In this episode of The Innovators & Investors Podcast, host Kristian Marquez sits down with David Brem, Managing Director of the University of Michigan’s Zell Lurie Commercialization Fund. David offers a rare glimpse into the inner workings of a student-led endowment fund focused on early-stage, sector-agnostic investments primarily in the Michigan ecosystem. He shares insights on their unique, founder-first investment approach, how they navigate pre-seed to Series A venture opportunities, and the rigorous due diligence process involving qualitative analysis over pure numbers. David also discusses his roles with global VC networks including Electro Ventures, the London Venture Capital Network, and Level Up Ventures, illustrating how he bridges U.S., European, and Australian venture ecosystems with a special focus on mobility and transportation tech. Highlights include deep dives into emerging trends like eVTOLs (electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft), smart city infrastructure, and safety innovations in aviation technology. Listeners will gain valuable perspectives on how diverse expertise—from military intelligence and management consulting to academic ventures—shapes David’s investment thesis and community-building efforts. The episode also explores the importance of networking, adding value in the startup ecosystem, and practical advice for aspiring investors or entrepreneurs navigating the venture capital world. With stories of successes, challenges, and future outlooks, this episode is a must-listen for innovators, founders, and investors aiming to understand the intersection of academia, technology, and venture capital in today’s dynamic landscape. Learn more about David's work at https://zli.umich.edu/zell-lurie-commercialization-fund/ Connect with David on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-lowell-brem/ Think you'd be a great guest on the show? Apply at https://finstratmgmt.com/innovators-investors-podcast/ Want to learn more about Kristian Marquez's work? Check out his website at https://finstratmgmt.com…
The Paul Truesdell Podcast Welcome to the Paul Truesdell Podcast. Two Pauls in a pod. Featuring Paul the Elder and Paul the Younger. So, what's the gig? Individually or collectively, Paul and Paul sit down and chat predominately at the Truesdell Professional Building and record frequently. They explain a few things about how life works before time gets away. They connect the dots and plot the knots, spots, and ops with a heavy dose of knocks, mocks, pots, rocks, socks, and mops. Confused? Then welcome aboard! You see, Paul the Elder and Paul the Younger enjoy telling complex stories that are always based on business, economics, and forecasting while having fun, laughing, and being among like-minded men, women, and children from Earth, Pluto, Jupiter, and Neptune. Individually and jointly, Paul the Elder and Paul the Younger, coupled with Team Truesdell, have been there and done it. If you enjoy front porch philosophers who take deep dives and connect the dots, while drinking coffee during the day and a whiskey after five, welcome. It is a true pleasure to have you onboard. This is, The Paul Truesdell Podcast.
The Paul Truesdell Podcast Welcome to the Paul Truesdell Podcast. Two Pauls in a pod. Featuring Paul the Elder and Paul the Younger. So, what's the gig? Individually or collectively, Paul and Paul sit down and chat predominately at the Truesdell Professional Building and record frequently. They explain a few things about how life works before time gets away. They connect the dots and plot the knots, spots, and ops with a heavy dose of knocks, mocks, pots, rocks, socks, and mops. Confused? Then welcome aboard! You see, Paul the Elder and Paul the Younger enjoy telling complex stories that are always based on business, economics, and forecasting while having fun, laughing, and being among like-minded men, women, and children from Earth, Pluto, Jupiter, and Neptune. Individually and jointly, Paul the Elder and Paul the Younger, coupled with Team Truesdell, have been there and done it. If you enjoy front porch philosophers who take deep dives and connect the dots, while drinking coffee during the day and a whiskey after five, welcome. It is a true pleasure to have you onboard. This is, The Paul Truesdell Podcast.
A Step Toward Safety: Lessons from an Investment Advisor’s Perspective As an investment advisor, my practice is built on trust, foresight, research, facts, forecasting, and a deep commitment to my clients’ financial well-being. With a client base that’s 90% retirees and 10% business owners, my role extends far beyond managing portfolios. It’s about holistic wealth preservation—ensuring that decades of hard work, disciplined saving, and strategic investing aren’t undone by unforeseen risks. I have experience involving five decades, beginning in the 80s. While market volatility or tax changes often dominate financial conversations, one of the most insidious threats to my clients’ security doesn’t come from Wall Street. It lurks in their own homes: the risk of slip-and-fall accidents, particularly for retirees. A single misstep can unravel a lifetime of effort, and I’ve seen the consequences firsthand. Let me share a story from my past, a lesson from a death investigation during my time with the Tampa Police Department, many decades ago, and weave it into the broader mission of protecting my clients’ legacies through comprehensive wealth advisory. Years ago, while serving with the Tampa Police Department, I was called to a quiet suburban home to investigate a dead body call. The call did not require a full homicide team response and was rather routine. The scene was unassuming—a tidy bathroom in the house of an elderly widower. The man, in his late 80s, had lived independently, proud of his self-reliance, with a weekly housekeeper who tended to his home. That morning, the housekeeper arrived to find him lifeless on the bathroom floor. Rigamortis had set in, and early signs of body decomposition indicated he had been dead for several days. No paramedics were called; the housekeeper’s discovery prompted a police response. The man had tripped on a small bathroom rug, its corner slightly curled from wear. As he shuffled across the tile floor, his foot caught the rug’s edge, sending him lurching forward. His forehead struck the porcelain bowl of the toilet with devastating force, killing him instantly. We conducted a thorough investigation to ensure there was no foul play. It was what it appeared, nothing more or less, but the i’s were dotted, t’s crossed regardless. From the initial response to my securing the home around four to five hours elapsed. Additional latent investigative time was spent along with that of the medical examiner. The medical examiner’s report confirmed our findings: a broken neck from the impact, compounded by a severe head injury. The death was ruled an accident, with no evidence of foul play. The rug, a seemingly harmless household item, had become a deadly hazard. I remember standing in that bathroom, struck by how something so mundane could end a life so abruptly. That case stayed with me, and years later, as an investment and wealth advisor and manager, I’ve shared it countless times with many clients. The story is my way of teaching and reminding my clients that wealth preservation isn’t just about dollars and cents—it’s about safeguarding the life you’ve built, down to the smallest details in your home. Such stories are not unusual and it’s merely one of many homicides I worked on. The reports of actor Gene Hackman’s wife's death from Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome and his eventual lonely and confused passing, highlight how even prominent lives can be disrupted by a single misstep or failure to take appropriate action. Slip-and-fall accidents are a leading cause of injury among older adults, and the statistics are sobering. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 3 million older adults visit emergency rooms annually due to falls, with more than 800,000 hospitalizations. One in four adults over 65 falls each year, and falls are the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries in this age group. In 2020 alone, falls resulted in over 34,000 deaths among older Americans. For retirees, who make up the bulk of my clientele, these accidents often occur at home, where familiarity can breed complacency. Bathrooms, kitchens, and stairways are common danger zones, but even a living room can become hazardous if a throw rug or misplaced towel lies in wait. Throw rugs, in particular, are a frequent culprit. Their edges can curl over time, especially if not secured with non-slip backing or tape. For retirees who shuffle their feet—a common gait change with age—these rugs are traps waiting to spring. A momentary loss of balance can lead to a fall, and the consequences can be catastrophic. Hip fractures, head trauma, and spinal injuries are all too common, often requiring lengthy recoveries or leading to permanent disability. In the worst cases, like the man in Tampa, a fall can be fatal. Towels left on the floor, clutter, or even uneven transitions between rooms can pose similar risks. These hazards are deceptive because they’re so ordinary, blending into the backdrop of daily life until it’s too late. My experience in Tampa shaped, in part, how I approach holistic wealth advice and management. When I meet with clients, I don’t just review their investment portfolios or discuss estate planning. I take a holistic view, recognizing that their financial security is intertwined with their physical safety. For my retiree clients, many of whom are in their 70s and 80s, I emphasize home safety as a critical component of wealth preservation. A single fall can lead to medical bills, long-term care costs, or the loss of independence, draining savings and derailing financial plans. For my business owner clients, who are often juggling demanding schedules, I stress the importance of ensuring their aging parents’ homes are safe, as many are responsible for their care. Part of my advisory process involves candid conversations about lifestyle adjustments. For example, I encourage clients to conduct a home safety audit. This means removing throw rugs or securing them properly, installing grab bars in bathrooms, improving lighting in hallways and staircases, and eliminating clutter. Non-slip mats in showers and tubs are a must, as are handrails on both sides of stairs. For clients with mobility issues, I suggest consulting an occupational therapist to assess their home and recommend modifications. These steps, while simple, can make a profound difference. Another sensitive but necessary topic is driving. For some retirees, declining vision, slower reflexes, or medication side effects make driving unsafe. Continuing to drive poses risks not only to themselves but to others. I’ve had tough conversations with clients, urging them to consider alternatives like ride-sharing services or public transportation. In one case, a client’s daughter thanked me for raising the issue, as her father’s near-miss accidents had been a growing concern. By addressing these issues proactively, we protect not just their financial assets but their dignity and safety. These discussions are deeply personal, and they require trust. My clients know I’m not just their advisor—I’m their advocate, drawing on every lesson I’ve learned, from police work to financial planning. The Tampa case is a story I share not to alarm but to educate. I tell it to illustrate how quickly life can change and how small precautions can prevent tragedy. I often say, “You’ve spent decades building your wealth. Don’t let one missed step take it away.” That phrase resonates, both literally and figuratively, because it captures the fragility of the lives we’ve worked so hard to create. Beyond individual actions, I encourage clients to involve their families. Adult children or trusted relatives can help inspect homes, arrange for modifications, or even assist with downsizing to a safer living environment, like a single-story home or a retirement community with built-in safety featur...…
You Can't Handle the Truth - But We Demand It Deep Dive into COVID's Origins, Coverups, and the Case for Accountability / A Decade of Lost Trust, Billionaires Gained Trillions, and the People Left Behind PART 1: The Crime and the Cover-Up — Why This May Be a War Crime Let us begin with what should have been obvious from the start: this was not just a public health crisis—it may have been a deliberate attack, or at the very least, a catastrophic man-made event that should be prosecuted as a war crime. We know the common cold is an RNA virus, and after more than 100 years of study, we have never produced a reliable vaccine for it. Why? Because RNA viruses mutate rapidly, and there is no single target to pin down. Every winter season is a new game. The same goes for influenza—another RNA virus. It changes constantly, and even our best flu vaccines are educated guesses. So how is it that, out of nowhere, a novel lab-modified RNA virus is introduced to the world, and within months, pharmaceutical companies—working hand-in-hand with government agencies—claim to have the magic shot? That alone should raise red flags. It is like being told that after a century of chasing a ghost, we suddenly caught it in a butterfly net. And let us not forget—this was not a traditional vaccine. It did not use weakened virus particles. It did not build lasting immunity. It was a genetic modifier, delivering mRNA instructions to your cells to produce a foreign protein. In short: it turned your body into a temporary spike protein factory. And when the definition of "vaccine" did not fit, the CDC quietly changed it—with no hearings, no congressional debate, no scientific consensus—just a website update. Now tie that to where it all began: the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which was doing gain-of-function research. This means they were taking animal viruses and altering them to infect humans more easily. That is not theoretical—it is in published papers and grant applications. And the money? It came from the U.S. government, routed through agencies like NIH and NIAID, led by people like Dr. Fauci, who later denied it all under oath. If this virus was intentionally released, or even accidentally released but intentionally covered up, that is the legal definition of a biological weapon. Under the Geneva Conventions, that is a war crime. If a government—China in this case—created and let loose a lab-enhanced virus that killed millions globally, the international community has a duty to respond. But here is the failure: no one is responding. No international tribunal. No U.S. prosecution. No investigation worthy of the name. And that silence is deafening. If justice means anything, this demands prosecution at the highest level—not just of foreign actors, but of anyone domestically who knew, enabled, or profited from this tragedy. Because failure to act on a crime of this scale is not neutrality—it is complicity. PART 2: Lockdowns, Herd Immunity, and the Natural Laws of Viral Mutation Let us now talk about the science that was ignored—or deliberately buried. Viruses, whether RNA or DNA-based, follow a basic evolutionary rule: they need a host to survive, but if they kill the host too quickly, they destroy their own future. So they evolve. They mutate. And over time, they become less deadly and more transmissible—because that is how they spread and persist. That is why natural immunity matters. When a virus passes through a population, especially a healthy one, it typically becomes weaker. This is not fantasy—it is basic virology. But instead of trusting the biology of nature and humanity's proven immune system, we were locked down, masked up, isolated, and told to wait for a "vaccine" that was not a vaccine. By shutting down normal contact, we actually interrupted the natural weakening of the virus. Instead of letting it spread through the low-risk population and build community-level immunity, we created pressure for mutations to arise in isolated pockets. We did not flatten the curve—we stretched it. We fed it. The result? Variants. Delta, Omicron, and others. Not because people refused to wear two masks, but because we refused to let the virus burn itself out naturally. In our arrogance, we tried to outsmart a law of biology—and failed. Lockdowns protected the virus, not the people. Meanwhile, we punished those who exercised common sense. We silenced doctors who spoke of herd immunity and early treatment. We censored discussion of vitamin D, zinc, or lifestyle resilience. Instead, we flooded the airwaves with corporate slogans and political threats. And then came the second insult—long COVID. People who had mild infections were now suffering long-term symptoms. But here is what they are not telling you: many long COVID cases mirror the immune reactions seen in those who took the mRNA shots. Autoimmune responses. Cardiovascular inflammation. Neurological issues. Could it be that long COVID is not just from the virus—but from the so-called "cure"? Science demands that we ask that question. Politics demands that we do not. PART 3: The National Reckoning — Why the American People Deserve the Full Truth This leads us to the most important point: we deserve answers. Not someday—now. Not whitewashed reports from captured agencies, but a full accounting, in public, under oath. Because this is not just about viruses. It is about trust. The Kennedy assassination still leaves unanswered questions. The missing moon landing tapes—gone, just like that. The Epstein client list—still sealed. And now this: the greatest global disruption since World War II, and no one is held accountable. Instead, we are told to move on. Trust the science. Trust the process. But the process was broken. And the science was hijacked. Where there is smoke, there is fire. And this entire pandemic—from lab leaks to lockdowns to vaccines that were not vaccines—reeks of institutional rot. This was not just a failure of medicine. It was a collapse of ethics, of accountability, and of the sacred duty that governments have to their people. The American taxpayer funded the research. The American public suffered the consequences. And now the American people deserve the truth. We need names. We need timelines. We need to know who lied, who covered, and who profited. Because if we do not get answers now, it will happen again. And next time, it may be worse. Truth is not a luxury. It is the foundation of a free society. And if this government, or any government, refuses to tell the truth about what happened—then it has forfeited the right to lead. PART 4: A Call to Action — Think About It, Share It, and Never Forget What They Did If you have made it this far, I thank you. That means you are listening. You are reading. You are thinking. And that right there is the beginning of change. This is not a rant. It is not a theory. It is a record—a methodical breakdown of what happened, how it happened, and why silence is no longer an option. I ask you to share this episode. Send it to your family. Your friends. Neighbors. Coworkers. Especially the ones who turned away. The ones who dismissed the warning signs. The ones who said, "Just get the shot," without ever stopping to question what was being injected into their arm—and why. I lost clients over this. Real clients. I lost long-time acquaintances. And yes—I lost a few people I once called friends. They drank the Kool-Aid. They latched onto the slogans of the state, the spin of the media, and the noise of peer pressure. They never stopped to say, "Wait a minute... does any of this actually make sense?" That is why, for over five decades, I have used one phrase over and...…
A Strategic Analysis of the E-4B Nightwatch Deployment and Implications for Continuity of Government and Global Stability When America's "Doomsday Plane" Moves, Smart Money Pays Attention: Decoding the Signals Behind $160,000-Per-Hour Defense Readiness From the Ashes of 1812 to the Nuclear Age: Why a 40-Year-Old Boeing's Flight Pattern Could Reshape Your Investment Strategy By Paul Grant Truesdell, J.D., AIF, CLU, ChFC, RFC Founder of The Truesdell Companies Investment Advisor for The Truesdell Military Procurement Portfolio Truesdell Wealth, Inc. – A Registered Investment Advisor The Ultimate Insurance Policy Takes Flight: Reading the Tea Leaves of Nuclear Preparedness The recent deployment of a Boeing E-4B Nightwatch aircraft, commonly referred to as the "Doomsday Plane," to Joint Base Andrews near Washington, D.C., underscores the United States' ongoing commitment to maintaining operational readiness in the face of escalating global tensions. This aircraft, a critical component of the National Airborne Operations Center (NAOC), serves as a mobile command post designed to ensure the continuity of government and military operations during catastrophic events, such as nuclear conflict. For professionals in investment advisory and wealth management, this development is not an omen of imminent crisis but a data point—a "dot" in a complex landscape of geopolitical and strategic indicators. By connecting this dot to others through pattern matching, forecasters and advisors can better assess risks and guide clients through an increasingly volatile world. This analysis explores the E-4B's role, its strategic significance, the continuity of government framework, and the broader implications of global escalation, with a focus on the concepts of attention span, span of attention, and span of control. E-4B Nightwatch: Specifications, Age, and Strategic Deployment The United States maintains a fleet of four E-4B Nightwatch aircraft, each a militarized version of the Boeing 747-200B, designed to serve as a survivable command post for the President, Secretary of Defense, and Joint Chiefs of Staff. These aircraft were produced in the 1970s, with upgrades to the E-4B configuration completed by January 1985. The age of these aircraft—now over four decades old—presents both advantages and challenges. While their analog systems provide inherent resistance to electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attacks and cyber threats that could compromise modern digital systems, their aging infrastructure requires continuous maintenance and upgrades to remain operationally viable. Each aircraft had an estimated unit cost of approximately $223.2 million, with operational costs nearing $160,000 per hour due to fuel, maintenance, and the extensive crew required—up to 112 personnel, including military analysts, strategists, and communication specialists. The substantial maintenance requirements of these aging aircraft underscore the critical need for their eventual replacement. Boeing, the original manufacturer, has faced significant challenges in recent years with quality control and delivery delays across multiple programs, most notably the troubled development of the new Air Force One aircraft based on the 747-8 platform. The delays and cost overruns in the Presidential Aircraft Replacement Program highlight the broader industrial challenges facing defense contractors and the importance of maintaining existing capabilities while transitioning to next-generation systems. The E-4Bs are equipped with advanced communication systems, including 67 satellite dishes and antennas, thermal and nuclear shielding, and electromagnetic pulse (EMP) protection, enabling them to withstand nuclear blasts, cyberattacks, and other disruptions. Their ability to remain airborne for up to a week with in-flight refueling ensures sustained command and control capabilities during prolonged crises. However, the age of these systems necessitates ongoing modernization efforts to maintain compatibility with evolving communication protocols and security standards. Strategically, the E-4Bs are primarily based at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, under the operational control of the 1st Airborne Command and Control Squadron of the 595th Command and Control Group, coordinated by U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM). However, their deployment is flexible, with at least one aircraft maintained on continuous alert, ready to deploy within minutes. Historically, one E-4B was stationed at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland for rapid access by the President and Secretary of Defense, though this practice shifted to Offutt in the 1990s for enhanced security. The recent flight to Joint Base Andrews, observed on June 17, 2025, reflects a strategic repositioning, likely in response to heightened tensions in the Middle East, particularly between Iran and Israel. This move does not indicate an immediate threat but highlights the military's proactive stance in maintaining readiness across various scenarios. Historical Context: From Department of War to Department of Defense The evolution of America's military organizational structure reflects the nation's changing strategic posture and lessons learned from historical conflicts. Originally established as the Department of War in 1789, this institution was accurately named to reflect its primary function: the preparation for and conduct of warfare. The renaming to the Department of Defense in 1947, as part of the National Security Act, represented a philosophical shift toward a more defensive posture in the post-World War II era. However, as military strategists have long understood, effective defense requires offensive capabilities and the willingness to project power beyond one's borders. The distinction between offense and defense in military strategy is crucial. Purely defensive strategies, while appealing from a moral standpoint, often lead to strategic defeat because they cede initiative to adversaries. A more accurate nomenclature might be the "Department of Security," encompassing both defensive and offensive capabilities necessary to protect national interests. However, the reality remains that military planning must prepare for war—not merely defense—to maintain deterrence and protect national security effectively. This historical perspective is reinforced by examining pivotal moments in American history, particularly the War of 1812. During this conflict, British forces successfully invaded the United States and burned significant portions of Washington, D.C., including the Capitol and the President's House (now the White House) on August 24, 1814. First Lady Dolley Madison's famous rescue of Gilbert Stuart's portrait of George Washington became a symbol of preservation under fire, but the broader lesson was the vulnerability of the nation's capital to foreign attack. The British ability to penetrate so deeply into American territory demonstrated the consequences of inadequate military preparedness and the importance of maintaining robust defensive capabilities. The lessons of 1812 influenced subsequent American military development, emphasizing the need for a strong, forward-deployed military capable of deterring threats before they reached American shores. This philosophy would later manifest in President Theodore Roosevelt's demonstration of American naval power through the Great White Fleet. The Great White Fleet and American Naval Power Projection Theodore Roosevelt's Great White Fleet expedition (1907-1909) exemplified America's emergence as a global military power and demonstrated the strategic value of naval projection capabilities. The fleet, consisting of 16 battleships painted white with gilded scrollwork, circumnavigated the globe over 14 months, covering approximately 43,000 miles and visiting 20 ports on six continents. This unprecedented display of naval power served multiple strategic purposes: d...…
The Paul Truesdell Podcast Principal Storyteller and Analyst: Paul Grant Truesdell, J.D., AIF, CLU, ChFC, RFC Founder & CEO of The Truesdell Companies The Truesdell Professional Building 200 NW 52nd Avenue Ocala, Florida 34482 352-612-1000 - Local 212-433-2525 - New York Truesdell Wealth, Inc. https://truesdellwealth.com The Truesdell Companies https://truesdell.net The Truesdell Companies was a proud sponsor of the Eirinn Abu benefit concert for Tunnel to Towers, on February 28th at the Circle Square arena in Ocala, Florida. For more information, visit: https://eirinnabu.com or https://eirinnabu.com/event/5760795/695871447/eirinn-abu-and-tunnel-to-towers-foundation-concert Events The Ultimate Christmas Gift The Story Your Family Will Cherish Forever Casual Conversations Friday, June 13 – 6:30 pm Reservations Required - Call or Text: 352-612-1000 Creative Estate Distribution Beyond Essential Estate Planning Documents Casual Conversations Friday, June 27 – 6:30 pm Reservations Required - Call or Text: 352-612-1000 No Cost or Obligation – Reservations - Seating Limited - Desserts with Coffee, Tea, - Beer, Wine, - Soft Drinks, or Mocktails. Disclaimer You are listening to the Paul Truesdell Podcast, sponsored by Truesdell Wealth and the other Truesdell Companies. Note. Due to our extensive holdings and our clients, always assume that we have a position in all companies discussed and that a conflict of interest exists. The information presented is provided for entertainment and informational purposes only. Truesdell Wealth is a Registered Investment Advisor. Rough Outline The Retirement Planning Wake-Up Call That Should Have Happened Decades Ago I spend considerable time reading, reviewing, researching, and analyzing business documents and forecasts. When I'm not immersed in financial analysis, I enjoy reading well-crafted legal thrillers and biographies. I also consume a substantial amount of content from financial services professionals, and frankly, about 50% of the time I finish shaking my head, rolling my eyes, and muttering "really?" or "dumbbell." Recently, I encountered an article that perfectly exemplifies this frustration. The author presents what they consider groundbreaking insight: that one-size-fits-all retirement planning approaches don't work for today's new retirees or soon-to-be retirees, unlike what sufficed for the World War II and senior boomer generations. Their revolutionary discovery? People differ in longevity. Well, no kidding, Gomer. Wow, what insight. I can't help but think of Gomer Pyle saying "Shazam!" to Sergeant Carter. This person has the brilliant realization that people with higher income and greater net worth—erroneously equating these two as identical, which they're not—live longer, and therefore require different planning approaches than those with lower income and net worth. Here's my question: if you're legitimately performing your job as a holistic advisor, planner, and manager, shouldn't this have been fundamental to your practice from day one? To have this insight decades into your career is ludicrous. The Questions That Should Always Be Asked I've spoken with numerous people who recently became clients of our firm. They consistently tell me that no previous advisor ever inquired about their health, mortality, or morbidity factors like we do. They don't find our approach invasive because we understand how to ask and engage without being intrusive. We state upfront that we have no crystal ball regarding longevity. Historical mortality within families, combined with morbidity factors and life experiences—injuries, physical fitness, diet—all contribute to the core fundamental issue of wealth management. I discuss this frequently, and sometimes I feel like I'm repeating myself. But I realize that while this is my daily reality, others aren't consuming everything I say constantly. Interest levels fluctuate as people check out and return periodically. The Seven Components That Never Change The seven components of wealth and status that I developed in the 1980s continue to hold true today and will remain relevant forever. These include both internal and external components that require awareness and attention. The Seven COWS, in order of importance are: mindset, physical, emotional, intellectual, relationships, income, and risk management. Recently, I met several people in their mid-80s whose primary focus was estate planning documents. In one case, an 80-something individual was creating estate documents for the very first time, literally saying, "I guess it's about time." Another wanted major revisions because people named in their documents had become disabled or died. A third case involved someone whose designated representatives had shown their true colors—something had happened during the previous holiday season, and they were done with those relationships. Each person held different views about mortality. One expected to die at 90, another declared they were "going as long as I can" while enthusiastically discussing their robust physical activity and social involvement. The third didn't know how long they'd live, hoping for longevity but not if cognitively challenged. This person had a profound realization during our conversations: they lacked genuine friends, recognizing this as what was missing in their life. I define friendship completely differently from the traditional approach. Unlike the typical valley girl who overuses words like "friend" and "love"—"I love everything, I love this, you're my friend, she's my friend, the dog's my friend, I talk to my plant so the plant's my friend"—words should carry specific meaning. When you misuse language and remain lackadaisical about true emotions, they become meaningless. This resonated deeply with my 80-something client, creating one of those profound "aha" moments and prompting fundamental change. The Real Problem with Financial Planning Here's the key issue: I read these articles without discounting authors because they're younger—sometimes fresh eyes provide insights we might otherwise miss. However, having sudden realizations that wealthy people live longer, that people who care for themselves live longer, and that one-size-fits-all approaches don't work is precisely why I dislike the overwhelming majority of people calling themselves financial planners who rely on idiotic financial planning software programs. These tools are childish and ineffective. This isn't rocket science. Everyone is unique and individual. The goal of a real professional is to discover facts, take appropriate action, and encourage behavioral continuations or changes to achieve two fundamental life objectives. The Ultimate Goal These objectives bring me to something that's both clever and profound. When we strip away all the complexity, all the sophisticated analysis, all the detailed planning, it really comes down to helping people achieve what a certain pointy-eared character from science fiction used to say while raising his hand in that distinctive split-finger salute. Think about it: when he made that Vulcan hand gesture—fingers split while essentially giving a victory sign—he was communicating victory itself. Victory in life. It's reminiscent of Winston Churchill's iconic pose during World War II: that bulldog face, cigar in mouth, fingers raised in the V for victory. These become memes, visual representations that are never forgotten. That's what real wealth management accomplishes when done correctly. It's not about complex software or sudden insights that should have been obvious decades ago. It's about understanding that each person's journey is unique, that health and relationships matter as much as money, and that the ultimate goal is eleg...…
The Paul Truesdell Podcast Principal Storyteller and Analyst: Paul Grant Truesdell, J.D., AIF, CLU, ChFC, RFC Founder & CEO of The Truesdell Companies The Truesdell Professional Building 200 NW 52nd Avenue Ocala, Florida 34482 352-612-1000 - Local 212-433-2525 - New York Truesdell Wealth, Inc. https://truesdellwealth.com The Truesdell Companies https://truesdell.net The Truesdell Companies was a proud sponsor of the Eirinn Abu benefit concert for Tunnel to Towers, on February 28th at the Circle Square arena in Ocala, Florida. For more information, visit: https://eirinnabu.com or https://eirinnabu.com/event/5760795/695871447/eirinn-abu-and-tunnel-to-towers-foundation-concert Events The Ultimate Christmas Gift The Story Your Family Will Cherish Forever Casual Conversations Friday, June 13 – 6:30 pm Reservations Required - Call or Text: 352-612-1000 Creative Estate Distribution Beyond Essential Estate Planning Documents Casual Conversations Friday, June 27 – 6:30 pm Reservations Required - Call or Text: 352-612-1000 No Cost or Obligation – Reservations - Seating Limited - Desserts with Coffee, Tea, - Beer, Wine, - Soft Drinks, or Mocktails. Disclaimer You are listening to the Paul Truesdell Podcast, sponsored by Truesdell Wealth and the other Truesdell Companies. Note. Due to our extensive holdings and our clients, always assume that we have a position in all companies discussed and that a conflict of interest exists. The information presented is provided for entertainment and informational purposes only. Truesdell Wealth is a Registered Investment Advisor. Rough Outline The Drudge Report Meets Adam Goldman: When Yellow Journalism Goes Full Circle How a sarcastic FEMA joke exposed the intellectual bankruptcy of modern media and the death of common sense in American journalism When obvious sarcasm becomes front-page news: A tale of two yellow journalism traditions and the readers too dim to tell the difference From Hearst and Pulitzer to headlines and hot takes: Why America's media can't recognize wit when it slaps them in the face The day American journalism proved Oscar Wilde right about sarcasm being the highest form of intelligence—by completely missing the point Yellow journalism emerged in the 1890s when William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer waged circulation wars through sensationalized headlines, unverified claims, and manufactured outrage. Their scare tactics and emotional manipulation helped push America into the Spanish-American War by turning a tragic accident—the USS Maine explosion—into a conspiracy requiring military intervention. The defining characteristics of this journalistic disease remain unchanged: sensational headlines designed to grab attention rather than inform, reliance on anonymous sources with obvious agendas, partisan framing that transforms routine events into constitutional crises, and the deliberate manipulation of public emotion over facts. Fast-forward to 2025, and we witness this same yellow journalism playbook being executed with surgical precision across the modern media landscape. The Drudge Report's latest headline screams "FEMA FAIL NEW CHIEF UNAWARE OF 'HURRICANE SEASON'" while Adam Goldman's New York Times piece breathlessly reports FBI "upheaval" and "fear and uncertainty." Both stories follow the identical template their predecessors used to sell papers and start wars. But here's where things get deliciously ironic—and where the intellectual gulf between high and low-brow journalism becomes a chasm worthy of ridicule. Let's examine the FEMA story with the kind of analytical precision that apparently escapes both Drudge readers and Reuters reporters. FEMA Director David Richardson, during what sources describe as a daily briefing, allegedly said he "had not been aware the country has a hurricane season." The Reuters story immediately notes that "it was not clear to staff whether he meant it literally, as a joke, or in some other context." Anyone with functioning brain cells and a basic understanding of human communication would recognize this as obvious sarcasm. Picture the scene: You're the new director of a disaster agency, sitting in a room full of bureaucrats who've spent decades perfecting the art of bureaucratic resistance. Some perpetual pain-in-the-posterior asks, "Mr. Director, do you think FEMA is ready for hurricane season?"—the kind of loaded, gotcha question designed to create problems where none exist. The intelligent response? A sarcastic deflection: "Oh, there's a hurricane season? I had no idea we needed to be aware of such things." As Oscar Wilde observed, "Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, but the highest form of intelligence." The brilliance of sarcasm lies in its demand for cognitive sophistication from both speaker and audience. Research from Haifa University demonstrates that understanding sarcasm requires multiple brain processes—language areas interpret literal meaning while frontal lobes and the right brain understand social and emotional context. In essence, sarcasm serves as an instant IQ test. And boy, did a lot of people fail spectacularly. George Carlin, that master of intellectual comedy and surgical social commentary, understood this dynamic perfectly. Carlin had the verbal skill to make audiences laugh while dropping insightful messages, earning him the title "Master of Sociological Comedy" for his ability to point out hypocrisies. His humor appealed to those capable of grasping multiple layers of meaning simultaneously—the kind of audience that would immediately recognize Richardson's comment as obvious sarcasm rather than literal ignorance. But here's the tragedy of our current media ecosystem: it's dominated by people who would be confused at a George Carlin performance and accept headlines from The Onion as gospel truth. The Drudge Report appeals to what we might charitably call the "headline-only reading demographic"—people who consume information in meme-sized chunks and mistake boldface type for journalism. These are the same intellectual giants who forward chain emails and believe everything they see on social media. Meanwhile, Adam Goldman's supposedly sophisticated New York Times analysis suffers from the opposite problem—it takes itself so seriously that it misses the forest for the trees. Goldman transforms routine administrative changes into evidence of institutional collapse, treating every personnel decision as a potential constitutional crisis. His reporting style represents yellow journalism for the NPR crowd—longer sentences, more anonymous sources, but the same fundamental dishonesty dressed up in prestige journalism clothing. The beautiful irony is that Richardson's sarcastic response—if that's indeed what it was—demonstrates exactly the kind of intellectual agility we should want in leadership positions. He deflected a loaded question with humor while simultaneously exposing the absurdity of the inquiry itself. In a sane world, this would be evidence of quick thinking and communication skills. Instead, we get pearl-clutching from Democrats like Chuck Schumer, who apparently lacks the cognitive bandwidth to recognize sarcasm when he encounters it. Representative Bennie Thompson's response—"If you don't know what or when hurricane season is, you're not qualified to run FEMA"—perfectly illustrates the intellectual bankruptcy of taking obvious sarcasm at face value. This is where The Onion's approach becomes instructive. America's finest news source succeeds precisely because it exaggerates truth to the point of absurdity, forcing readers to engage their critical thinking faculties. Headlines like "Local Man Passionate Defender Of What ...…
The Paul Truesdell Podcast Principal Storyteller and Analyst: Paul Grant Truesdell, J.D., AIF, CLU, ChFC, RFC Founder & CEO of The Truesdell Companies The Truesdell Professional Building 200 NW 52nd Avenue Ocala, Florida 34482 352-612-1000 - Local 212-433-2525 - New York Truesdell Wealth, Inc. https://truesdellwealth.com The Truesdell Companies https://truesdell.net The Truesdell Companies was a proud sponsor of the Eirinn Abu benefit concert for Tunnel to Towers, on February 28th at the Circle Square arena in Ocala, Florida. For more information, visit: https://eirinnabu.com or https://eirinnabu.com/event/5760795/695871447/eirinn-abu-and-tunnel-to-towers-foundation-concert Events The Ultimate Christmas Gift The Story Your Family Will Cherish Forever Casual Conversations Friday, June 13 – 6:30 pm Reservations Required - Call or Text: 352-612-1000 Creative Estate Distribution Beyond Essential Estate Planning Documents Casual Conversations Friday, June 27 – 6:30 pm Reservations Required - Call or Text: 352-612-1000 No Cost or Obligation – Reservations - Seating Limited - Desserts with Coffee, Tea, - Beer, Wine, - Soft Drinks, or Mocktails. Disclaimer You are listening to the Paul Truesdell Podcast, sponsored by Truesdell Wealth and the other Truesdell Companies. Note. Due to our extensive holdings and our clients, always assume that we have a position in all companies discussed and that a conflict of interest exists. The information presented is provided for entertainment and informational purposes only. Truesdell Wealth is a Registered Investment Advisor. Rough Outline 0:00 Well, good morning, good afternoon or good evening. It is the first day of June. It's Sunday, June, 1 2025 the year has been flying by. I have been watching a gentleman by the name of Scott Adams for years, and his recent cancer announcement has me thinking about credibility, I mean, and how dramatically government decisions affect all of our lives. Let me be really clear up front, I do wish Scott and President Biden, who's dealing with the exact same diagnosis, all the best. And nobody deserves to suffer from cancer regardless of what they've said or done. And we're going to talk about that. Have a real, honest conversation about these two fellows. So it is what it is. Scott is an interesting discussion. I think you're going to find my twist on this to be unique. Let's get the disclaimer out of the way. We'll be right back right after this. 0:54 You are listening to the Paul Truesdell podcast sponsored by Truesdell wealth and the other Truesdell companies. Note, due to our extensive holdings and our clients always assume that we have a position in all companies discussed and that a conflict of interest exists. The information presented is provided for entertainment and informational purposes only. Truesdell wealth is a registered investment advisor. I 1:24 We need to talk honestly about Scott Adams and his complete lack of credibility on issues that he claims to be an expert in. Now, for those of you who don't know Scott Adams, he created a cartoon character by name of Dilbert. We all loved it years ago. It's the workplace comic strip that was in over 2000 newspapers when we actually had newspapers, and that's what at his peak 2000 is pretty impressive. He parlayed that success into business writing and daily live streams called real coffee with Scott Adams. And I've watched a lot of them I've listened to more than I've watched when I'm working out and when I'm going for a walk or riding a bike or in the car. And he positioned himself as some kind of a master persuader, which was always really interesting, because my background and what I know, and you know, having classes in interviews and interrogations and my background from a long, long time ago, I found it interesting. He called himself a master persuader and a researcher, and his research, I found, was always so, so. But the guy built a brand around being analytically brilliant and seeing through things that others missed. Now here's the problem, his research has been consistently terrible. In my opinion, his timing on major issues shows he's usually way behind the curve the 3:00 Yeah. So let's take COVID, for example, by January of 2020, there were a lot of us who were paying a lot of attention to what was going on. Now, we were following COVID very closely in August and September of 2019 and we took very seriously this threat, real seriously, because we had a real bad result as as a result of the swine flu in 2009 that hurt our family hard. We were a lot of illness net. I'm not going to go into the details, but by January of 2020, we could see all the contradictions, the fear mongering, the power grabs, all being disguised as public health. And you should know that during this time frame, my engagement with people down in Tampa, in particular in the West Shore area, because I was heavily involved back in the day down there. I lost a lot of business. I lost a lot of clients, a lot of prospective clients. But I knew I was right. I was vindicated, because I told people this is not what you think it is. We have the RNA and mRNA you have, you got to understand the differences in these, these viruses. And this is not a traditional vaccine. This is a genetic modifier. Now, we knew lockdowns were psychologically manipulative from day one, and I said this on a regular basis, you can't flatten the curve. And one of the things I did do is I studied, for example, extensively the depression and what Roosevelt did and how he did not flatten the curve when it came to the depression. Now, I'm know we're talking about economics and a virus. You might say they don't mix, but they do, and if sometimes you just gotta let things happen. In other words, you keep propping up somebody who's sick and not letting them die, nobody wins on that. So this whole thing about flat. The curve of respiratory virus through lockdowns that has never worked in history, absolutely never. Oh, but where Scott Adams comes in, he's supposed to be the master analyst, right? So he winds up getting shots in early 2021 and he predicted that vaccines would, again, the COVID vaccine, that it's not a vaccine, but it would crush the pandemic. Well, it didn't, but that wasn't until mid 2022 that he started questioning everything. So this was, like, two and a half years after we had been saying to everybody, guys, this is hogwash, and I would anyone who would listen. You know, they would some would take it, some wouldn't. And I know a lot of you listen. I got a lot of clients that got jabbed. I know they did bingo, and we've talked about it. Some of the people I know that when I say this, they get mad at me, because I think a lot of folks truly do realize they've made a mistake. They wish they could do it over again. So, you know, they kind of like, don't want to be told in their face. I get it, but here's the thing. By 2023 in January, he was finally concluding that the anti vaxxers Were the clear winners, and that the vaccinated took far too many risks with no rewards. So he was way behind us in this we're talking like three years now behind us, and he's doing his research, and he's an independent thinker. So one of the things you're going to see is people who are all pro Vax, all pro Vax, all pro government, everything else. They're going to just have a field day with him, and then others are going to do as well because of what he wound up doing with racial relations. So this is not a vaccine that we're talking about. So genetic modifier, it violated every established rule for vaccine development. Pharmaceutical companies demanded unprecedented legal immunity, and they got it normal vaccine development that takes oh, five to 15 years. ...…
The Paul Truesdell Podcast Part 1 of 2 For the ebook and pdf version - click here. Principal Storyteller and Analyst: Paul Grant Truesdell, J.D., AIF, CLU, ChFC, RFC Founder & CEO of The Truesdell Companies The Truesdell Professional Building 200 NW 52nd Avenue Ocala, Florida 34482 352-612-1000 - Local 212-433-2525 - New York Truesdell Wealth, Inc. https://truesdellwealth.com The Truesdell Companies https://truesdell.net The Truesdell Companies was a proud sponsor of the Eirinn Abu benefit concert for Tunnel to Towers, on February 28th at the Circle Square arena in Ocala, Florida. For more information, visit: https://eirinnabu.com or https://eirinnabu.com/event/5760795/695871447/eirinn-abu-and-tunnel-to-towers-foundation-concert Events The Ultimate Christmas Gift The Story Your Family Will Cherish Forever Casual Conversations Friday, June 13 – 6:30 pm Reservations Required - Call or Text: 352-612-1000 Creative Estate Distribution Beyond Essential Estate Planning Documents Casual Conversations Friday, June 27 – 6:30 pm Reservations Required - Call or Text: 352-612-1000 No Cost or Obligation – Reservations - Seating Limited - Desserts with Coffee, Tea, - Beer, Wine, - Soft Drinks, or Mocktails. Disclaimer You are listening to the Paul Truesdell Podcast, sponsored by Truesdell Wealth and the other Truesdell Companies. Note. Due to our extensive holdings and our clients, always assume that we have a position in all companies discussed and that a conflict of interest exists. The information presented is provided for entertainment and informational purposes only. Truesdell Wealth is a Registered Investment Advisor. Rough Outline What do Paul Truesdell masterfully weaves together the seemingly unconnected lives of five American icons, revealing a hidden thread that binds their fates in ways 99% of people would never imagine. A gap-toothed Marine who conquered Muhammad Ali. A career politician who reached the presidency. Two Oscar-winning actors who defined generations. A Hollywood sex symbol who embodied American masculinity. What could Leon Spinks, Joe Biden, Gene Hackman, Ronald Reagan, and Burt Reynolds possibly have in common? Everything. Their intertwined stories expose a devastating truth: extraordinary success provides zero protection against life's ultimate vulnerability—the "gray zone" where cognitive decline, medical failures, and institutional blindness converge. Spinks died broke despite millions earned. Biden concealed decline while cancer went undetected. Hackman perished alone, unaware his wife lay dead nearby. Only Reagan faced his Alzheimer's with dignity, while Reynolds maintained grace under financial pressure. Truesdell's genius lies in connecting these disparate threads into one inescapable conclusion: accumulated wealth is an illusion of security. True protection comes from guaranteed income streams that function regardless of mental capacity, market crashes, or predatory exploitation. Prepare to have your assumptions shattered. Because their common thread is your future—unless you act on what Truesdell reveals. Spinks, Joe Biden, Gene Hackman, Burt Reynolds, and Ronald Reagan have in common?…
The Paul Truesdell Podcast Principal Storyteller and Analyst: Paul Grant Truesdell, J.D., AIF, CLU, ChFC, RFC Founder & CEO of The Truesdell Companies The Truesdell Professional Building 200 NW 52nd Avenue Ocala, Florida 34482 352-612-1000 - Local 212-433-2525 - New York Truesdell Wealth, Inc. https://truesdellwealth.com The Truesdell Companies https://truesdell.net The Truesdell Companies was a proud sponsor of the Eirinn Abu benefit concert for Tunnel to Towers, on February 28th at the Circle Square arena in Ocala, Florida. For more information, visit: https://eirinnabu.com or https://eirinnabu.com/event/5760795/695871447/eirinn-abu-and-tunnel-to-towers-foundation-concert Events The Ultimate Christmas Gift The Story Your Family Will Cherish Forever Casual Conversations Friday, June 13 – 6:30 pm Reservations Required - Call or Text: 352-612-1000 Creative Estate Distribution Beyond Essential Estate Planning Documents Casual Conversations Friday, June 27 – 6:30 pm Reservations Required - Call or Text: 352-612-1000 No Cost or Obligation – Reservations - Seating Limited - Desserts with Coffee, Tea, - Beer, Wine, - Soft Drinks, or Mocktails. Disclaimer You are listening to the Paul Truesdell Podcast, sponsored by Truesdell Wealth and the other Truesdell Companies. Note. Due to our extensive holdings and our clients, always assume that we have a position in all companies discussed and that a conflict of interest exists. The information presented is provided for entertainment and informational purposes only. Truesdell Wealth is a Registered Investment Advisor. Rough Notes Hurricane Season Foreclosure Risk Discussion I want to discuss a convergence of factors that warrant attention as we enter the 2025 hurricane season. From an asset allocation perspective, we're observing several trends that could create significant pressure points in the housing market, particularly in hurricane-prone regions. Let me begin with the current hurricane season outlook. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has forecast 13 to 19 named storms this season, with 6 to 10 hurricanes and 3 to 5 major hurricanes. Colorado State University projects 17 named storms with 9 hurricanes. Multiple forecasting agencies are aligned on an above-average season, which establishes the baseline risk environment we're operating in. What makes this season different from previous years is the significant reduction in federal disaster response capacity. Since January, FEMA has reduced its workforce by approximately 2,000 employees, representing roughly one-third of full-time staff. The administration has eliminated the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program, which removed 293 million dollars in previously approved hurricane and flood mitigation projects from Florida alone. These included road improvements, community safe rooms, and canal reinforcements. The agency's long-term recovery funding office has experienced an 84 percent staffing reduction. Training programs have been curtailed, travel restrictions implemented, and senior leadership positions eliminated. This represents a fundamental shift in federal disaster response capability during what forecasters predict will be an active storm season. The mortgage performance data presents additional concerns. Florida recorded the largest year-over-year increase in mortgage delinquencies nationally in Q1 2025, rising 46 basis points. In Q4 2024, Florida led with a 99 basis point quarterly increase. These metrics indicate underlying financial stress in a state that typically experiences significant hurricane activity. The risk profile becomes clearer when we examine the demographics most likely to be affected. We're looking at two distinct homeowner categories with elevated vulnerability. The first group consists of high-net-worth individuals with properties valued in the millions who can absorb total losses without systemic financial impact. The second group represents homeowners, often retirees, whose properties are mortgage-free but who have elected to forgo insurance coverage due to cost constraints. Consider the financial profile of a typical at-risk homeowner: a 75-year-old retiree living in a paid-off home now valued at 400,000 dollars. Their fixed income has not adjusted with inflation rates. Property taxes have increased substantially. Insurance premiums have escalated from approximately 1,200 dollars annually to 6,000 dollars, assuming coverage remains available. When faced with competing budget priorities, essential expenses take precedence over insurance premiums. When hurricane damage occurs, this demographic faces a cascade of financial challenges. Without insurance coverage, they cannot access claim payments. With reduced FEMA capacity, federal assistance becomes limited or delayed. Without liquid reserves, they must leverage their primary asset to fund repairs. This creates a scenario where previously debt-free homeowners must secure mortgages against their properties to finance storm repairs. At current interest rates of approximately 7 percent, a 150,000 dollar repair loan generates monthly payments of 1,500 to 2,500 dollars. Combined with ongoing property taxes, insurance requirements, and basic living expenses, many fixed-income budgets cannot accommodate this additional debt service. The mathematics of this situation are straightforward: when monthly obligations exceed monthly income, default becomes inevitable. This could trigger foreclosure proceedings in affected areas. The risk extends beyond retirees to homeowners who purchased properties with minimal down payments in recent years. These buyers often operate with limited financial cushions. Hurricane insurance deductibles have increased significantly, with many policies now requiring 5 percent deductibles. For a 300,000 dollar home, this represents 15,000 dollars in out-of-pocket expenses before insurance coverage begins. For financially stretched homeowners, meeting deductible requirements alone could precipitate foreclosure. We're potentially observing the setup for geographically concentrated foreclosure activity triggered by natural disasters rather than lending practices. Unlike the 2008 mortgage crisis, which spread across multiple markets due to systemic lending issues, hurricane-related foreclosures would concentrate in storm-affected regions among homeowners who were current on obligations until external factors made payment impossible. The data points are establishing a pattern: reduced federal disaster response capacity, increasing mortgage stress indicators in hurricane-prone states, rising insurance costs and deductibles, and a vulnerable demographic with limited financial flexibility. An active hurricane season intersecting with these conditions could produce foreclosure rates exceeding historical norms in affected areas. From a risk management perspective, we're monitoring these interconnected factors not as a prediction, but as a scenario that warrants preparation. The probability of significant storm activity appears elevated based on meteorological forecasts. The capacity for federal disaster response has demonstrably decreased. Mortgage performance indicators in key states show deterioration. Insurance markets continue tightening in high-risk areas. The question facing investors and policymakers is not whether storms will occur this season, but whether current systems and resources can adequately address the secondary economic impacts when they do. We're operating with reduced safety nets during a period of elevated risk, which creates conditions for amplified economic consequences from natural disasters. This analysis focuses on connecting observable data points rather than making definitive forecasts. Howev...…
The Paul Truesdell Podcast Principal Storyteller and Analyst: Paul Grant Truesdell, J.D., AIF, CLU, ChFC, RFC Founder & CEO of The Truesdell Companies The Truesdell Professional Building 200 NW 52nd Avenue Ocala, Florida 34482 352-612-1000 - Local 212-433-2525 - New York Truesdell Wealth, Inc. https://truesdellwealth.com The Truesdell Companies https://truesdell.net The Truesdell Companies was a proud sponsor of the Eirinn Abu benefit concert for Tunnel to Towers, on February 28th at the Circle Square arena in Ocala, Florida. For more information, visit: https://eirinnabu.com or https://eirinnabu.com/event/5760795/695871447/eirinn-abu-and-tunnel-to-towers-foundation-concert Events Single, Widowed, Divorced, or With Dependent Spouse Casual Conversations May 16 – 6:30 pm Reservations Required - Call or Text: 352-612-1000 The Truesdell Military Procurement Portfolio Casual Conversations May 23 – 6:30 pm Reservations Required - Call or Text: 352-612-1000 June & July – A Financial Series in Oak Run – Ocala, Florida Disclaimer You are listening to the Paul Truesdell Podcast, sponsored by Truesdell Wealth and the other Truesdell Companies. Note. Due to our extensive holdings and our clients, always assume that we have a position in all companies discussed and that a conflict of interest exists. The information presented is provided for entertainment and informational purposes only. Truesdell Wealth is a Registered Investment Advisor. Rough Notes Introduction Good morning, good afternoon, good evening. Welcome to another addition to the Paul Truesdell podcast. We call it the Paul Truesdell podcast because my name is Paul Truesdell, so that makes the most sense. In today's episode, we're going to be covering the business headlines from yesterday that prove the world keeps spinning despite presidential predictions of doom. We'll dive into Trump's masterful Middle East strategy that's got both Israel and Iran scrambling to adjust, and we'll take a look at Gavin Newsom's hilarious attempt to rebrand himself as a centrist while keeping his communist-style economic policies firmly in place. We're going to weave in some basic data with a little bit of sarcasm—as you know, that's my style—to show you how experience and business acumen consistently outperform academic theories and establishment groupthink. So what do you say? Let's get this disclaimer out of the way and then we'll kick this thing off. Business Headlines The World Continues Turning Let's start with yesterday's business headlines, because apparently the apocalypse got delayed again. Dick's Sporting Goods Acquires Foot Locker for $2.4 Billion Dick's Sporting Goods announced a major acquisition yesterday, purchasing athletic footwear retailer Foot Locker for $2.4 billion. The deal combines two of America's largest sporting goods retailers as they face challenges from rising tariffs and direct-to-consumer competition from athletic brands. Dick's Sporting Goods is a publicly traded company on the NYSE, while Foot Locker is also publicly traded, known for its mall-based athletic footwear stores targeting urban and youth markets. Cerebras Systems Eyes 2025 IPO AI chipmaker Cerebras Systems announced its "aspiration" to go public in 2025, as the artificial intelligence boom continues to drive investor interest in specialized semiconductor companies. The company is known for creating the world's largest computer chip specifically designed for AI training and inference workloads. Cerebras is currently a private company backed by venture capital, competing with Nvidia in the AI chip space. UnitedHealth Under Federal Criminal Investigation UnitedHealth Group faces a federal criminal probe over possible Medicare fraud, according to reports, sending shares down yesterday. The investigation adds to the healthcare giant's challenges following recent cybersecurity breaches and leadership changes. UnitedHealth Group, traded on the NYSE under UNH, is America's largest health insurer and parent company of Optum healthcare services. Walmart Warns of Tariff-Driven Price Increases The world's largest retailer warned it cannot absorb all costs from higher tariffs on imported goods, particularly from China, signaling potential price increases for shoppers. Walmart and other retailers are racing to secure Chinese-made merchandise before the busy summer shopping season as trade tensions continue. Walmart, traded on the NYSE as WMT, operates over 10,000 stores worldwide and is a bellwether for consumer spending. Nvidia Reveals $900 Million CoreWeave Investment Chip giant Nvidia disclosed it owned $900 million worth of stock in cloud computing startup CoreWeave as of March, highlighting its strategic investments in AI infrastructure companies. The revelation comes as Nvidia continues to dominate the AI chip market and expand its ecosystem of partners. Nvidia trades on NASDAQ under NVDA and is currently one of the world's most valuable companies, specializing in graphics processing units and AI accelerators. JPMorgan Investors Seek Tariff Impact Clarity Investors are looking for JPMorgan Chase to provide more clarity on how new tariffs will impact its business operations and succession planning as the banking giant faces an uncertain trade environment. The bank's leadership and strategic direction remain key concerns as the financial sector navigates potential regulatory changes under the new administration. JPMorgan Chase, traded on the NYSE as JPM, is America's largest bank by assets and a global leader in investment banking and consumer finance. Sarcastic Market Update Well, well, well—would you look at that? The sun still rose in the east this morning and is stubbornly planning to set in the west tonight, even though Donald Trump is sitting in the Oval Office. The S&P 500 climbed for a fourth session, adding to this week's rally after the U.S. and China agreed to temporarily slash tariff rates. Shocking, I know—who could have predicted that business would continue as usual instead of the apocalyptic collapse predicted by the doom-and-gloom crowd? Apparently, nobody told Wall Street about the supposed end times because the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 271.69 points, or 0.65%, Wednesday. Even more scandalously, tech giants are putting up a strong showing week to date. Nvidia and Tesla are both up around 15% each, while Meta Platforms has added nearly 9% during the period. Perhaps these investors missed the memo about following the mainstream media lemmings off the cliff. In another stunning development that will surely disappoint the Chicken Littles, wholesale prices unexpectedly declined in April as prices for services fell the most in at least the past 16 years. The producer price index declined 0.5% when economists expected a 0.3% increase. But hey, don't let actual data stop you from following the Pied Pipers who promised economic Armageddon. Meta's Scam Crisis: A Warning for Seniors The Wall Street Journal's investigation into Meta's platforms reveals an alarming trend that particularly impacts our senior community. The report documents what company officials themselves call "an epidemic of scams" flooding Facebook and Instagram, with fraudsters increasingly targeting older adults who may be more vulnerable to sophisticated deception. Research consistently shows that seniors face higher risks from online fraud due to several factors. Natural cognitive changes that come with aging can affect judgment and decision-making speed. Additionally, seniors often demonstrate more trusting behavior online, having grown up in an era when business was conducted ...…
The Paul Truesdell Podcast Principal Storyteller and Analyst: Paul Grant Truesdell, J.D., AIF, CLU, ChFC, RFC Founder & CEO of The Truesdell Companies The Truesdell Professional Building 200 NW 52nd Avenue Ocala, Florida 34482 352-612-1000 - Local 212-433-2525 - New York Truesdell Wealth, Inc. https://truesdellwealth.com The Truesdell Companies https://truesdell.net The Truesdell Companies was a proud sponsor of the Eirinn Abu benefit concert for Tunnel to Towers, on February 28th at the Circle Square arena in Ocala, Florida. For more information, visit: https://eirinnabu.com or https://eirinnabu.com/event/5760795/695871447/eirinn-abu-and-tunnel-to-towers-foundation-concert Events Retirement Income: The Good, Bad, and Ugly Casual Conversations Stonewater – Stone Creek - Ocala March 9 – 6:30 pm Reservations Required - Call or Text: 352-612-1000 Single or With Dependent Spouse Casual Conversations May 16 – 6:30 pm Reservations Required - Call or Text: 352-612-1000 The Truesdell Military Procurement Portfolio Casual Conversations May 23 – 6:30 pm Reservations Required - Call or Text: 352-612-1000 June & July – A Financial Series in Oak Run – Ocala, Florida Disclaimer You are listening to the Paul Truesdell Podcast, sponsored by Truesdell Wealth and the other Truesdell Companies. Note. Due to our extensive holdings and our clients, always assume that we have a position in all companies discussed and that a conflict of interest exists. The information presented is provided for entertainment and informational purposes only. Truesdell Wealth is a Registered Investment Advisor. Rough Notes Fare Jumpers, Fake Reform, and a Frozen Rink Why Penn Station is still a dump, and how the guy who fixed an ice rink might save the whole rotten system By Paul Grant Truesdell, J.D., AIF, CLU, ChFC, RFC – Honest sarcasm from a man who reads the contracts What do you get when you mix billions in taxpayer waste, a crumbling train station, fare-jumping chaos, and a guy named Trump who actually gets things done? You get Penn Station—the government’s greatest boondoggle on rails. In this episode, I take you through the Shinola-soaked mess, the federal clawbacks, the Attorney General’s hypocrisy, and why Elon Musk should audit the MTA. It is sarcastic, brutal, and absolutely true. If you like your comedy with facts, buckle up. Disclaimer You are listening to the Paul Truesdell Podcast, sponsored by Truesdell Wealth and the other Truesdell Companies. Note. Due to our extensive holdings and our clients, always assume that we have a position in all companies discussed and that a conflict of interest exists. The information presented is provided for entertainment and informational purposes only. Truesdell Wealth is a Registered Investment Advisor. You ever been to Penn Station? No, not the old one—the architectural cathedral they blew up in the 1960s like it was a bad Vegas act. I’m talking about the rat maze they built underneath Madison Square Garden, where dreams die, tiles peel, and the only thing flowing is urine... and not all of it from humans. Penn Station today looks like Chernobyl’s forgotten subway. Seriously—if cockroaches had a convention center, this would be it. And if you’re a woman walking alone through Penn at night? God help you. It is not just sketchy, it is maximum-security-prison-yard-after-lights-out sketchy. You could be wearing a nun’s habit and still get followed. Try being mildly attractive and you’re basically reenacting The Walking Dead with hormones. And what do they do about it? Oh, they announce things. Big glossy renderings! Fancy brochures! A PowerPoint extravaganza with more colors than a kindergarten art project. “We’re revitalizing Penn Station,” they say. “It’ll be beautiful!” Meanwhile, the ceiling’s leaking, the escalators are stuck on "never," and there’s a guy sleeping on the floor using a Pizza Hut box as a pillow. You walk in looking for a train and come out with tetanus. But wait, it gets better. Or worse. Or both. The MTA, which stands for “Maybe Tomorrow, Actually,” has been given billions—yes, with a B—to fix this place. Seven billion just for this round. And what have they done? They’ve managed to print some graphics showing escalators they will never install. That’s it. They spent more money on visual aids than on actual concrete. It’s like a magician who’s great with the smoke but forgot the mirrors. And don’t even get me started on the fare gates. The city spends millions redesigning them every few years, hoping that this time, this time, people will stop jumping over them. They put spikes, lasers, facial scanners—hell, they tried “behavioral nudging.” That’s a real thing. You know what works? The old-school steel turnstiles from the ‘70s. Those tanks. Nobody jumps those unless they’re training for the Olympics. But the MTA does not want old stuff that works. No, they want new stuff that does not. Why? Because new stuff means new contracts, new consultants, new lunches at Le Bernardin. Ka-ching! Now here’s the kicker—Amtrak owns Penn Station. Yep. Not New York. Not the MTA. Amtrak. As in the Feds. As in “surprise, we’re taking over now.” And who did that? That orange guy they all love to hate—Donald Trump. You remember Trump, right? The one who actually got the Wollman Ice Rink in Central Park fixed in less time than it takes the city to open a mailbox? Yeah, when New York bureaucrats spent six years trying to fix an ice rink, Trump stepped in, said “Hold my hair spray,” and got it done in four months. Under budget. With working plumbing. You can Google it—if Google hasn’t censored it yet. So now Trump’s back in the transit game. And oh boy, the same people who could not unclog a subway toilet in under three fiscal years are losing their minds. “You can’t let Trump near the station!” they scream. Why not? You already let him fix the last thing you broke. What are you afraid of, success? So now that Trump has taken control of the Penn Station rebuild through Amtrak—because he legally could since it is federally owned, not some MTA playground of incompetence—you would think the city would breathe a sigh of relief, right? Wrong. Instead, they act like he just took a sledgehammer to Lady Liberty and asked her to hold a Big Mac. You know why they are mad? Because Trump did what they could not—take back control of a federal asset they were mismanaging like it was a cash-spewing slot machine. And not only that—he tapped into one of the best things the federal government has done in years: the clawback program. That’s right. The Department of Transportation and the feds started reviewing who got what money, what they did with it, and guess what? Billions in unspent, misallocated, and fraudulent transit funds have been identified, halted, and—get this—some of it is actually being recovered. Now there’s a concept. Accountability. You know, that thing that vanishes faster than a politician’s promise once the microphones are turned off? Ah yes, congestion pricing—New York’s latest plan to charge people for the privilege of driving into a place they were already trying to avoid. You want to visit Midtown? That’ll be $23. Want to deliver food? That’s $23. Got a sick kid to take to a hospital? Congratulations, you just got toll-tagged for saving a life in a broken-down ambulance that stalled in a rat-infested pothole. Welcome to the Big Apple, baby. Bite it and bleed. And now, Governor Kathy “Checkbook” Hochul is throwing a hissy fit because the Department of Transportation might yank $2.2 billion in federal funding. Why? Because Sean Duffy—yes, the guy who dares suggest that taxpayer money ...…
Important Stuff and the Imaginary Rulemakers The Paul Truesdell Podcast Principal Storyteller and Analyst: Paul Grant Truesdell, J.D., AIF, CLU, ChFC, RFC Founder & CEO of The Truesdell Companies The Truesdell Professional Building 200 NW 52nd Avenue Ocala, Florida 34482 352-612-1000 - Local 212-433-2525 - New York Truesdell Wealth, Inc. https://truesdellwealth.com The Truesdell Companies https://truesdell.net The Truesdell Companies was a proud sponsor of the Eirinn Abu benefit concert for Tunnel to Towers, on February 28th at the Circle Square arena in Ocala, Florida. For more information, visit: https://eirinnabu.com or https://eirinnabu.com/event/5760795/695871447/eirinn-abu-and-tunnel-to-towers-foundation-concert Events Essential Florida Estate Documents Casual Conversations Stonewater – Stone Creek - Ocala A Packed House – Interested? We’ll Redo This In June or July Reservations Required - Call or Text: 352-612-1000 Retirement Income: The Good, Bad, and Ugly Casual Conversations Stonewater – Stone Creek - Ocala March 9 – 6:30 pm Reservations Required - Call or Text: 352-612-1000 Single or With Dependent Spouse Casual Conversations May 16 – 6:30 pm Reservations Required - Call or Text: 352-612-1000 The Truesdell Military Procurement Portfolio Casual Conversations May 23 – 6:30 pm Reservations Required - Call or Text: 352-612-1000 June & July – A Financial Series in Oak Run – Ocala, Florida Disclaimer You are listening to the Paul Truesdell Podcast, sponsored by Truesdell Wealth and the other Truesdell Companies. Note. Due to our extensive holdings and our clients, always assume that we have a position in all companies discussed and that a conflict of interest exists. The information presented is provided for entertainment and informational purposes only. Truesdell Wealth is a Registered Investment Advisor. Rough Notes Important Stuff and the Imaginary Rulemakers By Paul Truesdell Good morning, afternoon, or evening, ladies and germs; in reference to those of us who successfully refused DNA altering, myocarditis, enhancing, genetic, modifying liquids. In other words, the germy super spreaders responsible for the collapse of the world’s population five years ago. Where was I? Let’s see, I digressed with my welcome. Now, where was I going before I lost it? Oh yeah, now I remember, I had a boomer moment. Ready? Let’s get real for a second. We are living in a world governed by imaginary people with imaginary rules who somehow got real power. You know who I mean—the clipboard people. The rule whisperers. The bureaucratic sorcerers behind the curtain, like that little twerp in The Wizard of Oz. Except he got caught. Today’s rulemakers? They never get caught. They just keep moving the finish line and asking if you brought the right form—on recycled paper, single-sided, in triplicate, notarized, and oh, by the way, do you have your Social Security card? My Social Security card. Sir, do you have it? No, I do not. I have not seen that thing since Reagan was in office and MTV played music. Maybe—just maybe—it is in the box. You know the one. The mythical important stuff box. We all have one. It is probably in a garage, or in a closet, or in a rental storage unit you forgot you still pay for. Somewhere, there is a cardboard sarcophagus filled with W-2s from 1979, expired passports, a child’s tooth in a ziplock, and a floppy disk labeled “TAXES.” You lose stuff. I lose stuff. We all lose stuff. Because there is too much damn stuff. The older you get, the more stuff you accumulate. And here is the kicker: the older the stuff, the more likely someone will eventually call it “essential.” “Do you have a copy of the original mortgage from your first house?” Do I look like I carry papyrus scrolls? No, I do not have that. I barely have receipts from last week. But you know what? There should be a universal symbol—something sacred—for important stuff. Like a neon sticker that says, “HEY MORON—DO NOT LOSE THIS.” We have symbols for everything else. STOP signs. YIELD signs. Biohazard warnings. They even put a symbol on shampoo bottles so you do not drink it. But when it comes to your birth certificate, your Social Security card, or the title to your car? Just a sad, faded piece of paper that looks like it got sneezed on by a government mimeograph machine in 1953. And the DMV—oh, the DMV. “Sir, this document is not valid.” Why? “It is laminated.” Well, I laminated it because it was falling apart! “That voids it.” So preserving it destroys it. Got it. Same logic as a tax refund. Now let us talk about passports. Finally someone with a clue. At least it is a book. Pages, binding, cover—the whole nine yards. When you hold it, it feels important. You flip through it, and other countries stamp it. They judge you. And that is the best part. Judging based on paper. Because nothing says modern civilization like being judged by ink impressions from countries with active volcanoes and zero indoor plumbing. But hey, I lost mine. Again. “Do you have your birth certificate to get a new one?” My birth certificate? The document created the day I got here—before I even knew what paper was? You are asking me to produce a fragile 8½ x 11” relic from the Eisenhower administration? That is like asking me for the original receipt from my circumcision. And do not forget the rule: if you do not have the original, you can request a certified copy—but only if you have… the original. Let that sink in. And while we are here, can we all agree on something? Paperless society—my ass. We were promised less paper. But now it is just your paper, their paper, and six different cloud storage accounts you forgot the passwords to. You sign up for one thing online—bam—ten paper statements arrive next week, plus a letter asking why you did not go green. Let me tell you, I have seen the promised land—and it is full of expired usernames and documents with creases so deep they qualify as topographic maps. Important stuff, folks. Important stuff. Meanwhile, we are living in a system where everything is urgent—but nothing is organized. A nation of baby boomers fighting for a seat in the waiting room with a man named Carl who brought every document he ever owned… in a garbage bag. God bless Carl. He is prepared. Too prepared. But he cannot find the one page he needs because it is wedged between a 1974 Polaroid and a life insurance policy from a company that went out of business in 1993. And just once, just once, I want to walk into an office and be asked for something I actually have. “Sir, do you have an expired Blockbuster card, a prescription from 1986, and a small paperclip bent into the shape of Tennessee?” YES I DO! But ask me for proof of insurance, I will hand you a yogurt lid and say, “This feels important.” You see, the system does not care what you have. It only cares if you have it now. And if you do not, well, you can go home and cry into your copy of For Whom the Bell Tolls. That is if you can find it. It is probably next to the Magna Carta and a bottle of White-Out. So here is the truth: We are not navigating life—we are navigating a maze built by lunatics, lined with red tape, and managed by people who think “filing” means “putting stuff in a drawer and slamming it shut with rage.” And you wonder why I am sarcastic? I am not mad. I am just exhausted from pretending that this all makes sense. So I leave you with this, my fellow boomers: If you ever find your Social Security card, your birth ce...…
2025 Principal Storyteller and Analyst: Paul Grant Truesdell, J.D., AIF, CLU, ChFC, RFC Founder & CEO of The Truesdell Companies The Truesdell Professional Building 200 NW 52nd Avenue Ocala, Florida 34482 352-612-1000 - Local 212-433-2525 - New York Truesdell Wealth, Inc. https://truesdellwealth.com The Truesdell Companies https://truesdell.net The Truesdell Companies was a proud sponsor of the Eirinn Abu benefit concert for Tunnel to Towers, on February 28th at the Circle Square arena in Ocala, Florida. For more information, visit: https://eirinnabu.com or https://eirinnabu.com/event/5760795/695871447/eirinn-abu-and-tunnel-to-towers-foundation-concert Events Essential Florida Estate Documents Casual Conversations Stonewater – Stone Creek - Ocala A Packed House – Interested? We’ll Redo This In June or July Reservations Required - Call or Text: 352-612-1000 Retirement Income: The Good, Bad, and Ugly Casual Conversations Stonewater – Stone Creek - Ocala March 9 – 6:30 pm Reservations Required - Call or Text: 352-612-1000 Single or With Dependent Spouse Casual Conversations May 16 – 6:30 pm Reservations Required - Call or Text: 352-612-1000 The Truesdell Military Procurement Portfolio Casual Conversations May 23 – 6:30 pm Reservations Required - Call or Text: 352-612-1000 June & July – A Financial Series in Oak Run – Ocala, Florida Disclaimer You are listening to the Paul Truesdell Podcast, sponsored by Truesdell Wealth and the other Truesdell Companies. Note. Due to our extensive holdings and our clients, always assume that we have a position in all companies discussed and that a conflict of interest exists. The information presented is provided for entertainment and informational purposes only. Truesdell Wealth is a Registered Investment Advisor. Rough Notes The Fight Against Fentanyl: A Victory the Media Refuses to Acknowledge When Trump Takes Action That Saves American Lives, The Media Looks Away It never ceases to amaze me how far the mainstream media will go to avoid giving credit where credit is due. If this were the Biden administration, the Obama administration, or even the Bush administration, every network — CNN, NBC, CBS, you name it — would be falling all over themselves congratulating America for taking a bold step against the fentanyl crisis. There would be *60 Minutes* specials. There would be White House ceremonies. There would be magazine covers. There would be endless interviews praising the "courage" and "determination" of our leaders. But because it is Donald Trump who has taken decisive action — again — the silence is deafening. Let me walk you through exactly what is happening. And why this matters more than almost anything you are hearing on the evening news. Starting May 2, the Trump administration is putting an end to a massive loophole called the **de minimis exception** in international shipping. For years, foreign producers — most notably in China and India — have been flooding the United States with small shipments of goods that bypass customs inspections and avoid tariffs simply because they claimed the package was worth less than $800. Under de minimis, if you shipped a small box and declared it under $800, you did not have to pay tariffs, you did not have to go through real inspection, and you did not even have to list the contents with any meaningful detail. Sounds harmless? It was not. **The U.S. Postal Service became the single biggest contributor to the drug trade without even meaning to.** Here is how it worked: Chemical plants in China would manufacture the pre-precursors and raw materials needed to create fentanyl — the deadly synthetic opioid that has fueled the worst drug epidemic in American history. They would package these chemicals into thousands of tiny parcels. These parcels would then be shipped through the U.S. Postal Service, exploiting the de minimis rule to fly under the radar. Once inside our borders, the materials would be repackaged and sent down to Mexican drug labs, where fentanyl would be synthesized and then smuggled back into the United States in finished form. It was a global death loop. And it was being aided, whether knowingly or unknowingly, by our own postal system. President Trump has taken a hammer to it. The new rule will impose a **90% tariff**, with a **$75 minimum fee**, on any de minimis shipments. In effect, this shuts down the pipeline. **This will not solve fentanyl entirely.** But it strikes at the heart of the distribution chain. It will make it more expensive, riskier, slower, and harder to traffic the raw materials needed to flood our streets with poison. It will save lives. It will cripple the convenience that drug traffickers have enjoyed for years. ### The Cost of Doing Nothing Let us talk facts. Fentanyl deaths have skyrocketed in recent years. According to the CDC, more than **70,000 Americans died of fentanyl-related overdoses in 2023 alone**. That is roughly **one death every seven minutes**. The economic impact is staggering. Beyond the unbearable human toll, the federal government estimates the opioid crisis costs the U.S. economy **over $1 trillion annually** — between health care costs, lost productivity, law enforcement, and legal proceedings. Local police departments, sheriff’s offices, U.S. Marshals, DEA agents, and first responders have seen skyrocketing incidents of overdose responses, seizures, and deaths. Fentanyl is so potent that **a single exposure to a small amount can kill a police officer** simply by skin contact or inhalation. We have lost countless officers to accidental overdoses during drug busts. We have seen communities ravaged by addiction, crime, and hopelessness. When you add the costs of emergency room visits, long-term rehabilitation, child welfare services for orphaned children, and the sheer loss of productive life, the national burden is incalculable. And for years, politicians have held "roundtables" and "task forces" and "working groups" — and done virtually nothing. Until now. ### A Real Step Forward What Trump has done here is not cosmetic. It is not a press conference. It is not a ribbon-cutting ceremony. It is action. It is the kind of **real-world, no-nonsense policy** that actually stops bad actors from doing bad things. By shutting down the de minimis loophole, Trump has not just hit Chinese chemical plants and Mexican cartels where it hurts — he has hit the corrupt globalist system that benefits from cheap, unregulated shipping while American citizens pay the price in lives and treasure. This is a big deal. And yet... crickets. The media does not want to talk about it. Because to talk about it would mean admitting that Donald Trump — the man they have demonized, slandered, and mocked for nearly a decade — has done something profoundly good for the country. And that is something they can never allow. ### The Hypocrisy is Unforgivable When Joe Biden stumbles onto a stage, the media calls him "resilient." When Barack Obama dropped more drone bombs than any president in history, the media called him "measured." When George W. Bush launched a disastrous war in Iraq, t...…
2025 Principal Storyteller and Analyst: Paul Grant Truesdell, J.D., AIF, CLU, ChFC, RFC Founder & CEO of The Truesdell Companies The Truesdell Professional Building 200 NW 52nd Avenue Ocala, Florida 34482 352-612-1000 - Local 212-433-2525 - New York Truesdell Wealth, Inc. https://truesdellwealth.com The Truesdell Companies https://truesdell.net The Truesdell Companies was a proud sponsor of the Eirinn Abu benefit concert for Tunnel to Towers, on February 28th at the Circle Square arena in Ocala, Florida. For more information, visit: https://eirinnabu.com or https://eirinnabu.com/event/5760795/695871447/eirinn-abu-and-tunnel-to-towers-foundation-concert Events Essential Florida Estate Documents Casual Conversations Stonewater – Stone Creek - Ocala April 25 – 6:30 pm Reservations Required - Call or Text: 352-612-1000 Retirement Income: The Good, Bad, and Ugly Casual Conversations Stonewater – Stone Creek - Ocala March 9 – 6:30 pm Reservations Required - Call or Text: 352-612-1000 Single or With Dependent Spouse Casual Conversations May 16 – 6:30 pm Reservations Required - Call or Text: 352-612-1000 The Truesdell Military Procurement Portfolio Casual Conversations May 23 – 6:30 pm Reservations Required - Call or Text: 352-612-1000 June & July – A Financial Series in Oak Run – Ocala, Florida Disclaimer You are listening to the Paul Truesdell Podcast, sponsored by Truesdell Wealth and the other Truesdell Companies. Note. Due to our extensive holdings and our clients, always assume that we have a position in all companies discussed and that a conflict of interest exists. The information presented is provided for entertainment and informational purposes only. Truesdell Wealth is a Registered Investment Advisor. Rough Notes From Brokers to Bookies: The Troubling Shift in Modern Investing Introduction In recent years, the financial landscape has undergone a significant transformation. Platforms once dedicated to facilitating investments are now venturing into territories reminiscent of gambling arenas. This shift raises pressing ethical and professional questions about the direction in which modern investing is heading. Understanding the Basics Before delving deeper, it's essential to grasp some foundational terms: - Long Position This involves purchasing a stock with the belief that its value will increase over time - Short Selling Here, an investor borrows shares and sells them, hoping to repurchase them later at a lower price, profiting from the difference. - Options Contracts These are agreements that grant the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell a stock at a predetermined price within a specific timeframe. - Prediction Markets Platforms where individuals can place bets on the outcomes of future events, such as elections or sports match. Robinhood's Entry into Prediction Markets Robinhood, a platform renowned for democratizing stock trading, has recently introduced "event contracts." These allow users to wager on various outcomes, from sports tournaments like March Madness to political events such as presidential elections. While presented as innovative financial instruments, these offerings closely resemble traditional gambling activities. Ethical and Professional Concerns The integration of betting mechanisms into investment platforms blurs the line between investing and gambling. This convergence can mislead users, especially younger investors, into engaging in high-risk behaviors under the guise of legitimate investing. Regulatory bodies have taken notice; for instance, Massachusetts regulators have initiated probes into Robinhood's betting offerings related to college basketball. The Issue with Short Selling Short selling, while a legitimate financial strategy, has its controversies. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, has been a vocal critic, describing short selling as "a means for bad people on Wall Street to steal money from small investors" and advocating for its prohibition. Furthermore, during financial crises, several European nations have imposed temporary bans on short selling to curb market volatility. Robinhood's Acquisition of TradePMR In a significant move, Robinhood acquired TradePMR, a custodial platform for Registered Investment Advisors, for $300 million. This acquisition raises concerns about potential conflicts of interest, as it merges advisory services with a platform promoting speculative trading activities. Look, the evolution of investment platforms into hybrid models that incorporate gambling elements poses ethical and professional challenges. It's imperative for regulators, financial professionals, and investors to recognize and address these issues to ensure the integrity of the financial system and protect the interests of all stakeholder, but this is a natural progression as a result of the illegal Covid lockdowns. COVID-19 Retail Investing Surge During the COVID-19 lockdowns, many individuals, particularly younger adults, found themselves with increased free time and, in some cases, stimulus funds. This environment contributed to a notable rise in retail investing. Studies indicate that retail investors increased their average weekly trading intensity by approximately 13.9% as COVID-19 cases doubled, highlighting a significant uptick in trading activities during the pandemic. Platforms like Robinhood, with their user-friendly interfaces and commission-free trades, became particularly popular among these new investors. However, the ease of access also led to concerns about inexperienced individuals engaging in high-risk trading without fully understanding the implications. Robinhood's Foray into Prediction Markets In recent developments, Robinhood has introduced "event contracts," allowing users to bet on outcomes of events like sports tournaments and political election. This move has drawn criticism from regulators and financial experts who argue that such offerings blur the line between investing and gambling. Massachusetts' top securities regulator, William Galvin, expressed concern over this development, stating that linking gambling events to popular sports, especially those appealing to young people, is problematic. The concern is that these features may encourage speculative behavior among users who might not fully grasp the risks involved, potentially leading to significant financial losses. Ethical Implications and Market Integrity The integration of gambling-like features into investment platforms raises ethical questions about the role of such platforms in promoting responsible financial behavior. Critics argue that by gamifying trading and introducing speculative products, platforms like Robinhood may prioritize user engagement over the financial well-being of their user. This shift could undermine the credibility of financial markets, transforming them from venues for prudent investment to arenas of speculation and chance. Distinguishing Investing, Speculating, and Gambling To clarify: - Investing: Allocating money into assets with the expectation of generating income or profit over time, based on fundamental analysis and long-term growth prospect. - Speculating: Engaging in financial transactions that involve significant risk, with the hope of substantial gains, often based on market trends or technical analysis. - Gambling: Wagering money on outcomes largely determined by chance, with little to no reliance on analysis or predictable patterns. While all three involve risk, the key differences lie in the methods and intentions behind the financial decisions. Final Thought...…
2025 Principal Storyteller and Analyst: Paul Grant Truesdell, J.D., AIF, CLU, ChFC, RFC Founder & CEO of The Truesdell Companies The Truesdell Professional Building 200 NW 52nd Avenue Ocala, Florida 34482 352-612-1000 - Local 212-433-2525 - New York Truesdell Wealth, Inc. https://truesdellwealth.com The Truesdell Companies https://truesdell.net The Truesdell Companies was a proud sponsor of the Eirinn Abu benefit concert for Tunnel to Towers, on February 28th at the Circle Square arena in Ocala, Florida. For more information, visit: https://eirinnabu.com or https://eirinnabu.com/event/5760795/695871447/eirinn-abu-and-tunnel-to-towers-foundation-concert Events Essential Florida Estate Documents Casual Conversations Stonewater – Stone Creek - Ocala April 25 – 6:30 pm Reservations Required - Call or Text: 352-612-1000 Retirement Income: The Good, Bad, and Ugly Casual Conversations Stonewater – Stone Creek - Ocala March 9 – 6:30 pm Reservations Required - Call or Text: 352-612-1000 Single or With Dependent Spouse Casual Conversations May 16 – 6:30 pm Reservations Required - Call or Text: 352-612-1000 The Truesdell Military Procurement Portfolio Casual Conversations May 23 – 6:30 pm Reservations Required - Call or Text: 352-612-1000 June & July – A Financial Series in Oak Run – Ocala, Florida Disclaimer You are listening to the Paul Truesdell Podcast, sponsored by Truesdell Wealth and the other Truesdell Companies. Note. Due to our extensive holdings and our clients, always assume that we have a position in all companies discussed and that a conflict of interest exists. The information presented is provided for entertainment and informational purposes only. Truesdell Wealth is a Registered Investment Advisor. Section 1: The Invisible Threat – GPS Spoofing and Jamming – Part One: Factual Overview As commercial aircraft crisscross the globe with seamless precision, passengers assume the complex technology guiding them is unshakable. Yet, the very satellite signals that aircraft rely upon—those tiny GPS pulses from space—are not immune to disruption. In fact, they are alarmingly vulnerable. Enter the rising threat of GPS jamming and spoofing: an invisible form of electronic interference capable of misguiding or disabling the critical navigation systems of aircraft in midair. GPS jamming involves broadcasting stronger signals on the same frequency as legitimate GPS signals to drown them out. Spoofing takes it a step further by sending fake signals that mimic real GPS transmissions—only with the wrong data. The result? An aircraft might think it's over Poland when it’s actually over Belarus. Pilots suddenly find themselves fighting a system that insists their position, altitude, or direction is wrong—and all while managing an aircraft full of passengers. Between August 2023 and March 2024 alone, over 46,000 reported cases of GPS signal degradation, spoofing, or loss occurred across Eastern Europe and the Middle East. One of the most notable incidents was Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243, which tragically crashed after suffering total navigational failure caused by jamming and spoofing near contested airspace. The flight attempted several landings with incorrect altitude data before losing all remaining systems and going down, resulting in the loss of 38 lives. Modern aircraft navigation relies heavily on a mix of GPS and inertial reference systems. Inertial systems track movement based on acceleration and rotation, but over time they drift—without GPS, accuracy decays rapidly. While pilots are trained to use alternate means like radio navigation or visual references, these tools are less precise and not always available, especially in poor weather or at night. What’s more alarming is that many aircraft—especially smaller commercial jets and private planes—lack the robust countermeasures necessary to detect or mitigate spoofing. Pilots aren’t always notified that their GPS feed has been compromised until it’s too late. Some aircraft and airports have adopted multi-layered defense strategies, including encrypted military-grade GPS (not available commercially), ground-based augmentation systems, and alert systems that notify pilots when suspicious signal behavior is detected. But these systems are expensive and not universally deployed. Furthermore, spoofing attacks are often state-sponsored or conducted by advanced criminal syndicates. Many airlines don’t have the resources to investigate these incidents—or the legal jurisdiction to respond. Meanwhile, international aviation bodies are struggling to define a coherent response across borders. The scope of the problem has not been widely acknowledged by the mainstream press. Aviation professionals speculate that the reasons include complexity, fear of public panic, and reluctance to expose national security weaknesses. But the silence only fuels the risk. Without public awareness and pressure, change comes slowly. The stakes are high—not just in terms of human lives but in terms of liability, logistics, and global trust in air travel. As spoofing becomes more accessible and devices more portable, the aviation industry must prioritize hardened GPS alternatives, better pilot training for navigation loss, and international cooperation to criminalize and combat these tactics. What was once an obscure technical footnote has become a frontline battle in aviation safety. And unless serious attention and investment follow, the next tragedy might not be a rare anomaly—it might be routine. Section 2: The Role and Reality of Air Marshals – Part One: Factual Overview Federal Air Marshals (FAMs) are a critical, often invisible component of the United States' counterterrorism and aviation safety infrastructure. Operated by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Federal Air Marshal Service (FAMS) exists to detect, deter, and defeat hostile acts targeting U.S. air carriers, passengers, and crew. The air marshal program began in 1961 as a response to a wave of hijackings. Originally small in scale and jurisdiction, the program was dramatically expanded after the September 11, 2001 attacks. At that time, the United States recognized the urgent need for undercover, armed law enforcement personnel onboard passenger flights. Since then, FAMs have been integrated into a broader national security framework and are managed by the TSA under the Department of Homeland Security. Federal Air Marshals are recruited through a highly selective process. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, generally under the age of 37 at the time of appointment (waivers are available for qualified veterans), and must possess a valid driver’s license, excellent health, and strong moral character. Background checks are exhaustive, involving financial, criminal, and psychological assessments. Candidates must pass: - A structured interview and written assessment; - A medical examination; - A psychological screening; - A physical abilities test including a 1.5-mile timed run, push-ups, and sit-ups; - Firearms qualification testing. Candidates accepted into the program begin their journey at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) in Artesia, New Mexico. Training is broken into multiple phases over approximately 16 to 21 weeks and includes: - Criminal law and constitutional procedures - Firearms training (pistol qualification at close quarters) - Defensive tactics and close-quarter countermeasures - Aircraft-specific tactical deployment - Emergency response and crisis management - Observation, surveillance, and behavior analysis Upon completion, marshals cont...…
2025 Principal Storyteller and Analyst: Paul Grant Truesdell, J.D., AIF, CLU, ChFC, RFC Founder & CEO of The Truesdell Companies The Truesdell Professional Building 200 NW 52nd Avenue Ocala, Florida 34482 352-612-1000 - Local 212-433-2525 - New York Truesdell Wealth, Inc. https://truesdellwealth.com The Truesdell Companies https://truesdell.net The Truesdell Companies was a proud sponsor of the Eirinn Abu benefit concert for Tunnel to Towers, on February 28th at the Circle Square arena in Ocala, Florida. For more information, visit: https://eirinnabu.com or https://eirinnabu.com/event/5760795/695871447/eirinn-abu-and-tunnel-to-towers-foundation-concert Events Essential Florida Estate Documents Casual Conversations Stonewater – Stone Creek - Ocala April 25 – 6:30 pm Reservations Required - Call or Text: 352-612-1000 Retirement Income: The Good, Bad, and Ugly Casual Conversations Stonewater – Stone Creek - Ocala March 9 – 6:30 pm Reservations Required - Call or Text: 352-612-1000 Single or With Dependent Spouse Casual Conversations May 16 – 6:30 pm Reservations Required - Call or Text: 352-612-1000 The Truesdell Military Procurement Portfolio Casual Conversations May 23 – 6:30 pm Reservations Required - Call or Text: 352-612-1000 June & July – A Financial Series in Oak Run – Ocala, Florida Disclaimer You are listening to the Paul Truesdell Podcast, sponsored by Truesdell Wealth and the other Truesdell Companies. Note. Due to our extensive holdings and our clients, always assume that we have a position in all companies discussed and that a conflict of interest exists. The information presented is provided for entertainment and informational purposes only. Truesdell Wealth is a Registered Investment Advisor. Rough Notes Title: “Illegal is Illegal—And No, Your Church Isn’t a Refugee Motel” Let’s get something straight right out of the gate. If you walk into a restaurant through the back door, ignore the hostess, seat yourself at a reserved table, and start eating food off someone else’s plate—you’re not a guest. You’re a trespasser. So why is it so hard to apply the same logic to national borders? We’re told we have to be compassionate. Okay. Fine. I can do compassion. But compassion without law is chaos. And chaos, my friends, is expensive. Now I read a piece recently—solid stuff—about Donald Trump notching a win against what’s called the “Immigration Industrial Complex.” Sounds like something out of a dystopian sci-fi novel, right? But no, it’s real. It’s a bloated network of tax-funded non-governmental organizations—NGOs—who’ve been raking in government contracts to act as travel agents for illegal aliens. And here’s the kicker: A whole lot of those contracts were going to *religious* groups. You know, the ones who pass the collection plate on Sunday and then spend Monday cashing government checks. Let’s talk about the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops—USCCB. They just announced they’re not renewing their contracts with the federal government for children’s services and refugee support. Sounds noble, right? Cue the violin. But don’t be fooled. They didn’t suddenly grow a backbone or rediscover the Gospel. They got cut off. The Trump administration froze their federal funding. And once the gravy train stopped running, they pulled out of the station and tried to spin it like a martyrdom story. And just how dependent were they on your tax dollars? Buckle up. In 2022, Catholic Charities USA took in $1.4 billion—*billion*—in government support. That’s more than they raised in private donations. In fact, the bishops were getting over 95% of their program funding from Uncle Sam. I’ve got to ask—where in the New Testament does it say, “Blessed are the NGOs, for they shall inherit federal contracts”? Now look, I don’t blame folks for wanting a better life. I really don’t. If I lived in a country run by a drug cartel or a communist regime or both, I’d be hiking toward the border too. But we are a nation of laws—or at least we used to be before law became optional and feelings became policy. This country *welcomes* legal immigrants. We always have. But when illegal becomes just another lifestyle choice—like veganism or CrossFit—we’ve got a problem. And no, putting the word “undocumented” in front of it doesn’t magically make it moral. That’s like calling a bank robber an “unauthorized funds extractor.” Now back to our friends in the clergy. When pressed, the executive director of the bishops’ migration program admitted they couldn’t survive without the taxpayers. Let me repeat that—they said, and I quote, “You can’t replace the generosity of the taxpayer.” Translation: if we can’t spend *your* money, we don’t want to do it at all. So here’s a question for every pastor, priest, or pope-in-waiting who lectures us on open borders—how many migrants are you personally housing in your church basement tonight? I’ll wait. See, it’s easy to moralize when someone else foots the bill. Kind of like the neighbor who invites the whole block to *your* house for Thanksgiving. And the Pope? Well, he just passed away. May he rest in peace. But maybe—just maybe—his successor will reconsider the Church’s cozy relationship with border blurring. Because last I checked, “render unto Caesar” didn’t mean open the floodgates and let Caesar pick up the housing tab. Let’s not forget the Biden administration's part in all this. They’ve been chartering flights for “parolees” from countries like Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela—people who haven’t gone through the legal process but were given a golden ticket to settle here anyway. They’re not vetted. They’re not documented. They’re not processed the way the law prescribes. But hey, as long as they say the magic word—“asylum”—they get a plane ride and a phone with GPS tracking they never actually turn back in. And if you think any of this is about compassion, ask the mayors of New York, Chicago, or D.C. Even the sanctuary city folks are now screaming, “Whoa, whoa, whoa—this isn’t what we meant!” Why? Because they’re realizing what every border town already knew: You can’t absorb millions of people without infrastructure, planning, or consent. Try doing that in your HOA. You’ll have Karen on line one before the welcome mat even hits the porch. Now let’s be clear. There *is* a place for humanitarian aid. If someone’s escaping violence or trafficking, we should help—but we should do it with *rules*. The moment compassion becomes coercion—when you're *forced* to fund programs you didn’t vote for—it stops being charity and starts being theft. And it’s theft from the people who play by the rules. The citizen who pays their taxes. The retiree on a fixed income. The single mom working two jobs. The veteran who waits three months for a VA appointment while a parolee gets free housing and a new iPhone. And let’s call out the hypocrisy here. We’ve got a government that froze checks to American farmers but cut billion-dollar contracts for Catholic Charities to bus and house illegal migrants in 433 out of 435 congressional districts. That’s not immigration. That’s occupation—courtesy of your checkbook. So here’s what I propose for every NGO that wants to keep doing this work: Raise your own funds. Set up a GoFundMe. Knock on doors. Pass the plate. But don’t use my tax dollars to push an agenda I didn’t sign up for. And don’t come crying when the federal teat dries up. If your mission’s that noble, people will support it voluntarily. And to my fellow Americans of faith—be it Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, whatever—ask yourself this: If your church is pus...…
مرحبًا بك في مشغل أف ام!
يقوم برنامج مشغل أف أم بمسح الويب للحصول على بودكاست عالية الجودة لتستمتع بها الآن. إنه أفضل تطبيق بودكاست ويعمل على أجهزة اندرويد والأيفون والويب. قم بالتسجيل لمزامنة الاشتراكات عبر الأجهزة.