Chris and Saied accidentally stumbled into one of the biggest questions nobody in Washington wants to answer: what happens when the government is funded by workers, but the future is built to need fewer of them? Using Chamath’s Joe Rogan appearance as the spark, the guys break down why W-2 income gets treated like an ATM
Jerome Powell’s Last FOMC: Inflation, Recession Pain & the Fed’s Big Lie
In Episode 334 of The Higher Standard, Chris and Saied give Jerome “Transitory” Powell the only farewell THS knows how: part tribute, part roast, part macro autopsy. From his final FOMC press conference and the fight over Fed independence to inflation, oil shocks, AI job losses, recession-level consumer pain, credit card delinquencies, and an overcooked stock market, this episode breaks down why t
The Fed, AI & Crypto Are Creating the Next Financial Crisis
Chris, Saied and Rajeil dive headfirst into the weirdest corner of the modern economy, where the next Fed chair sounds like a political hostage negotiation, AI is either the greatest productivity boom in history or the most expensive layoff machine ever built, private credit is quietly turning banks into shadow-bank Uber drivers, and crypto keeps pretending it’s financial freedom while throwing mo
Stagflation, Social Media & the Collapse of Common Sense
This week on The Higher Standard, Chris, Saied and Rajeel do what the internet refuses to do: have a real conversation without immediately joining a cult. From political tribalism and social media brain rot to stagflation, AI pivots and the absolute insanity of a dead shoe company becoming an “AI infrastructure” play, this episode is a masterclass in spotting the hustle before it spots you. Along
Markets Melt Up, The Fed Melts Down: Geopolitical Conflict Ignites a Different War
Episode 331 is classic The Higher Standard chaos with a purpose: Chris, Saied and Rajeil take a world that feels like it is being held together by ceasefire headlines, oil volatility and pure market delusion, then translate it into plain English for the people actually paying the price. They unpack the Fed getting boxed in by sticky inflation, war driven energy shocks and a market still partying l
Sheriff Chad Bianco | Sounding the Alarm on Crime, Taxes & Saving California
Sheriff Chad Bianco pulled up and did not waste a second pretending California’s problems are mysterious. In this special edition of The Higher Standard, we get into crime, chaos, Sacramento dysfunction, runaway regulation, affordability getting absolutely body slammed, and why so many Californians feel like the state they loved is slipping through their fingers. Sheriff Bianco breaks down how pub
How You Could Make Tens of Millions With AI by Next Year
This episode of The Higher Standard goes full chaos mode in the best way possible, as Chris, Saied, and Rajeil unpack the terrifyingly exciting reality that AI is no longer just a productivity tool, it is a full blown money printer for the bold, the curious, and occasionally the morally flexible. From two man companies generating hundreds of millions in revenue to the rise of AI powered business m
Fed Hike Next? Oil, Inflation and the Bond Market Warning
In this episode of The Higher Standard, Chris, Saied and Rajeil break down a market that feels more like a casino than a pricing mechanism, from Trump-driven headline volatility and bond market warning signs to rising oil risks, shaky Fed cut expectations, and why the stock market may be ignoring the bigger problem entirely. They dig into the growing disconnect between equities and Treasuries, the
No Cut, No Exit: Private Credit, Frozen Housing & Powell Holding the Line
Jerome Powell hit pause, but the economy definitely didn’t. In Episode 327, Chris and Saied break down a Fed that still looks stubbornly out of step with reality, a private credit market flashing louder warning signs than most of Wall Street wants to admit, and fresh housing data that makes the affordability crisis impossible to spin away. From rising default rates and redemption freezes in privat
Everything Is Breaking At Once: Jobs, Housing, Private Credit, and the Fed's Dead End
This episode is what happens when the economy shows up looking polished, but the mascara is running. Chris, Saied, and Rajeel break down the slow-motion mess unfolding across jobs, housing, private credit, and the Fed, while war, oil, and rate pressure lurk in the background like a tab nobody wants to pick up. It’s part macro breakdown, part group therapy, part comedy special... and somehow still
Iran War: Oil Prices, Fed Shakeup, Jobs Report & Crypto Lives
Episode 325 is what happens when a jobs report, crypto’s glow-up, Fed-chair musical chairs, and a live geopolitical powder keg all walk into the same podcast and nobody leaves with lower blood pressure. Chris and Saied tear into the bizarre disconnect between war headlines and market optimism, question whether Wall Street has confused “priced in” with “blindfolded,” break down oil, rates, and why
You’re Probably Going to Lose Your Job. Get Valuable Now.
AI isn’t coming “eventually.” It’s coming this year... and the biggest scam is that you’re training the model that replaces you every time you use it. We break down Nvidia’s blowout quarter and why the market still shrugged, then zoom out to the darker part: the circular financing and “investment” theater where Big Tech writes checks to OpenAI… and OpenAI hands it right back as infrastructure spen
Inflation Down, Pain Still Up: The Real Cost-of-Living Crisis
Inflation “cooled” to a 2.4% headline print and yields eased, so the market tried to act like everything’s fine. Then you pay your utility bill, buy groceries, or look at a mortgage payment and remember we’re living in a post 2020 price reset economy. In this episode, we break down why CPI can look “better” while real life stays expensive, why housing is still stuck even with slightly lower rates,
The Jobs Report Is A LIE... And Retirees Are Taking The Jobs Back
This episode is a full-on “the headline is the least important part” takedown. We break down how the U.S. manufacturing side of the jobs data is quietly screaming recession (32 straight months of declines… yeah, that’s a thing), while the media does victory laps on top-line numbers like we’re not all watching the revisions come in later with a chair and popcorn. Then we get into the weirdest plot
AI Bubble Reality Check: $285B Rout, Layoffs Incoming, Housing Still Unaffordable
Markets had a little “AI anxiety attack” this week and Wall Street responded the only way it knows how: smash the sell button and ask questions later. We break down the $285B Anthropic-fueled rout, why the “automation boom” is starting to look like an entry-level job extinction event, and how Big Tech’s data-center dreams are already colliding with tighter financing and very real layoff math (look
Tariff Time Bomb: How War, Inflation & the Fed Are Setting Up the Next Market Shock
Episode 320 is a reminder that inflation isn’t a mystery and it definitely isn’t caused by your paycheck going up. This one cuts straight through the noise: tariffs aren’t “tough policy,” they’re a hidden tax, war risk isn’t some abstract headline, it’s an inflation accelerant, and the Fed is stuck trying to clean up a fiscal mess it didn’t create. While markets pretend everything is fine, corpora
Davos Talks, Bond Markets Decide & Jamie Dimon Gets Sassy
Davos felt like a global ideas conference with elite vibes and thin solutions. AI talk shifted from fear to acceptance, while housing fixes turned into political theater full of carveouts and long-shot proposals. We break down why none of it moves the needle for real affordability, then zoom out to the real story: money, confidence, and a monetary system under pressure. As Ray Dalio warns and gold
Markets Are Breaking While the Fed Is Under Attack
Markets are doing that thing where everything looks fine until you zoom out and realize risk is quietly pooling in all the wrong places. In this episode of The Higher Standard, we break down why green screens don’t mean healthy markets, how capital is hiding in mega-cap tech, and what our new U.S. Markets Risk Profile and Synthetic Volatility Index reveal about fragility beneath the surface. We un
Markets Hit Records, Volatility Creeps In & Washington Picks New Fights
Markets sprinted to record highs, stumbled, and carried on like nothing happened, with the S&P 500 and Dow briefly touching new peaks before financials and energy lost momentum. Oil slid as President Donald Trump floated Venezuelan barrels coming to the U.S., a reminder that geopolitics never stays offstage for long, while stocks rising alongside a climbing VIX signaled positioning, not panic.
Everyone Thinks 2026 Stocks Only Go Up — That’s the Problem
Wall Street has apparently reached a group chat consensus: 2026 only goes up. Every major strategist, from big banks to boutique shops, is lined up predicting another year of gains... because after a 90% rally off the 2022 lows, skepticism has officially been benched. Even lifelong bulls are starting to feel uneasy about the total absence of dissent, which historically isn’t exactly when you want
The Year Money Changed: What 2025 Really Taught Us About Wealth
2025 didn’t hand out cheat codes... it handed out invoices. High interest rates stopped being an abstract headline and started showing up in monthly payments. Cash flow mattered more than net worth screenshots. Emergency funds went from “nice to have” to “you better have one.” And the illusion that buying a home, chasing trends, or riding hype automatically meant progress finally cracked. This was
The Old Way of Getting Rich Is Dead (Here’s What Replaces It In 2026)
If you’ve been feeling frustrated or gaslit about money lately, you’re not crazy, you’re paying attention. If you’re under 40, you lived through zero rates, asset inflation you couldn’t benefit from, a housing boom you were priced out of, and now the highest mortgage rates in decades. The Fed says “maybe one cut,” housing affordability is broken, and the old work hard, save, wait playbook just doe
The Fed Cut Rates - So Why Are Mortgage Rates Rising and Layoffs Surging?
The Fed cut rates… again. And somehow mortgage rates said, “nah, we’re good.” This episode starts where most headlines stop—why markets stopped believing the Fed, why the 10-year Treasury is doing its own thing, and why this might be the last cut anyone feels confident about for a while. We say the quiet part out loud: inflation isn’t dead, liquidity is sneaking back in, and the bond market is sig
FOMC Countdown: Rate Cut Odds Explode, AI Privacy Nightmare & THS Live
The boys are back, and this time Jerome Powell shows up looking like he just stepped off the set of Terminator: Rate Cut Salvation. In this episode, Chris, Saied and Rajeil break down why markets are foaming at the mouth for a policy pivot… while conveniently ignoring every economic signal flashing bright orange. From exploding rate-cut odds to the consumer tapping out like they’re on their ninth
The Melt-Up Economy EXPOSED: Fed’s Pivot, AI Jobs DESTROYED & A Recession
The melt-up economy isn’t a victory lap, it’s the part of the horror movie where everyone thinks the monster is gone because the music gets quiet. Markets keep ripping, consumers keep spending money they don’t have, and the Fed is out here pretending their “pivot” wasn’t telegraphed like an amateur magician revealing the trick before the reveal. And meanwhile, everyone’s acting shocked that AI is
The Housing Market Is Getting DESTROYED, The Fed’s Fake Data & Nvidia’s Fall
In this episode, Chris and Saied break down one of the strangest weeks in economic news we’ve ever covered: missing jobs data thanks to the government shutdown, a Fed that suddenly sounds like it forgot what “data-dependent” means, and a housing market showing cracks big enough to drive a mortgage banker through. From Zillow quietly admitting half of America’s home values slipped, to builders slas
Broken Data, Job Cuts & The Wealth Secrets the Rich Don’t Want You to Know
In this episode, Chris, Saied and Rajeil dive face-first into the chaos Washington left behind after the longest government shutdown in U.S. history — and surprise, surprise: the data we rely on to understand the economy might be "permanently broken." With CPI and jobs reports delayed, distorted, or potentially never released at all, the guys unpack what happens when policymakers, investors, and e
Housing Recession EXPOSED: Buffett, Zillow & Burry WARN What’s Coming 🚨
In this episode, Chris, Saied, and Rajeil dive head-first into the fiery mess that is America’s housing market. Where even 0% mortgage rates wouldn’t make homes affordable, and Buffett and Zillow are suddenly on the same side of the doomsday table. From the longest government shutdown in U.S. history to first-time homebuyers now averaging forty (because apparently adulting got delayed a decade),
The Ridiculous Reality Behind the Fed’s Latest Rate Cut
The Fed says it’s “flying blind,” but somehow keeps reaching for the autopilot. In this episode of The Higher Standard, Chris, Saied, and Rajeil break down the latest 25-basis-point rate cut and the confusing logic behind Jerome Powell’s “data-driven” decision-making... made without, well… the data. From the Beige Book to balance-sheet shrinkage (and yes, the jokes write themselves), the guys diss
The Brutally Honest Economic Red Flags Nobody’s Ready For
The red flags are flying high... and no, we’re not talking about your ex. In this episode, Chris and Saied take a brutally honest look at the economic signals that everyone seems determined to ignore. (The Fighting Fijian, Rajeil was on leave for this episode.) From inflation’s sneaky comeback to the quiet unraveling of corporate debt, they break down the numbers, the narratives, and the nonsense
Exposing Fake Gurus: Brutally Honest Breakdown of Social Media Scammers
When someone looks too good to be true online, they probably are! And we’re putting that theory to the test. In this episode, Chris, Saied, and Rajeil invite listeners to submit the Instagram handles of “professionals” who might just be full-time finessers in disguise. From fake real estate moguls to lifestyle coaches with mysteriously rented Lambos, the crew breaks down how to spot a scammer befo
The Brutal Honest Truth About An AI Bubble: How Private Equity Will Destroy the Market
Artificial Intelligence has gone off the rails, private equity’s running out of cash, and venture capital’s throwing billions at anything with a “A.I.” in the name... welcome to Episode 304. Chris, Saied, and Rajeil unpack how Sora 2.0 just erased the line between real and fake, how 41 stocks now make up nearly half the S&P 500, and why every startup pitch sounds like a bad ChatGPT prompt. Spr
Why The Great Wealth Transfer is a LIE
Everyone keeps talking about the “Great Wealth Transfer” like it’s some mythical pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. But here’s the reality: the rich aren’t exactly lining up to hand you their keys to the kingdom. Between tax loopholes, estate strategies, and the fact that most heirs are just as debt-happy as everyone else, the so-called wealth transfer looks more like a magician’s sleight of h
Housing Market Reality Check: New Home Sales Hype & Buffett Indicator Warning
The headlines are screaming “Housing Boom,” but we’re here to ask—boom for who? In episode 302 of The Higher Standard, Chris and Saied cut through the CNBC hype, breaking down why those shiny new home sales numbers don’t tell the whole story. Spoiler: it’s not buyers suddenly feeling rich, it’s builders slashing prices and handing out incentives like Halloween candy. From Lennar’s margins get
Fed Cuts Rates Markets Soar, Middle Class Squeezed & Side Hustles Surge
The Fed finally pulled the trigger on its first rate cut of the year, but before you pop champagne, let’s ask the real question: who actually benefits? Wall Street’s partying like it’s 1999, the top 10% are still swiping cards like money grows on trees, and Jerome Powell is out here trying to convince everyone the house isn’t on fire. Meanwhile, middle-class families are staring down credit card b
Jobs Shock, Stagflation Fears & Robinhood’s Big Bet
Three hundred episodes in and the Fed is still the main character. In this milestone episode, Chris, Saied, and Rajeil dissect Jerome Powell’s latest balancing act — walking the tightrope between cooling inflation and keeping the jobs market afloat. The crew pulls apart the latest employment data, digging into what the numbers really say versus the spin you’re being sold.➡️ And just when you thoug
Markets Already Betting on Fed Cuts... Here’s What You Need to Know
This episode of The Higher Standard is a cocktail of Fed-watching, real talk, and the kind of banter only we can pull off. Chris, Saied, and Rajeil rip into the upcoming FOMC meeting, breaking down why a rate cut is basically baked in and why the real drama is all about Powell’s spin at the mic. We cover everything from nonfarm payroll revisions to bond market chess moves, and even take a detour i
Can Trump Fire Lisa Cook? Rate-Cut Pressure, Jackson Hole & Apple’s AI
We open light... Amex perks, Saks talk, and Chris’ infamous “no flip-flops” code—then slam straight into the heavy stuff: a President publicly leaning on the Fed to cut rates and targeting Governor Lisa Cook over mortgage-fraud allegations. Can a President remove a Fed official “for cause”? We unpack the precedent, the legal gray, and why Fed independenceactually matters. Plus,
Trump vs The Fed: Mortgage Fraud Scandal Could Shake Wall Street
When Trump tells a Fed governor to resign over “mortgage fraud,” you know it’s not about the mortgage. In this episode, Chris, Saied, and Rajeil peel back the layers on political theater, headline manipulation, and the not-so-subtle art of bullying the Fed. From LBJ literally grabbing his Fed chair by the lapels to Nixon strong-arming rates before an election, the crew shows how history repeats it
The Fed’s $2 Trillion Secret: Reverse Repo Explained
This episode of The Higher Standard pulls back the curtain on the Fed’s $2 trillion “magic trick” that never makes the headlines. Chris, Saied, and Rajeil break down how the overnight reverse repo facility works like a no-risk money parking garage for banks—one so massive it once held enough cash to buy every home in New York City twice. Add in a little history lesson on the Fed literall
School Failed You, Your Job Failed You & So Did Conventional Wisdom
In this episode of The Higher Standard, Chris, Saied and Rajeil pull no punches in dissecting how the system is built to keep you running on a hamster wheel you didn’t even know you were on. From the wage stagnation that’s been silently robbing you for decades to the way debt culture is disguised as “financial freedom,” the guys lay out the unvarnished truth: the playbook you’ve been followin
Curtis Lorincz | Exposing the Guru Grift: One Man vs. The Cult of Bro Culture
What happens when a straight-shooting car guy with zero patience for bullshit takes on the loudest, most insecure bros on the internet? You get Curtis Lorincz — the viral voice calling out fake gurus, bro culture, and “number one car salesman” fantasies with nothing but a phone and the truth. In this episode, Curtis joins Chris and Rajeil to unpack how obedience gets monetized, why yelling at men
How Corporate America Broke the Social Contract: Wages Down, Debt Up, Loyalty Dead
In this no-holds-barred episode of The Higher Standard, Chris and Saied dissect the death of the American Dream through a lens only they can provide—one that blends biting humor with financial clarity. Picking up where episode 291 left off, they explore how corporate America broke the social contract: wages are down, debt is up, and company loyalty is officially dead. Chris opens up about his rece
Jason Lu | From Taiwan to Streetwear Stardom: The Journey With Pleasures & Beyond
🎙️ From grinding in a Taiwanese music studio for 12-hour days to running operations at one of the hottest streetwear brands on the planet, Jason Lu has lived a story most people wouldn’t believe — and probably couldn’t survive. In this episode, Chris sits down with Jason to talk about the reality behind the hype: grueling work, brutal lessons, and how authenticity can cut through a crowded, noisy
The Education Scam: Why You’re Not Rich (And Never Were Meant To Be)
Most of us grew up believing school was our golden ticket — a noble path to knowledge, success, and the elusive American Dream. Turns out, that dream was engineered to keep you obedient, predictable, and poor. In this episode, Chris, Saied, and Rajeel peel back the curtain on the greatest con ever run on the masses: the education system. With wit, fire, and a touch of irreverence, they trace the o
Matt Moghaddam | The Reality of Social Media, Small Business & Big Dreams
Ever wonder how a kid rebuilding engines in his dad’s garage ends up shaping the off-road and Overland industries while dodging influencer clichés and crushing corporate glass ceilings? In this episode, Chris sits down with Matt Moghaddam — creative, entrepreneur, and all-around gearhead — to talk about his journey from customer service grunt to marketing director to magazine editor. From building
The Fragile Mirage of Economic Recovery
The U.S. economy is sending more mixed signals than a Gen Z relationship status. One minute, the S&P 500 is flirting with all-time highs, the next, the housing market's giving you whiplash with record prices and signs of a downturn. Is it a buyer’s market? Depends who you ask—and what city you’re in. Meanwhile, if you’ve been financing burritos with Buy Now, Pay Later, congratulations: it's no
Parsa Vahid | From Broke Engineer to Manages Hundreds of Millions
What does it take to walk away from a stable career in engineering and build a boutique wealth advisory firm that manages hundreds of millions? In this episode, Chris and Saied sit down with Parsa Vahid, founder of Strand Life, to unpack that exact journey — from cold calls and 100% commission work to becoming the trusted financial strategist for high-net-worth families. Parsa shares how he naviga
The Fed Held Rates, But Will War With Iran Trigger a Recession?
The Fed held rates steady — again — and while that might not sound sexy, it triggered a deep dive into the uncomfortable parallels between today’s economy and some of history’s most turbulent wartime recessions. Chris and Saied unpack Powell’s post-FOMC “dot plot shuffle,” exposing how forward guidance has become a PR game instead of a reliable economic compass. Spoiler: if you think shelter infla
Farshad Dehbozorgi | Clubs, TikTok & How Millions of Views Turned Him In To a Lawyer
In this episode of The Higher Standard, we’re joined by viral sensation turned courtroom assassin, Farshad Dehbozorgi, Esq. — or as we like to call him, “The Club-to-Courtroom Closer.” We dig into his unlikely journey from viral TikToks and bottle service to bar prep and building a boutique law firm. If you’ve ever wondered how roasting your wife online could land you a law license, this one’s for
Dimon Drops Bombs, Powell Plays Defense, & Housing Still Hurts
Jerome met Trump, Trump yelled "Cut Rates," and Powell clutched his “Data Dependent” sign like a life raft. In this episode, Chris, Saied and Rajeil dissect the political theater behind a rare Oval Office showdown between the Fed Chair and the former President. Spoiler: Jamie Dimon’s lurking in the background muttering “I told you so,” and Uncle Elon’s possibly staging a PR divorce from Trump just
Jeff Fargo | The Truth About Bought Followers, Bot Engagement & Podcast Fame
In this episode of The Higher Standard, Chris welcomes longtime friend and digital strategist Jeff Fargo into the freshly minted Black Crown Studios—and it’s not just a tour, it’s a masterclass in podcasting authenticity. The two chop it up over everything from DIY sound treatment and the obsessive details of studio design to how podcasting unexpectedly hijacked both their lives. But don’t let the
Credit Downgrade Chaos, Mortgage Madness & a Fijian
In this high-octane episode of The Higher Standard, Chris and Saied officially welcome Rajeil to the show—and initiate him with a healthy dose of sarcasm and button-pushing. They hop right in to Moody’s U.S. credit downgrade. What does it mean when Uncle Sam takes a hit to his credit score? It’s not just a bad look—it signals rising debt, inflation, and interest payments spiraling out of control.
Pejman Ghadimi | Exotic Car Hacks, Cash & Consciousness
What happens when you bring Pejman Ghadimi, the man who turned hacking exotic cars into a six-figure side hustle for thousands, onto The Higher Standard? You get a masterclass in how society has sold us a broken narrative about wealth, success, and “playing it safe.” With Saied riding shotgun at the production desk, Chris pulls back the curtain on Pejman’s wildly polarizing—but undeniably effectiv
Warren Buffett Retires, Powell Holds Rates, & GDP Turns Negative
You’ve heard the headlines, but we’re here to break down what they really mean for your wallet. In this episode, Warren Buffett officially announces his retirement as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, Jerome Powell leaves rates untouched (again), and America’s GDP takes a nose dive into negative territory. Meanwhile, the media spins, Wall Street panics, and your buddy on Instagram who just discovered ETF
A Bittersweet Farewell: Reflecting On Our Journey
Welcome to a milestone episode of The Higher Standard — our final recording in the studio that saw it all: hot takes, financial rants, emotional confessions, and at least one broken mic stand. In this sendoff, Chris and Saied wax poetic (and sarcastic) about the evolution of the show, what it took to build the brand from a neon-lit cave to a next-gen recording fortress, and why growth —
Equity, Debt, & The Volatile Future of Home Ownership
In this episode of The Higher Standard, Chris and Saied take a wrecking ball to the myths of modern homeownership—armed with caffeine, sarcasm, and a well-earned chip on their shoulder. From the Fed’s tightrope act to the slow-motion implosion of consumer confidence, they unpack the real estate market’s latest mood swings, including a 5.9% drop in existing home sales and why homebuilder incentives
Tariffs, Tumbling Tech & The Fed’s Tightrope
Jerome Powell might be the only man in America who can tank the stock market and calm it down—all in the same sentence. In this episode, Chris and Saied break down Powell’s most recent cryptic speech (complete with purple tie and Fed-speak flair) and explain why the central bank is stalling like your friend who won’t define the relationship. With tariffs looming like a bad sequel and markets react
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