Private credit, AI, and the Fed: Mickey Levy’s outlook for the rest of 2026

This week we welcome back our first returning guest, renowned economist Dr. Mickey Levy – Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and longstanding Member of the Shadow Open Market Committee, who spent over 22 years as Chief Economist at Bank of America and later Berenberg Capital Markets, and now runs MDL Insights, focusing on monetary and fiscal policy.

In this episode, Randy and Mickey discuss the surprising resilience of the U.S. economy heading into the second half of 2026, why easing oil prices could bring inflation down further, and what’s really driving strong employment gains despite negative consumer sentiment. They also dig into AI’s short- and long-term impact on labor markets, overlooked structural issues like education, skills training, and immigration policy, the Fed’s rate outlook under new leadership, and a deep dive into private credit – separating real risks from market misconceptions.