The Blunt Dollar

Few people have shaped the way we think about long-term investing and finance like Laurence Siegel. From his early collaboration with Roger Ibbotson on the landmark "Stocks, Bonds, Bills, and Inflation" study to leading investment research at the Ford Foundation and the CFA Institute Research Foundation, Larry has spent decades connecting financial history, data, and practical insight in...

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, we sit down with Marcie Frost, CEO of CalPERS, the largest public pension fund in the U.S., managing over $500 billion in assets for more than 2 million public sector workers. From a childhood marked by poverty to the pinnacle of public finance, Marcie’s journey is a masterclass in grit, purpose, and principled leadership. She opens up about the personal experi...

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, I sit down with Orlando Gemes, Founding Partner and CIO of Fourier Asset Management, a credit hedge fund focused on uncovering repeatable alpha through a highly data-driven approach to convertible arbitrage. Orlando’s background spans from fixed income at Deutsche Bank to leading structured credit at Hermes and running his own shop at Fairwater Capital. Now, he...

Today’s guest is James Eagle, data visualization pioneer, LinkedIn top voice, and former investment writer with a two-decade run at firms like HSBC, Fidelity, and Vontobel. James left the institutional world to become a full-time content creator and data storyteller, making finance clearer and more human through the power of visuals. In this episode, we unpack his incredible journey from pitchbook...

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, I sit down with Stephen White, co-founder of Markets Recon and former marketing lead at BlackRock and eVestment, to unpack nearly two decades of insights from the intersection of finance, strategy, and storytelling. From launching billion-dollar investment strategies to now building a tech platform that reimagines how allocators absorb research, Stephen brings...

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, I sit down with Bill Kelly, a true veteran of the asset management world with over 40 years of experience and former CEO of the CAIA Association. From co-founding Boston Partners to steering CAIA into a global standard for alternatives education, Bill has seen (and shaped) the evolution of the investment industry from the inside out. We dive into the lessons he...

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, I sit down with Rhodri Preece, Senior Head of Research at CFA Institute, to explore how digital forces, new generations, and AI are reshaping the investment landscape. Rhodri has spent nearly two decades at CFA Institute leading global research initiatives, covering everything from ESG and transparency to the rise of social media influencers in finance. We disc...

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, I sit down with Claudia Sahm, a renowned economist, recession expert, and creator of the famous Sahm Rule, one of the most closely watched early indicators of U.S. recessions.  Claudia spent over a decade at the Federal Reserve, later advised the White House, and now serves as Chief Economist at New Century Advisors. We explore her fascinating career path, the...

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, Ignacio sits down with Morgaine Conway-Grim, founder and CEO of Hawks and Doves, a finance education company making investing fundamentals accessible to everyone.  Morgaine’s path to finance began not on Wall Street, but at a reception desk, before she went on to work at some of the largest financial institutions in the world. In 2024, she launched Hawks and Do...

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, I sit down with Eric Jaffe, CEO of BCA Research, the world’s largest independent provider of macro investment research. We unpack Eric’s unconventional path from the Pentagon to GLG and now the helm of BCA, where he’s steering a 76-year-old firm into its next phase of growth, all while keeping that contrarian spark alive. We also dive deep into how macro shocks...

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, I sit down with Steven Grey, founder and managing principal of Grey Value Management, where he oversees the Grey Value Opportunity Fund. Steven’s career spans hedge funds, family offices, and global micro investing, and includes a stint launching Albright Capital with former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. But beyond the accolades, Steven is a fiercely i...

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, I sit down with David Stevenson, one of the UK’s most candid financial commentators. David writes the Adventurous Investor column for the Financial Times, runs a popular Substack, and is also the founder of ETF Stream.  From his days as a BBC producer to sitting on multiple investment trust boards, David has a fascinating multi-decade career that straddles jour...

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, I sit down with Manish Singh, Chief Investment Officer at Crossbridge Capital and a veteran global macroeconomist with nearly two decades of experience steering multi-asset portfolios.  From his engineering roots in Mumbai to building an investment philosophy rooted in patience, trust, and historical perspective, Manish shares how he balances data-driven rigor...

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, we sit down with one of the most prolific voices in the financial planning space: Jason Pereira. A financial planner, fintech strategist, professor, podcaster, and tireless advocate for professional standards, Jason joins Ignacio to talk through the present and future of financial advice. With over 750 pieces of content under his belt and multiple roles shaping...

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, I sit down with Vincent Kaufmann, CEO of the Ethos Foundation, a leading voice in sustainable finance and corporate governance in Switzerland.  With over two decades at Ethos, Vincent shares an insider perspective on why active ownership matters, the real tools investors have to drive ESG change, and the fine line between meaningful impact and greenwashing.  Th...

Elsa Razborsek joins The Blunt Dollar for a deep, nuanced conversation on nonlinear careers, women in finance, and the behavioural biases that shape both our portfolios and personal lives.  From Goldman Sachs analyst to health coach and back to finance, Elsa’s journey is anything but typical, and it’s exactly that winding path that fuels her insights today. In this episode, we talk about: 🔄 Caree...

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, we sit down with Julia Carreon, a digital transformation powerhouse with leadership experience at Wells Fargo and Citi, to dissect the crossroads of finance, technology, and generational change.  Julia brings her signature candor and deep industry knowledge to a conversation that spans everything from AI and gamification to social media misinformation and the t...

Sustainable investing has gone from niche to necessary. But where is it headed next? In this episode, Ignacio sits down with Marina Severinovsky, Head of Sustainability for North America at Schroders, to unpack the shifting ESG landscape.  Marina draws from two decades of experience in finance and sustainability to explain how investors can navigate today’s volatile mix of climate risk, political...

In this episode we dive deep into the engine room of sustainability, with a guest who has one of the most unique seats in the house. I sit down with Brian Matt, Head of Sustainability Advisory at the New York Stock Exchange, to unpack what’s really going on behind all the ESG headlines.  With two decades of experience in investor relations and sustainability, Brian offers a rare dual lens into bot...

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, I sit down with Manuel Grenacher, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Unique, a company revolutionizing financial services with agentic AI.  Manuel shares his journey from building startups in Switzerland to leading one of the most exciting AI-driven companies in finance today.  We dive deep into how AI is reshaping the industry, where the biggest disruption o...

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, Ignacio sits down with Marlena Lee, Global Head of Investment Solutions at Dimensional Fund Advisors.  Marlena leads a 70-person team that bridges deep academic research with practical client education, helping investors navigate the complexities of markets, factor investing, and long-term portfolio construction. With a PhD from the University of Chicago Booth...

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, we’re joined by George Lagarias, Chief Economist at Mazars, for a thought-provoking conversation on financial crises, economic cycles, and the elusive search for stability in global markets.  With over 20 years of experience navigating economic turmoil from Athens to London, George offers a deeply reflective and honest perspective on the past, present, and futu...

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, I sit down with Oktay Kavrak, Director of Communications and Strategy at Leverage Shares, a leading provider of exchange-traded products (ETPs). With over a decade in the financial industry and a CFA charter under his belt, Oktay shares a wealth of insights into the evolving world of ETPs, including how they’re reshaping modern investing. We explore everything...

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, we sit down with Tom Idzorek, CFA, Chief Investment Officer for Retirement at Morningstar and one of the most influential voices in modern financial planning. With a career spanning decades and awards like the Graham and Dodd Award of Excellence under his belt, Tom has consistently pushed the boundaries of how we think about portfolio theory, human capital, and...

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, I sit down with François Trahan, one of the most respected macro strategists on Wall Street. François is a Hall of Fame-ranked Institutional Investor strategist, former head of macro research at Bernstein, BCA, and Wolfe Research, and founder of the Macro Research Institute, a program training investors to understand real-world macroeconomics. But this isn’t ju...