Enlightenment - A Herold & Lantern Investments Podcast

Keith Lanton
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Investing
  • Updated Weekly

Financial Podcast featuring Mr. Keith Lanton, President. Every week Keith enlightens his audience with intuitive insights, personal development, and current market commentary. Disclosures: https://www.heroldlantern.com/disclosure -Press interviews or commentaries, please contact Keith or Sal Favarolo at 631-454-2000 | CREDITS: Sophie Cohen - Disclaimer | Alan Eppers - Introduction - Closing | Sal Favarolo - Producer, Sound, Editing, Artwork **For informational and educational purposes only, not intended as investment advice. Views and opinions subject to change without notice. For full disclosures, ADVs, and CRS Forms, please visit https://heroldlantern.com/disclosure **

  1. Jul 6

    The Bond Market That Built America

    July 6, 2026 | Season 8 | Episode 21 The Fourth of July story most of us learned leaves out a powerful driver of what America becomes next: debt. We walk through how Revolutionary War financing creates the earliest U.S. bond market, why war bonds and debt certificates start trading at deep discounts, and how that breakdown in public credit helps ignite Shays’ Rebellion in Massachusetts. When farmers and veterans can’t pay crushing taxes and creditors demand hard money, the “bond market” stops being an abstract concept and becomes a force that can reshape laws, leadership, and the country’s future. From there, we bring the lens forward to today’s markets. We talk through what we’re watching as earnings season kicks off, how leadership can rotate even when indexes look calm, and why rates and the Treasury market still matter more than most headlines admit. We also dig into two underappreciated AI risks: the growing national pushback that blocks or delays data center construction, and the exploding cost of tokens inside corporate AI budgets, especially with reasoning models and AI agents that can burn through usage at unpredictable scale. We close with two practical takeaways you can act on. First, why buying individual municipal bonds can deliver better tax-exempt income flexibility than one-size-fits-all muni bond ETFs, including longer-term yield opportunities and tax swapping. Second, a crucial retirement planning check: new 401(k) catch-up contribution rules may require higher earners over 50 to route catch-up dollars into Roth after-tax accounts, so it’s worth verifying your pay stub and plan settings now. If this helped you think more clearly about bonds, AI stocks, or your 401(k), subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave a review. ** For informational and educational purposes only, not intended as investment advice. Views and opinions are subject to change without notice.  For full disclosures, ADVs, and CRS Forms, please visit https://heroldlantern.com/disclosure ** To learn about becoming a Herold & Lantern Investments valued client, please visit https://heroldlantern.com/wealth-advisory-contact-form Follow and Like Us on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn | @HeroldLantern

  2. Jun 29

    Spreadsheets Started It And AI Finishes It

    June 20, 2026 | Season 8 | Episode 20 One oil chokepoint can shake the entire tape, and this morning’s market setup makes that painfully clear. We start with the Strait of Hormuz and the high-stakes back-and-forth between the US, Iran, and regional players, then translate the geopolitics into the language investors care about: crude oil pricing, energy volatility, inflation expectations, and how quickly sentiment can flip in futures and equities. We dig into the “safe passage” dispute inside the US–Iran memorandum of understanding, where a single phrase can be read as freedom of navigation or as a claim of sovereign control. That legal gray zone helps explain why tanker harassment, drone strikes, and sudden pauses in hostilities can all occur with the ink barely dry. We also layer in the Lebanon and Hezbollah angle and the tightrope Washington walks in supporting Israel while trying to keep a fragile deal from blowing up. Then we zoom out and do something most market commentary skips: we look backward to move forward. The 1980s personal computer and spreadsheet boom rewired Wall Street dealmaking, and the echoes are loud in today’s AI revolution. From hedge funds using large language models to parse global central bank speeches, to the open question of whether AI creates productivity or reduces headcount, we frame what “disruption” can actually look like in real markets. We close with investable themes: drone warfare upending defense economics, Micron’s effort to reshape the memory cycle amid AI demand, Alphabet’s dip and valuation debate, and high-yield income ideas across bonds, dividend ETFs, and mortgage-backed securities. If you found this helpful, subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave a review so more investors can find us. ** For informational and educational purposes only, not intended as investment advice. Views and opinions are subject to change without notice.  For full disclosures, ADVs, and CRS Forms, please visit https://heroldlantern.com/disclosure ** To learn about becoming a Herold & Lantern Investments valued client, please visit https://heroldlantern.com/wealth-advisory-contact-form Follow and Like Us on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn | @HeroldLantern

  3. Jun 22

    You Can Learn IPO Discipline By Studying America’s First Bubble

    June 22, 2026 | Season 8 | Episode 19 We connect the SpaceX IPO frenzy to 200+ years of US market history, from the first bank offerings to the moment the NYSE is born after America’s first crash and bailout. We also break down what actually moves newly public stocks, then zoom out to the Fed, inflation, and where stability can still be found.  • SpaceX’s record-setting IPO and what the early price surge signals  • Why IPO history matters for modern investing decisions  • The 1792 scrip bubble, William Duer’s scheme, and the first US bailout  • How the Buttonwood Agreement leads to the New York Stock Exchange  • Float versus shares outstanding and why supply drives price  • Options activity, call-heavy flow, and how hedging can push prices  • ETFs and index inclusion as forced buyers in the market  • Staggered lockups and why unlock dates can pressure a stock  • Fed policy expectations under Chair Warsh and why communication changes volatility  • Dividend Kings, dividend growth, and what long-lived payout records do and do not guarantee  • The bullish case for General Motors driven by free cash flow and buybacks  ** For informational and educational purposes only, not intended as investment advice. Views and opinions are subject to change without notice.  For full disclosures, ADVs, and CRS Forms, please visit https://heroldlantern.com/disclosure ** To learn about becoming a Herold & Lantern Investments valued client, please visit https://heroldlantern.com/wealth-advisory-contact-form Follow and Like Us on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn | @HeroldLantern

  4. Jun 8

    Markets After The Nasdaq Shock

    June 8, 2026 | Season 8 | Episode 18 A single data point can flip the entire market narrative and Friday’s action proved it. We wake up to a rebound after a brutal Nasdaq drop, then zoom out to the real driver: a surprisingly hot May payrolls report that makes “no rate cuts” feel more plausible, even as Wall Street keeps trying to price a friendlier Federal Reserve path. We walk through what higher-for-longer yields mean for valuations, why global moves in the UK, Europe, and Japan matter for US rates and the dollar, and how that pressure lands hardest on the most crowded parts of the AI and chip-stock trade. From there, we dig into a more mechanical force that many investors overlook: supply. When mega companies raise equity and monster IPOs hit the calendar, portfolio managers often have to sell something else to participate. SpaceX’s IPO is the headline, but the bigger takeaway is how fast major indexes and ETFs may be forced to buy it, potentially giving you exposure through funds like VTI and QQQ whether you opt in or not. We also flag the warning signs that show up when speculation spreads, including small cap and micro cap bursts that can rhyme with past bubble periods. Then we layer in the catalysts that can reset expectations again, including CPI and PPI, earnings signals for AI data center demand, and geopolitics in the Middle East pushing oil prices and inflation fears higher. We close with the longer arc: reserve-currency confidence, foreign flows that shift away from Treasuries while staying in US equities, and why gold keeps showing up in the conversation. If this breakdown helps, subscribe, share it with a friend who watches markets, and leave a review. What do you think is the biggest risk from here: rates, liquidity, or geopolitics? ** For informational and educational purposes only, not intended as investment advice. Views and opinions are subject to change without notice.  For full disclosures, ADVs, and CRS Forms, please visit https://heroldlantern.com/disclosure ** To learn about becoming a Herold & Lantern Investments valued client, please visit https://heroldlantern.com/wealth-advisory-contact-form Follow and Like Us on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn | @HeroldLantern

  5. Jun 1

    What The Roaring 1920s Teach Us About Today’s AI Rush

    June 1, 2026 | Season 8 | Episode 17 AI is moving faster than most of us can comfortably process, and markets are pricing that speed in real time. We take a sober look at the artificial intelligence boom, the surge in chip stocks, and what happens when portfolios quietly tilt too far toward one story. Along the way, we anchor the excitement to something investors can actually use: historical perspective, market structure, and practical asset allocation decisions. We rewind a full century to the Roaring 1920s and the wave of disruption from cars, mass electrification, and radio. The lesson isn’t that change is painless, it’s that new technology tends to build entire ecosystems of jobs, businesses, and productivity, even while it wipes out older industries. That same push-pull is showing up today as AI tools rewrite workflows, data centers scale up, and regulators scramble to catch up. Then we zoom back into the present: why market leadership rotates, how narrow market breadth can be a warning sign, and why IPO hype can distort fundamentals. We dig into bubble talk with SpaceX-style valuation math, track key headlines around NVIDIA’s push toward the AI PC, and highlight an “AI adjacent” opportunity in energy through SLB’s digital strategy and its partnership with NVIDIA. We close with a global reality check: the UK bond market and rising gilt yields as a reminder that debt, confidence, and politics can move interest rates fast. If you want clearer thinking in noisy markets, listen now, then subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave a review so more investors can find it. ** For informational and educational purposes only, not intended as investment advice. Views and opinions are subject to change without notice.  For full disclosures, ADVs, and CRS Forms, please visit https://heroldlantern.com/disclosure ** To learn about becoming a Herold & Lantern Investments valued client, please visit https://heroldlantern.com/wealth-advisory-contact-form Follow and Like Us on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn | @HeroldLantern

  6. May 26

    When Hype Meets History In Public Markets

    May 26, 2026 | Season 8 | Episode 16 SpaceX is finally nearing the public markets and the hype is already loud, but we’re not treating it like a fairy tale. We walk through what a SpaceX IPO could look like at an enormous valuation, why mega IPOs often behave differently than classic “ground floor” listings, and what history says about first-day pops versus the next three years. We also dig into the mechanics that can move the stock after the opening bell, including lockup expirations, insider supply, and the buying pressure that can come later when major indexes and index funds need to add shares. From there, we widen the lens to the daily drivers behind today’s tape: Middle East negotiations, oil sliding, Treasury yields easing, and why that combination can lift equity futures even when the geopolitical backdrop feels unstable. We preview key US economic releases like consumer confidence and the PCE inflation report, and we talk about how inflation expectations and deficits feed into the bond market and, ultimately, stock valuations. If bonds still make you uneasy after 2022, we offer a clearer way to think about risk now that starting yields are higher. We cover practical ideas like shorter-term bonds, preferred stocks, and TIPS, then discuss higher-yield options like business development companies (BDCs) with a frank look at the tradeoffs. We also share why Japan is back on the radar for global investors and wrap with a quick scan of a few “unloved” US stocks outside big tech. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, share this with a friend who’s watching SpaceX, and leave a review telling us: are you buying day one or waiting for volatility to settle? ** For informational and educational purposes only, not intended as investment advice. Views and opinions are subject to change without notice.  For full disclosures, ADVs, and CRS Forms, please visit https://heroldlantern.com/disclosure ** To learn about becoming a Herold & Lantern Investments valued client, please visit https://heroldlantern.com/wealth-advisory-contact-form Follow and Like Us on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn | @HeroldLantern

  7. May 11

    Oil Earnings And The New Fed

    May 11, 2026 | Season 8 | Episode 15 Oil is back near the center of everything, and it’s forcing investors to hold two ideas at once: geopolitical risk is rising while U.S. stocks keep notching record highs. We walk through the morning’s market setup, from strong earnings and nonstop AI demand to the way higher crude can sneak into inflation expectations, bond yields, and Fed decision-making. Then we go backward to go forward. John D. Rockefeller is often remembered as a monopolist, but the more useful investing lesson is how he built a system: rigorous bookkeeping, manufacturing-like refinery discipline, relentless waste reduction, and a supply chain he controlled end to end. That mindset helps us ask a better question about any company we own or want to own: what’s the durable process advantage that competitors can’t easily copy? From there we hit the week’s biggest narratives: Barron’s bullish case for the S&P 500 moving toward 8,000, the post-Spirit Airlines reality that “ultra-cheap” airfare is fading, and why Delta and United increasingly look like loyalty and credit card businesses that happen to operate airplanes. We also cover Moderna’s pop on hantavirus headlines, what to look for in private credit through Ares Capital’s portfolio choices and payment-in-kind income, and what a Kevin Warsh-led Federal Reserve could signal on rates, the balance sheet, and a steeper yield curve. If this helped you think more clearly about markets, share it with a friend, subscribe, and leave a review so more investors can find the show. ** For informational and educational purposes only, not intended as investment advice. Views and opinions are subject to change without notice.  For full disclosures, ADVs, and CRS Forms, please visit https://heroldlantern.com/disclosure ** To learn about becoming a Herold & Lantern Investments valued client, please visit https://heroldlantern.com/wealth-advisory-contact-form Follow and Like Us on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn | @HeroldLantern

  8. May 4

    What Happens To Portfolios When The World Rearms

    May 4, 2026 | Season 8 | Episode 14 The market is trying to do two hard things at once: price a flood of earnings season signals while also digesting real geopolitical risk in the Middle East. We start by zooming out on what actually moves portfolios when tensions rise between the United States and Iran, especially with the Straits of Hormuz sitting at the center of global energy flows. My north star for making sense of it is simple: incentives drive outcomes, and history leaves clues if we’re willing to look at it honestly. From nuclear deterrence to sanctions to uneasy alliances, we walk through why the Iran nuclear question is so hard to “solve” and why other countries are watching closely. That sets up a forward-looking investing conversation about the industries and technologies that may grow if proliferation pressures increase, and how investors can think about risk without getting trapped in the day’s headlines. Then we pivot to the economic knock-on effects you can measure: oil prices, energy insecurity, and the global push for energy independence. We talk about electric vehicles gaining traction well beyond the US, why China’s dominance in EV and solar components matters, and we highlight renewable energy stocks discussed in Barron’s, including Iberdrola, Enel, and Brookfield Renewable. We also hit the tape: the S&P 500’s strong April, the “sell in May” debate, a low VIX and complacency risk, Rick Rieder’s bullish AI productivity thesis, Bill Ackman’s PSUS IPO drop, and Alphabet earnings with Google Cloud profitability improvements. Subscribe for more market and investing analysis, share this with a friend who follows geopolitics and stocks, and leave a review with the one theme you think will matter most next: AI, energy, or security. ** For informational and educational purposes only, not intended as investment advice. Views and opinions are subject to change without notice.  For full disclosures, ADVs, and CRS Forms, please visit https://heroldlantern.com/disclosure ** To learn about becoming a Herold & Lantern Investments valued client, please visit https://heroldlantern.com/wealth-advisory-contact-form Follow and Like Us on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn | @HeroldLantern

See All (274)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Financial Podcast featuring Mr. Keith Lanton, President. Every week Keith enlightens his audience with intuitive insights, personal development, and current market commentary. Disclosures: https://www.heroldlantern.com/disclosure -Press interviews or commentaries, please contact Keith or Sal Favarolo at 631-454-2000 | CREDITS: Sophie Cohen - Disclaimer | Alan Eppers - Introduction - Closing | Sal Favarolo - Producer, Sound, Editing, Artwork **For informational and educational purposes only, not intended as investment advice. Views and opinions subject to change without notice. For full disclosures, ADVs, and CRS Forms, please visit https://heroldlantern.com/disclosure **

Information