SSAB - October 2, 2026

Enjoy yesterday’s show? Thinking I might do another China-focused episode. And yes, I need to get my website in order so I can line up all these different episodes

Videos getting sorted and I may not have as many as I thought I would!

Out to Taco Fest to see some old folks, where are they and what are they doing now?

And time to talk about bonds. WTF are they and how do they matter so much?

Bonds

Questions and brief answers here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xrc_B55l66_xokBKdogDNN8fugzi7NbKz_DWzTo6h98/edit?usp=copy

Bond articles:

WSJ article on the history of bonds and Fed rate increases: https://www.wsj.com/finance/investing/stocks-are-defying-surging-bond-yields-heres-what-history-says-could-come-next-7d13bb2d?st=tCRTon&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

Brooke Thackray on why bonds are no longer a good safe haven:

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/investing/opinion/2026/09/10/government-bonds-are-no-longer-a-good-hedge-for-equity-declines-brooke-thackray/

Also, “Why should we care?” Because “Bond yields set the tone for borrowing costs across economies, from government debt to mortgages to student and car loans. Rising rates make borrowing and spending less attractive and can slow economic growth.”

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/investing/2026/10/01/why-are-world-bond-markets-selling-off-again/

Donate to the show! PayPal link below!

https://www.paypal.me/stevensirski?locale.x=en_CA

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Show notes n tracks up on stevensirski.com

Transcript and more available on Google Drive: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1om1Geup1o6Adi-A8kTAnCf12Zo7nDkAt?usp=sharing

Newsletter over at stevensirski.substack.com

Language vlog on http://www.youtube.com/@stevenslanguagevlog

Google Stock Tracker Sheet

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kbpCC2cieuq23zYyr0-WznPRogVX0aS86BF4_vPvgMY/edit?usp=sharing

Have a great weekend!

00:00 Friday Night Setup

02:06 Juicy Taco Fest Prices

05:00 Catching Up With Expats

07:31 Rent Moves And Housing Math

10:42 Aging Out And Visa Rules

17:09 Kids Balloons In The Park

20:44 Waiguoren Stares In Beijing

23:20 Sorting Travel Footage

25:33 Road Trip Videos And Narrative

27:53 Editing Lessons And New Style

32:20 Switching to Bonds

33:28 Resources and Analysts

34:47 Big Market Predictions

36:11 Bond Basics Questions

37:00 Rates Then and Now

39:06 How the Fed Works

40:58 Why Bond Prices Move

45:52 Stink Bids vs Markets

47:40 Treasury Auctions Explained

48:19 Bills Notes and Bonds

49:49 Primary vs Secondary Market

53:24 Yield Math Example

55:54 Disclaimers and Recap

59:30 Wrap Up and Links