This week is part one of Drew's interview with Dr. Calomiris, a world-renowned banking and financial expert who has testified before Congress as an expert in financial matters. He is a preeminent expert on the Financial Crisis of 2008/09 and a professor emeritus of Columbia University. Discussing his book "Fragile by Design," Charles walks us through the history of banking crises in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada and elsewhere. Drew and Charles first lay the foundation of banking history so that our listeners have a deeper context of the inherent fragility of banking before delving into the Financial Crisis which will be posted next week.

Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, INC., member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services are offered through Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, INC. Benson Wealth management is not a registered broker/dealer and is independent of Raymond James Financial Services. Raymond James is not affiliated with and does not endorse the opinions or services of Charles Calomiris. This material is being provided for educational purposes only and is not a complete description, nor is it a recommendation. The information has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but we do not guarantee that the foregoing material is accurate or complete.

On this episode, Drew and Pat dig into the political intricacies of the large bailouts that occurred during the financial crisis, through the movie Too Big to Fail. This movie focuses on the motives and actions of Secretary of the Treasury, Hank Paulson, as he tries to rally the banking industry to devise a private sector solution. Drew adds important nuance to the macro-economic and political environments that lead to the ultimate crash, and the government intervention that ensued.

Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, INC., member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services are offered through Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, INC. Benson Wealth management is not a registered broker/dealer and is independent of Raymond James Financial Services.

Michael Strain is a Georgetown Professor and Director of Economic Policy Studies and Arthur F. Burns Scholar in Political Economy at the American Enterprise Institute. He is the author of "The American Dream Is Not Dead." In the second part of this interview, Drew asks Michael if the American Dream is dead. Together, Drew and Michael sort through the empirical data to reveal the surprising answer. Listen on to find out!

Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, INC., member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services are offered through Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, INC. Benson Wealth management is not a registered broker/dealer and is independent of Raymond James Financial Services. Raymond James is not affiliated with and does not endorse the opinions or services of Michael Strain.