Steven Bell has seen the macro machine from every angle - Treasury insider, hedge fund manager, and chief economist. In this wide-ranging conversation with Alan Dunne, he traces the quiet erosion of economic orthodoxy and why AI, not tariffs, may prove the more destabilizing force. Bell explains how Fed independence is fraying, why wage dynamics matter more than headline inflation, and what investors miss when they over-index on models. With stories from trading floors and policy rooms alike, this episode captures a rare perspective: someone who’s watched markets evolve, not just from charts, but from inside the decisions that moved them. ----- 50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HERE ----- Follow Niels on Twitter , LinkedIn , YouTube or via the TTU website . IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here . And you can get a free copy of my latest book “ Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio ” here . Learn more about the Trend Barometer here . Send your questions to
[email protected] And please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast. Follow Alan on Twitter . Follow Steven on LinkedIn. Episode TimeStamps: 02:20 - Introduction to Steven Bell 05:37 - Has the challenge of forecasting economics changed? 10:27 - Was it easier to be a money manager back in the days? 13:11 - Is emotion and hysteria taking over markets? 16:48 - Tariffs disappearing? Forget it 21:41 - The economic impact of the recent CPI data 24:38 - How tariffs will impact workers and productivity 28:54 - Bell's outlook for inflation 32:15 - Do deficits even matter? 36:51 - How messy will the Fed's handling of inflation be? 44:16 - Who is a likely replacement for Powell? 45:11 -
