We recently hosted Charles Schwab’s Washington insider, Michael Townsend, for an entertaining and informative discussion on the intersection between policy, politics, the markets, and the economy. Mike provided his perspective on the aggressive policy agenda President Trump has undertaken in 2025. He discussed the latest developments on tariffs, taxes, government spending, the looming debt ceiling battle, Fed policy and more. We answered participants’ questions with a live Q&A at the end of the presentation.
About the Speaker
Mike Townsend
Managing Director, Legislative and Regulatory Affairs
Charles Schwab Corporation
As Managing Director of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs, Mike Townsend is Charles Schwab’s Washington-based political analyst. With more than 32 years of Washington experience, including 25 at Schwab, he analyzes legislative, regulatory, and political developments to determine how they would affect individual investors and then develops strategies to communicate those perspectives to policymakers, the media, employees, and clients. He is a featured speaker at dozens of industry events each year and he is the host of Schwab’s popular WashingtonWise podcast, which explores the intersection between policy, politics, the markets, and the economy. Prior to joining Schwab in 2000, Mike served as an aide to two US Senators. He’s a graduate of Bowdoin College in Maine and holds a Master’s in English literature from George Mason University.