Welcome to "Ahead in the Count," presented by BIP Wealth. Our Baseball Division combines their collegiate and professional baseball playing experience with financial acumen to provide expertise in life on and off the field. We aim to give ballplayers and their families a better understanding about their unique lifestyle, the opportunities that come from playing this game, and insight into the complex financial world. This is "Ahead in the Count," hosted by Nolan Alexander, from BIP Wealth.

In this episode, former pros Kyle Schmidt and Jeremy Hermida break down one of the hottest trends in baseball today: massive, long-term contracts being offered to players early in their careers, often before they've established themselves at the big league level.

Teams are making bold commitments to prospects earlier than ever. Kyle and Jeremy explore both sides of the table—what it means for team financial strategy and for a young player's life, career, and wealth.

Key Topics Covered

• The new wave of early MLB mega-contracts and what's driving the trend
• Risk vs. reward for both teams and players on long-term deals
• How young players should think about wealth when $100M+ arrives before age 21
• Back-loaded contracts, and why the headline number isn't what it seems
• The MLB arbitration process and why early deals help players avoid it
• Free agency at 28 vs. 32: why age matters more than ever in today's game
• Financial mistakes professional athletes make, and how to avoid them
• Why the right financial advisory team matters as much as the contract itself

Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss an episode at the intersection of Major League Baseball and financial intelligence — built for players, families, and fans who want to understand both sides of the game.

CONTACT
For more information: jhester@bipwealth.com, kschmidt@bipwealth.com, cmurray@bipwealth.com, jhermida@bipwealth.com
Visit: BIPWealth.com

Welcome to "Ahead in the Count," presented by BIP Wealth. Our Baseball Division combines their collegiate and professional baseball playing experience with financial acumen to provide expertise in life on and off the field. We aim to give ballplayers and their families a better understanding about their unique lifestyle, the opportunities that come from playing this game, and insight into the complex financial world. This is "Ahead in the Count," hosted by Nolan Alexander, from BIP Wealth.

The opening quarter of 2026 was anything but quiet. With a war in Iran reshaping the geopolitical chessboard, fractured Western alliances, the ongoing AI investment surge, and rising questions about the death of Software as a Service, BIP Wealth CIO Eric Cramer unpacks the forces defining portfolio performance right now, and what smart investors should be doing in response.

In this episode of Ahead in the Count, Eric, BIP Wealth Baseball Division's Chase Murray, and host Nolan Alexander break down the Q1 2026 Quarterly Market Review with a focus on three tectonic shifts: realigning global trade power, the volatility return, and emerging opportunities hiding inside the chaos — especially for net savers and professional athletes still in their earning years.

Shifting Global Trade Alliances

How the post-WWII Western alliance system is fracturing — and why the EU–India trade deal, CPTPP expansion, and new South American agreements matter to your portfolio even if you've never heard of them.

Market Volatility Is Back — and What Could Happen

Eric explains why Q1's selloff was a warning shot, how risk has increased across every asset class including U.S. Treasuries, and why "safe havens" are harder to find than ever before.

International Equities Outperforming the U.S.

For the first time in years, BIP Wealth is rethinking its traditional overweight in U.S. equities. Find out which global markets are generating real returns as America's share of the global index shrinks.

AI & the SaaS Apocalypse

The so-called "SaaS-pocalypse" is creating zombie companies in private markets. Eric explains which company traits will pivot successfully to AI and which won't survive — and how that ripples into private equity and private credit valuations.

Private Credit: Risk Repricing Creates New Opportunity

As spreads widen from SOFR+6% to SOFR+7%, new private credit deals are more rewarding for incoming investors. Eric walks through how to think about the math, and why short-term price marks shouldn't panic long-term holders.

Tax Strategies for High-Income Earners

With mounting U.S. debt likely to push tax brackets higher regardless of which party holds power, BIP Wealth is rolling out new municipal bond strategies to shelter income; a timely move for athletes in peak earning years.

Why This Could Be a Great Entry Point for Net Savers

Despite the fear you see online, Eric makes the case that for baseball players and professional athletes still actively earning and saving, right now may be one of the best market entry points in years.

CONTACT
For more information: jhester@bipwealth.com, kschmidt@bipwealth.com, cmurray@bipwealth.com, jhermida@bipwealth.com
Visit: BIPWealth.com

Welcome to "Ahead in the Count," presented by BIP Wealth. Our Baseball Division combines their collegiate and professional baseball playing experience with financial acumen to provide expertise in life on and off the field. We aim to give ballplayers and their families a better understanding about their unique lifestyle, the opportunities that come from playing this game, and insight into the complex financial world. This is "Ahead in the Count," hosted by Nolan Alexander, from BIP Wealth.

This episode hits on three critical financial market challenges shaping 2026: the private credit bubble, AI-driven SaaS disruption, and the massive 'dry powder' capital deployment problem. BIP Ventures COO and General Partner Mark Flickinger explains why the headlines are misleading, how to separate good investments from bad ones, and why disciplined investors positioned in the right segments will thrive in this volatile environment.

Flickinger explains the core problem: 90% of private credit capital is concentrated in the top 50 firms, while deal flow remains limited. This creates a 'race to the bottom' where funds lower interest rates, remove covenants, and increase leverage to deploy capital.

Opportunities exist at the "bottom of the pyramid" where less capital concentration creates better risk-adjusted returns. BIP's private credit strategy focuses on senior-secured, covenant-heavy credits in underserved segments.

AI is rapidly displacing SaaS businesses with rules-based processes. However, SaaS companies with proprietary data or in complex workflows are seeing AI as a tailwind, not a threat. The market isn't distinguishing between companies that will thrive and those that won't survive AI displacement.

Since early 2022, hundreds of billions in private equity capital remains undeployed due to macro uncertainty (interest rates, tariffs, AI disruption). This creates a cyclical pattern: years without exits followed by 2-3 years of heavy activity. Companies that create value through downturns are best positioned for future liquidity events.

CONTACT
For more information: jhester@bipwealth.com, kschmidt@bipwealth.com, cmurray@bipwealth.com, jhermida@bipwealth.com
Visit: BIPWealth.com