The Confluence Mailbag – From Iran to AI: Making Sense of Today’s Markets (3/19/26)

Bill O’Grady and Mark Keller tackle some pressing market topics, opening with a nuanced look at how the conflict in Iran might unfold and what current market expectations may be overlooking. They discuss the concentration risk embedded in passive investing and how investors can navigate it, before turning to the shifting dynamics and recent headlines in private credit, including their perspective on the implications for BDCs. The episode concludes with a forward‑looking conversation about whether the rise of artificial intelligence could reshape the financial advice industry.