36 Comments
User's avatar
Karen Scofield's avatar

I'm glad you were able to convey Mr Fink's talking points to us this morning, Olivia, the American people need to hear the Truth about what we're up against. I'm a older woman, and this is going to hit me hard, God only knows what young families are going to be facing ?! Thank you, and will reStack ASAP 🙏💯👍🇺🇸

Expand full comment
Olivia of Troye's avatar

It pains me to think of so many Americans who are incredibly stressed about how they’re going to recover their retirement savings…and we could be in this mess for a while. While I’m not an economist—I felt it was important to share this knowledge with my subscribers and followers from someone who really knows what they’re talking about.

Expand full comment
Denise Donaldson's avatar

If people are at or near retirement, there will be no "recovery" of retirement savings. Depending on how long the madness lasts, it could take a decade for portfolios to recover, if ever. Millions of people don't have that kind of time.

In the crash of 2008, my [small] diverse, conservatively invested portfolio lost half its value almost overnight. As of this past November---16 YEARS later---it hadn't come even close to gaining back what it lost. Not to mention where it would have been had the crash not happened.

Fink is correct: we're looking at disaster.

Expand full comment
Karen Scofield's avatar

I've got a few investments with Blackstone, so this was a real Eye Opener, Thanks again 🙏

Expand full comment
Lisa Appleton's avatar

I’m in the process of retiring over the next couple of months … the uncertainty has been extremely unsettling ever since November. At this point I think I may have to keep working until I’m 90.

Expand full comment
Joyce Schwartz's avatar

An excellent article--just as well-informed and thoughtful as your analysis of national security issues. Thank you for this!

Expand full comment
retrofocus80's avatar

Thank you Olivia for telling the truth. Many of us see the people see it. The elected officials need to look at what’s happening and stop acting like all is okay. It is not. There are many people who have IRA ‘s for their retirement . At a certain age the required withdrawal will be taken so the government may collect taxes. This is our savings to treat it differently is absurd. These elected officials should do something they have the power to regulate the president on tariffs and they are worried about retaliation from him, tells me they don’t care they should.

Expand full comment
Catharine Stimpson's avatar

I also appreciate the report from "the room." I wish more were being said about Trump's psychology. He seems to be enjoying, taking pleasure, from the chaos. When I heard him say that other countries were swarming in to "kiss (my) ass," we saw the ID of a disturbed man with great power on full display. He wants others to grovel before him, an authoritarian's desire.

Expand full comment
Pamela Beckford's avatar

As frightening as all this is for so many, I appreciate the warning and reporting.

Expand full comment
gwpriester's avatar

What is it going to take for the leaders of this country to realize that there is strength in numbers. Individually they are powerless against this mad man. But if CEOs, and all the other sectors of the economy who are suffering under this vindictive and capricious administration banded together and said NO, keep this up and we will remove you from office, the president would have to listen. The same goes for the cowardly republicans who as cowering in their bunkers. C'mon people. Grow a pair. Find your spines. Why am I not hopeful?

Expand full comment
Tim Carson's avatar

Keep it coming, Olivia. Even if it is bad news. We need all of it.

Expand full comment
Mike Bechler's avatar

I've been a trade deficit hawk for decades now, but the slapdash way Trump is going about it isn't likely to fix anything. Biden's approach, to get our house in order, was working, albeit too slowly for the electorate to support his successor, Harris. IMHO, he could have been tougher on China, taking stringent measures to reduce and then eliminate that deficit. Instead, we're thrashing all over the place, losing stature, allies and economic power.

Expand full comment
Diane Lee's avatar

Absolutely horrible....it's just a nonstop living nightmare. Thank you Olivia, great update on our current situation. 🙏

Expand full comment
Janet's avatar

I've started calling it Trumpscession in my social media posts. We have to give it a name and repeat over and over again. He owns it all!

Expand full comment
Jim's avatar

I have long had a wary opinion of people like Larry Fink. He's a capitalistic predator, but, with the exception of his gratuitous "good investment opportunity", he was telling the painful truth. A recession is already here and all accomplished by one very flawed, deranged man. Add to that, he has trashed the credibility of the USA for any foreseeable future. However, I grow angrier and angrier at the shameless solipsism coming out of him, his administration, the MAGA legislators, and even the local MAGAts here in my Missouri town -- as they all rush to buy their lottery tickets. This whole episode is founded upon shamelessly dishonest diatribe. Damn them all!

Expand full comment
Susanna J. Sturgis's avatar

Great report, Olivia!! I'm no fan of BlackRock or these other financial powerhouses, not least because they almost always line up behind Republican presidents, but Larry Fink has economic knowledge and global perspective that I don't. You've done a wonderful job of explaining all this to us laypeople.

Expand full comment
Don K's avatar

Thanks for the report on the economy. It was very jarring and sobering.

Expand full comment
Gail's avatar

Fink's comments and this blog don't address what we're all wondering... is it at all possible that, once Trump has his ass kissed and other countries sit down to negotiate better terms, this all goes away and the markets come roaring back? I'm guessing that's what Trump and his supporters believe. Because what's the alternative to believe....that he and Lutnick just want to intentionally ruin the American economy for themselves and others?

Expand full comment
Olivia of Troye's avatar

Hi Gail- I link to the full interview in the article in case it helps—but he basically did touch on this and said…maybe. That’s a big bet.

But timing is unknown. No one can really predict it so to say it’s predictable would be a fallacy.

Sadly—many in retirement don’t have the luxury of time.

I will say this—Trump doesn’t care about our finances. As this creates more fear, he feels like has more control, ultimately that’s what it’s about—control.

Expand full comment
Gail's avatar

Thank you! I'm in retirement, and I'm hoping we're talking weeks - not months or years. Maybe this is just wishful thinking. I know no one can predict it, but I was just curious if anyone's even allowing for the possibility or if there were any other reasonable speculations for otherwise unreasonable behavior. Trying to see this from all sides, just to better wrap my head around events. So far, nothing seems to be adding up. I look forward to your future posts. In the meantime, I'll check out the link!

Expand full comment
Denise Donaldson's avatar

My take, after the devastation to my own portfolio 16+ years ago: do what you can to protect yourself. Think in terms of years, not weeks. Hope I'm wrong, but IMO, the collapse is just in its initial stages. No matter what the Orange Menace does now, investors have seen how unstable he is, and won't trust him.

Expand full comment
Jim's avatar

I would vie to be first in line to kick his ass!

Expand full comment
Larry Rosen's avatar

Thank you for sharing Mr. Fink’s insights. In addition to the stock market sell-off there’s aggressive selling of US Treasuries which has resulted in a sharp increase in bond yields (https://www.reuters.com/markets/global-markets-tariffs-bonds-2025-04-09/). This suggests that large investors are losing confidence in what are considered to be one of the safest investments on the planet. Very scary…

Expand full comment
Erin Keith's avatar

This is what the voters of orange jesus wanted. They will not get a pass from me. The lunatic in the White House is their golden idol

Expand full comment