About Erik Townsend

hedge fund manager Erik Townsend

Erik Townsend is a retired software entrepreneur turned hedge fund manager. Throughout his career, Erik has capitalized on his ability to understand complex systems and anticipate paradigm shifts far in advance of the mainstream. Read More...

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Duncan headshotErik Townsend welcomes Richard Duncan to MacroVoices. Erik and Richard discuss:

  • The events in world world history which have led to increased government spending and record debt
  • The catalysts that made everything "pop" in 2008
  • How QE works, who benefits from it, and how likely it is to persist
  • The results of having a government directed economic system for over 76 years
  • Unique conditions which allowed extraordinary policy from the Fed, and how the US could capitalize on them
  • The looming threat of war increasing due to a "need" for increased government spending
  • The alternative forms of government spending we could see in lieu of war
  • The possibility, and likely futility of "helicopter money"
  • Why we won't see the end of the USD's role as world reserve currency anytime soon
  • And fistfuls of more good stuff...

 

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RealVision TV red 01Kyle Bass interviews John Burbank on March 6th, 2015

 

 

 

 

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Rick Rule eErik Townsend welcomes Rick Rule to MacroVoices. Erik and Rick discuss:

  • Rick’s general thesis on precious metals and how they differ from other natural resources

  • The relative predictability of commodities due to their cyclicality

  • The spectacular returns available to investors who can be brave when others are fearful

  • The value of contrarian information when markets are out of favor

  • The value of private placement and P.I.P.E. investments

  • Rick’s personal investment strategies at the current time

  • The dangers and importance of identifying conflicts of interest in investing

  • The resources available to investors to help them protect themselves against frauds

  • Erik and Art Berman bring us up to speed on the US crude oil inventory situation, and what fundamental factors may have changed moving the market still higher

  • Art warns that this rally may have been about the market pricing in looming supply risks, and more...

  • Register for free at the top of this page to have Art's powerpoint presentation sent to you by email

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Rickards Ani Standing cropped ColorErik Townsend welcomes Jim Rickards to MacroVoices. Erik and Jim discuss:

  • Gold as a currency, rather than an investment, because "earning yield requires taking risk"

  • The USD rally and the Fed’s influence on its ability to continue

  • The difference between a central bank’s ability to cure inflation, vs. curing deflation

  • The possibilities of confiscation, taxation, and NIRP and their effects on the relative attractiveness of Gold

  • The Fed first tightening into weakness, and now turning more dovish after a market correction in early 2016

  • The reasons why governments can’t tolerate inflation

  • Gold as a potential hedge against deflation, as well as inflation

  • How QE actually functions, and why we’ve seen so little effect on the real economy

  • What the next form of stimulus may look like, and how it may affect the outlook on Gold

  • The necessity for structural solutions, not monetary solutions, to structural problems

  • What an increase in institutional holdings of Gold would mean for price, and plenty more...

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Raoul PalErik Townsend welcomes Raoul Pal to MacroVoices. Erik and Raoul discuss:

  • The US Dollar backstory and how central bank policy divergence got us here
  • US government bonds and the potential for interest rates to move much lower
  • Weak growth in the US and a business cycle that is appearing to roll over
  • The risks of loaning money to insolvent governments in the form of sovereign bonds
  • Changing our operating framework to better understand a changing global macro picture
  • Gold and real estate becoming hedges to the currency risk involved with negative interest rates
  • Gold's ability to rally in the face of potential further Dollar strength
  • The European banking system and "CoCo Bonds"
  • The ban on cash and the real reasons the powers that be are moving in this direction
  • "The Big Uglies" and what could trigger an economic recession
  • Which forms further monetary or fiscal stimulus could take, and more...

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Fleckenstein3Erik Townsend welcomes Bill Fleckenstein to MacroVoices. Erik and Bill discuss:

  • A coming correction in equities - what's different this time?
  • "The fumes of QE" and non-US sources of liquidity
  • The tactics one must necessarily employ to succed in short selling
  • 20 years of failed activist Fed policy
  • A potential bond market revolt and an end to the dollar bull market
  • The real rate of inflation and the irrelevance of the CPI
  • The destruction of the middle class by central bankers and politicians
  • The time to be short vs. the time to be patient
  • Gold, gold miners, and the end of the bear market in precious metals
  • Plus Erik's market recap and his own insights into short selling
  • and plenty more...

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RealVision TV red 01Real Vision interviews Fred Hickey on September 18th, 2015

 

 

 

 

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JSchwager Photo Barcelona FINALErik Townsend welcomes Jack Schwager to MacroVoices. Erik and Jack discuss:

  • The history of the Market Wizards project
  • The importance of finding your "own process" in achieving success in trading
  • Discipline, risk management, organization, perseverance 
  • The range of possible successful approaches an investor or trader can take
  • Early failure not necessarily being predicitive of future success/failure, learning from mistakes
  • Mr. Schwager's own experience interviewing traders who have been widely influenced by his early books
  • The genesis and mission of FundSeeder.com
  • Finding new ways of linking capital with talented traders and changing the business of capital introduction
  • The technologies that could ultimately provide disruptions in the capital allocation space
  • Assisting an amateur trader in making the leap to full-time professional, and more...

 

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2014 02 13 Axel headshotErik Townsend welcomes Axel Merk to MacroVoices. Erik and Axel discuss:

  • The ECB, Fed, and BOJ statements and how policies are shifting
  • The upward trajectory of the Euro following a confusing ECB statement
  • The key differences between central banking in the US, and the Eurozone
  • TLTRO2: "a funding for lending scheme" - how does it work, what does it mean?
  • A potential bottoming in European interest rates
  • Will a Fed rate hike mean a stronger dollar, or have markets already priced this in?
  • The Fed members, structure, focus and process
  • Coming headwinds for asset prices as the Fed unwinds an unprecedented easing cycle
  • The counterproductivity of negative interest rates and extraordinary central bank policy
  • The Dollar rally - how did we get here and is the rally over?
  • Gold and other "safe havens" - where can investors hide in this challenging environment?

 

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MACRO VOICES is presented for informational and entertainment purposes only. The information presented in MACRO VOICES should NOT be construed as investment advice. Always consult a licensed investment professional before making important investment decisions. The opinions expressed on MACRO VOICES are those of the participants. MACRO VOICES, its producers, and hosts Erik Townsend and Patrick Ceresna shall NOT be liable for losses resulting from investment decisions based on information or viewpoints presented on MACRO VOICES.

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