Volala: Volatility is the life of our party

Volala: Volatility is the life of our party
Podcast Description
Welcome to "Volala: Volatility is the life of our party," the podcast where economic enthusiasts and curious minds explore the intricate world of economics! Join Ayeh Bandeh-Ahmadi, former U.S. Treasury expert and founder of Volascope Labs, as she demystifies complex topics from quarterly market outlooks to today’s job market realities. With a blend of expertise and creativity, Ayeh shares her journey through the corridors of power to innovative economic tools. Tune in for lively discussions and discover how understanding economics can be both enlightening and entertaining!
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast dives into various economic themes including a quarterly market outlook, job market analysis, tariffs, the impact of AI on the economy, and government restructuring, with episodes detailing how these elements influence businesses and individuals, such as analyzing shifting investment strategies and the effects of trade policies on inflation.

Welcome to “Volala: Volatility is the life of our party,” the podcast where economic enthusiasts and curious minds explore the intricate world of economics! Join Ayeh Bandeh-Ahmadi, former U.S. Treasury expert and founder of Volascope Labs, as she demystifies complex topics from quarterly market outlooks to today’s job market realities. With a blend of expertise and creativity, Ayeh shares her journey through the corridors of power to innovative economic tools. Tune in for lively discussions and discover how understanding economics can be both enlightening and entertaining!

Does Ayeh think the One Big Beautiful Bill will fix anything or just move the pain around?
This week, we dig into the One Big Beautiful Bill—a massive budget proposal that promises growth while quietly shifting costs, benefits, and uncertainty across the economy. Whether you’re trying to buy a home, pay down student loans, plan for retirement, or just make sense of where the economy is heading, this episode connects the dots.
We cover:
A $1,000 “baby bonus” and the new Trump Account for kids
Why some students could see loan balances grow by 15%
Stricter Pell Grant rules that leave behind working students, part-timers, and anyone with “family assets” on paper but not in real life.
Benefits in the tax plan for high earners, mid-income seniors, LLCs, and self-employment income
Cuts to Medicaid and SNAP that shift financial responsibility for social programs to states
Clean energy rollbacks that could shake up jobs, investments, and emissions targets
A steep new tax on university endowments—and what that means for innovation hubs and research jobs
And if you’re wondering how all of this ties into what you’re feeling day to day? We also walk through the latest numbers:
Recession risk has dropped but hasn’t disappeared—market estimates range from 25% to 40%, this year
Home sales are mixed, with builder incentives driving short-term bumps but long-term weakness in the pipeline
Consumer confidence is up slightly, but still sits below neutral, especially when people look ahead
Global growth looks stronger on paper, but a lot of it is front-loaded, driven by companies rushing to beat tariffs
Treasury yields are spiking, revealing deeper worries about U.S. stability and long-term debt
It’s a wide-ranging conversation, but it comes back to one question: how do we make steady decisions when the rules keep changing? Ayeh and Jenni unpack the headlines with calm, clarity, and a little side-eye for duct tape economics.
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