The 100 Year Pivot | Navigating a Changing Market with Grant Williams

In this episode of Excess Returns, Matt Zeigler sits down with Grant Williams for a wide-ranging conversation on what he calls the “Hundred Year Pivot.” Grant shares his view that we are living through a once-in-a-century inflection point — a deep, structural shift that is reshaping markets, institutions, societal values, and even individual behavior. This isn’t about predicting the next trade; it’s about understanding the tectonic changes happening beneath the surface and how investors can adapt, survive, and eventually thrive. 🔍 Topics covered in this episode: What the “Hundred Year Pivot” really means Why trust is the foundation of everything — and why it’s cracking The loss of long-standing institutions and belief systems How the freezing of Russian assets triggered a global monetary rethink Why central banks are buying gold like never before Why “buy the dip” might be a dangerous relic of a past era The return of capital preservation as a core investing principle How community, religion, and localism are resurfacing The psychology of luck, risk, and staying rich What gives Grant hope, despite the darkness of this turning ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00 – The hundred-year pivot and deep structural change 04:00 – Financial nihilism and the breakdown of institutional trust 11:00 – The freezing of Russian assets and its global implications 14:00 – Central banks, gold, and the unraveling of the dollar system 23:00 – From 40 years of tailwinds to a harder investing environment 27:00 – Why “buy the dip” is getting more dangerous 33:00 – Capital preservation vs. capital accumulation 40:00 – Societal change, community assets, and the new investment mindset 54:00 – Grant’s reason for optimism