GoldRepublic launches Belgian-Dutch podcast series with Jan Longeval and Bart Brands

New monthly series brings together two perspectives on economics, markets, investing, and precious metals

Amsterdam, September 24, 2026 - GoldRepublic is starting a new collaboration with Belgian financial expert Jan Longeval, author of, among other works, Heavy Metal, and Bart Brands, precious metals specialist at GoldRepublic. In a monthly podcast series, the two discuss current economic and financial developments from both a Belgian and a Dutch perspective. The first episode airs Tuesday, September 29, on GoldRepublic's YouTube channel.

The Netherlands and Belgium are neighboring countries with closely intertwined economies. Yet there are clear differences in areas including public finances, taxation, wealth accumulation, pension systems, and the way the two countries approach investing. In the new series, Longeval and Brands explore where these differences come from, what the two countries can learn from each other, and what this means for investors.

The conversations aren't limited to the day-to-day movements of financial markets. Topics such as interest rates, inflation, government debt, geopolitics, demographics, equities, bonds, real estate, exchange rates, and crypto also come up. These themes are consistently placed within a broader European and global macroeconomic context. Every episode also draws the connection back to gold and other precious metals.

Two countries, two perspectives

Although the Netherlands and Belgium face many of the same international developments, both countries start from different economic, political, and financial starting points. It's precisely those differences that form the starting point for the conversations between Longeval and Brands.

What influence do government debt and fiscal policy have on the economy? How do changes in interest rates and inflation feed through into financial markets? What do geopolitical developments and demographic shifts mean for the long term? And what role can gold and other precious metals play within a broader investment strategy?

By bringing together Belgian and Dutch perspectives, the series aims to help viewers better understand current developments and place them in a wider context.

Informing and analyzing

With the new series, GoldRepublic wants to contribute to an accessible, substantive conversation about economics, financial markets, and wealth building. The focus isn't on any single outcome or investment, but on offering different perspectives, backed by figures, arguments, and historical context.

"The Netherlands and Belgium are geographically close, but sometimes differ considerably on economic and financial matters," says Bart Brands, precious metals specialist at GoldRepublic. "By exploring those differences and similarities together with Jan, we want to help viewers look beyond the noise of the day. We analyze the big developments and translate what they mean for markets, investors, and precious metals."

Jan Longeval brings his broad expertise in economics, financial markets, and investing, along with his deep knowledge of the Belgian situation. As the author of Heavy Metal, he has also written extensively on the historical, economic, and monetary significance of gold. Brands complements this with the Dutch perspective and his expertise in gold and other precious metals.

The first episode with Jan Longeval and Bart Brands airs Tuesday, September 29, at 12:00 pm ET, on GoldRepublic's YouTube channel. A new episode will follow every month after that.

‍