Brandon Kirby - Financial Consultant

07/13/2026

What causes inflation, and what does it have to do with interest rates?

People in the financial sector have an unfortunate tendency to make liberal use of unfamiliar vocabulary. Part of me thinks the worst and suspects it’s done for branding purposes - they want to present themselves as sophisticated. Nowhere is this more pronounced than when discussing inflation and ...

05/15/2020

Since I recommended buying gold as a hedge against the current economic calamity, its value has jumped by 8%. I'm still recommending people buy more.

04/16/2020

Steve Eisman (who was portrayed in the Big Short), shorted the Canadian banks a year ago, arguing that a normal credit contraction would cause a 20%+ decline in their stock price. The interviewer was quick with the math on her feet and realized Eisman actually thinks the decline would have been higher than 20%.

Eisman's main argument was that loan loss provisions were unprepared for a normal downtrend in credit. We've now faced a catastrophic loss.

Neuberger Berman's Steve Eisman, the money manager made famous by the book 'The Big Short' and its film adaptation, joins BNN Bloomberg to discuss why he's short Canadian banks.

03/29/2020

The historians are saying now is a great time to buy. Not a recommendation but it's worth considering:

The steep losses and stomach-churning swings in the equity markets might be jarring to watch for many Canadians but experienced Bay Streeters are seeing ample buying opportunities, especially for young investors.

03/22/2020

In the light of the Fed's $1 trillion/day in quantitative easing, gold and other commodities are hard to ignore and wise investments. The recent sharp decline in the precious metal makes it an opportune time to buy.

Quantitative easing (QE) is a process of injecting cash into the monetary system. As the currency becomes due to increased supply, the $USD/gold ratio increases, artificially increasing the value of gold.

Since the Fed began QE1, $USD/gold has jumped in value from $750/ounce to over $1650/ounce prior to the COVID-19 outbreak. With gold trading at a one year low, now is the perfect time to buy in.