How to Prepare For 'The End Of The World' | Neil Howe

The "Fourth Turning" theory posits that modern democracies undergo 80-90 year cycles of civic upheaval, and the current era marks a climax characterized by institutional decay, rising authoritarianism, and geopolitical instability. Neil Howe, director of demography at Hedgeye Asset Management, argues that this crisis period necessitates a shift away from fixed-income assets, as governments inevitably utilize inflation and financial repression to manage national survival. While the AI revolution generates significant investment interest, it functions as a typical boom-bust cycle that accelerates the obsolescence of legacy infrastructure and military systems. As global tensions between major powers intensify, the risk of direct attacks on domestic infrastructure grows, rendering traditional financial strategies insufficient. Effective preparation requires diversifying into real assets and securing resources outside of major urban centers to mitigate the impact of potential systemic collapses.