In this episode, we explore Kalshi, a ground breaking prediction market platform that has revolutionized event forecasting in finance. Founded in 2018 by Tarek Mansour and Luana Lopes Lara, Kalshi transformed the landscape by securing federal regulation under the CFTC, allowing users to trade on real-world outcomes like elections and economic data. With trading volumes now exceeding $1 billion weekly, Kalshi stands at the forefront of mainstream prediction markets, offering a legitimate, regulated space for event-based financial contracts.

While it's funny and super relatable, "girl math" shines a light on real cognitive biases that can sneak into our financial decisions, especially around compulsive or impulse purchases.

Today, we'll laugh at the memes, break down the specific types of biases with examples, discuss why the term can be problematic, and – most importantly – share detailed, actionable tips to outsmart these biases for better girl finance.

By the end, you'll have tools to make smarter choices without losing the fun.

Ecological economics, developed by Herman Daly, Robert Costanza, and others, views economies as part of the environment, prioritising sustainability and recognising the limits of natural resources.

It arose from concerns over resource depletion and environmental harm, critiquing mainstream economics for overlooking ecological constraints. Unlike growth-focused models, ecological economics advocates maintaining resource use within planetary boundaries, internalising environmental costs, and using metrics like carryingcapacity and ecological footprint.

Key policies include carbon pricing and green taxes. While it faces criticism for challenging economic growth and lacking formal models, its principles are increasingly influential in climate policy and sustainability debates, especially as environmental crises worsen.

The approach encourages a shift from short-term profit to long-term resilience and intergenerational equity, though mainstream adoption remains limited.

In 2025, falling interest rates are supporting economicrecovery, though global growth remains subdued at 2.3%.

Central banks are cautiously easing policy, with mortgage rates falling and some regions pausing rate cuts due to persistent inflation. While lower rates are encouraging lending, investment, and activity in sectors like real estate and energy, challenges such as rising public debt, inflationary pressures, and global trade tensions are constraining growth.

Financial institutions and investors are focusing on proactive strategies and stable assets, while governments prioritise infrastructure spending. The outlook is cautiously optimistic, with moderate growth expected as economies adapt to persistent debt and trade barriers.

Post-Keynesian economics, building on John Maynard Keynes’s work, emphasizes uncertainty, financial instability, and income distribution, offering a heterodox alternative to neoclassical and new Keynesian economics.

Developed by Joan Robinson, Hyman Minsky, Paul Davidson, and others in the mid-20th century, it emerged from dissatisfaction with mainstream equilibrium models. It extends Keynes’s focus on demand-driven economies, rejecting assumptions of automatic market clearing.

Major institutions forecast modest global GDP growth for the coming year, below historical averages, supported by easing inflation and resilient labour markets but constrained by trade tensions, geopolitical risks, and policy uncertainty.

Advanced economies are expected to lag, while emerging markets and key developing nations provide stronger momentum. Inflation should continue moderating, with central banks adopting cautious easing stances. Energy prices face downward pressure, while equities show a generally bullish outlook driven by earnings growth and technological advances, though risks like trade escalation remain.

Overall, the year ahead points to steady, if unspectacular, economic progress amid a fragmented global environment.

This episode provides a comprehensive summary of all the major geopolitical and financial market events that shaped 2025. From the resurgence of protectionist policies that sent shockwaves through stock exchanges to fragile alliances tested by ongoing conflicts and emerging tech rivalries, 2025 redefined volatility. We'll unpack it month by month, expanding on key financial and geopolitical events with at least five per period, drawing in expert analyses, market reactions, and broader implications.

New Institutional Economics examines how institutions - such as laws, norms, and organizations - shape economic outcomes by reducing uncertainty and transaction costs.

It emphasizes the importance of property rights and governance in development, but faces criticism for being hard to measure and sometimes overlooking issues like inequality.