Ahead In The Count Ep. 120 - CIO Eric Cramer's Q1 QMR: Shifts, Volatilities, and Opportunities

Welcome to "Ahead in the Count," presented by BIP Wealth. Our Baseball Division combines their collegiate and professional baseball playing experience with financial acumen to provide expertise in life on and off the field. We aim to give ballplayers and their families a better understanding about their unique lifestyle, the opportunities that come from playing this game, and insight into the complex financial world. This is "Ahead in the Count," hosted by Nolan Alexander, from BIP Wealth.

The opening quarter of 2026 was anything but quiet. With a war in Iran reshaping the geopolitical chessboard, fractured Western alliances, the ongoing AI investment surge, and rising questions about the death of Software as a Service, BIP Wealth CIO Eric Cramer unpacks the forces defining portfolio performance right now, and what smart investors should be doing in response.

In this episode of Ahead in the Count, Eric, BIP Wealth Baseball Division's Chase Murray, and host Nolan Alexander break down the Q1 2026 Quarterly Market Review with a focus on three tectonic shifts: realigning global trade power, the volatility return, and emerging opportunities hiding inside the chaos — especially for net savers and professional athletes still in their earning years.

Shifting Global Trade Alliances

How the post-WWII Western alliance system is fracturing — and why the EU–India trade deal, CPTPP expansion, and new South American agreements matter to your portfolio even if you've never heard of them.

Market Volatility Is Back — and What Could Happen

Eric explains why Q1's selloff was a warning shot, how risk has increased across every asset class including U.S. Treasuries, and why "safe havens" are harder to find than ever before.

International Equities Outperforming the U.S.

For the first time in years, BIP Wealth is rethinking its traditional overweight in U.S. equities. Find out which global markets are generating real returns as America's share of the global index shrinks.

AI & the SaaS Apocalypse

The so-called "SaaS-pocalypse" is creating zombie companies in private markets. Eric explains which company traits will pivot successfully to AI and which won't survive — and how that ripples into private equity and private credit valuations.

Private Credit: Risk Repricing Creates New Opportunity

As spreads widen from SOFR+6% to SOFR+7%, new private credit deals are more rewarding for incoming investors. Eric walks through how to think about the math, and why short-term price marks shouldn't panic long-term holders.

Tax Strategies for High-Income Earners

With mounting U.S. debt likely to push tax brackets higher regardless of which party holds power, BIP Wealth is rolling out new municipal bond strategies to shelter income; a timely move for athletes in peak earning years.

Why This Could Be a Great Entry Point for Net Savers

Despite the fear you see online, Eric makes the case that for baseball players and professional athletes still actively earning and saving, right now may be one of the best market entry points in years.

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