Get ready for this year’s US Open Tennis Championships by watching the third installment of the US Open Tennis Extravaganza – featuring co-hosts Valerie Mason and Barry Bobrow. This special edition of the In the Know podcast features tennis insights from two of the biggest tennis fans there are. It begins with words of wisdom from Tennis legend and fellow podcaster Rennae Stubbs – and moves on to Valerie and Barry’s thoughts into this year’s draw, their picks for winners, and their tips on how to get the most out of your visit to this year’s US Open. This year’s tournament begins August 26.

The next release in our SFNet presents “In the Know” podcast series is now available. Host Barry Bobrow is joined by his longtime friend Ted Koenig, Chairman, CEO and Founder of Monroe Capital LLC a premier asset management firm specializing in private credit markets. Monroe focuses on senior secured loans to leveraged companies, typically with less than $50MM in EBITDA and is one of the largest managers of its kind, with approximately $20 billion in assets under management today.

Ted has roots as an asset-based lending attorney in Chicago and over the past 25 years has become a leading figure in the growing world of direct lending. He and Barry cover a wide range of topics including the origins, rapid growth, and future opportunities for direct lending.

In this episode, Barry has a great discussion with his Regions Bank colleague, Alan McKnight, on the state of financial markets. Alan is Executive Vice President and Chief Investment Officer for Regions Asset Management, and is responsible for overall investment strategy, portfolio and risk management, portfolio construction, and oversight for approximately $70BN in assets under management and $150BN in assets under advisement at Regions. Alan also serves as the chief spokesperson for Regions on portfolio strategy, asset allocation and overall markets, speaking frequently on outlets such as CNBC and Bloomberg and writing for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNN Money and others. Alan and Barry have collaborated on several internal market updates and now they bring Alan’s unique insights to you.

In this episode Barry talks with Ian Fredericks, President of Hilco Consumer Retail, about the current conditions in the retail industry, as well as experience gained from recent liquidations. Ian is a member of SFNet’s Executive Committee and has extensive experience working with valuation and liquidation of inventory. Ian joined Hilco in 2011 after a successful career as a stressed and distressed Mergers and Acquisitions and Corporate Restructuring attorney.

Statements and opinions of individual speakers on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of their employer(s) or the Secured Finance Network (SFNet). Information provided should not be relied on or interpreted as accounting, financial planning, investment, legal or tax advice, and references to websites or companies should not be construed as endorsements or recommendations. You should consult an appropriate professional concerning your specific situation and irs.gov for current tax rules.

In this episode of SFNet presents In the Know, host Barry Bobrow interviews Lee Shaiman, Executive Director of the Loan Syndications and Trading Association. LSTA is the primary trade association for the leveraged loan market and oversees a wide range of market-related activities, including advocacy and education. The discussion covers the role and primary activities of LSTA and Lee’s perspectives on the health of the market, as well as the outlook for the future direction of the leveraged loan asset class given market and regulatory pressures.

Dan North, Senior Economist for Allianz Trade North America, joins host Barry Bobrow for this informative discussion on a wide range of topics. He shares his views on Fed Policy and the potential for a recession, as well as offering commentary on the health of the American consumer and thoughts on the economic impact of current U.S. political gridlock.

Back by popular demand, podcast host Barry Bobrow and his fellow tennis wonk, Valerie Mason, return for the second edition of their U.S. Open Tennis Championship Extravaganza Podcast. The tournament starts August 28, 2023, and they have a special guest on this episode - but you’ll have to listen to find out who it is. The discussion pulls no punches and is complete with tips for getting the most out of your trip to Flushing Meadows. You won’t want to miss it!

In this episode, host Barry Bobrow is joined by his friends Maria Dikeos and CJ Doherty of Refinitiv for a timely and detailed discussion of leveraged debt markets for the first half of 2023. As Maria and CJ point out, deal flow has been negatively impacted by the slowing economy and higher interest rates. Broadly syndicated volume is down significantly in 2023 vs 2022. However, the market is still active and is showing recent signs of strength on numerous transactions. They also discuss the dramatic expansion of direct lending. The conversation finishes up with a detailed overview of the asset-based lending market in the first half of the year. This episode makes extensive use of data slides. To download the slide deck, click here.