Dollars & Sense with a couple of gents

Wealth Advisors Stephen Ellis and Robert Wolfson welcome Som Seif to the podcast to discuss the origins and evolution of the Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) market. Som is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Purpose Investments Inc., which he formed following the sale of Claymore Investments to BlackRock Inc. in March 2012. Prior to Claymore Investments, Som was an investment banker with RBC Cap...

Wealth Advisors Stephen Ellis and Robert Wolfson take a comparative look at the performance of the equity markets (both domestic and foreign), bond prices and yields, commodities and currency for 2023 vs. the previous year.  Enjoy the episode!

Wealth Advisors Stephen Ellis and Robert Wolfson (and Sue) provide an alphabetical recap of the year that was 2023. The Gents (and Sue) look in the rear view mirror to highlight the words which come to mind, from A to Z, when thinking about what made the news over the past year.

In this episode Wealth Advisors Stephen Ellis and Robert Wolfson, aka "The Gents", discuss common fears and how they may be holding you back. In some cases those fears can have a negative impact on your financial decisions. Listen to this episode to see if you share any of these fears, how those fears may be affecting your decision making and, in some instances, how to overcome those fea...

In this episode Wealth Advisors Stephen Ellis and Robert Wolfson (aka “The Gents”) welcome back Warren Hastings, Director, Lead Investment Strategist of Scotia Global Portfolio Advisory Group . Warren discusses  the current macroeconomic environment, including inflation (again) and the potential of a recession in North America (still). He gives his thoughts on the geo-political situation in the mi...

Whether you are moving to a warmer location for retirement or relocating for work, there are numerous items to consider.  In this episode Wealth Advisors Stephen Ellis and Robert Wolfson, aka "The Gents", discuss  some financial, tax and legal items to consider before making the move. Enjoy the episode!

In this episode Wealth Advisors Stephen Ellis and Robert Wolfson, aka "The Gents", are joined by Amanda Nitschke. As a Total Wealth Planner, Amanda is responsible for guiding our clients through our Total Wealth Planning process, which begins with a thoughtful consideration of their entire financial picture, immediate needs, and goals for the future. Amanda discusses what goes into the c...

History has shown that in times of market volatility sticking to a disciplined strategy can help get you through those rough patches.  In this episode Wealth Advisors Stephen Ellis and Robert Wolfson, aka "The Gents", discuss strategies to help you navigate through times of turbulence and come out ahead on the other side.  The last couple of years have taken investors on a roller coaster...

In this episode, Wealth Advisors Stephen Ellis and Robert Wolfson explain some of the benefits of discussing financial matters with your significant other. From simple financial issues like budgeting, to more complex matters such as retirement planning, "the gents"  stress the importance of having these discussions with your partner. Enjoy the episode!

In this episode Wealth Advisors Stephen Ellis and Robert Wolfson (aka “The Gents”) welcome Warren Hastings, Director, Lead Investment Strategist of Scotia Global Portfolio Advisory Group . Warren discusses  the current macroeconomic environment, including inflation and the potential of a recession in North America. He gives his thoughts on the equity and fixed income markets as well as some commen...

In this episode Wealth Advisors Stephen Ellis and Robert Wolfson (aka “The Gents”) welcome Malcolm Dorson, Senior Portfolio Manager at Mirae Asset Global Investments (USA).  Malcolm has been managing portfolios investing in Latin America, Emerging Europe, the Middle East, and Africa since 2015 .  He discusses all things  Emerging Markets.... from what they are to the opportunities in those economi...

Wealth Advisors and Portfolio Managers Stephen Ellis and Robert Wolfson aka “The Gents” discuss optimism in investing. They explore why it seems to be the exception rather than the rule.  Perhaps human nature is the reason it is often easier to take a negative or pessimistic view. Perhaps it is the consistent flow of negative news from the mainstream media that causes us to see things more from th...

Wealth Advisors and Portfolio Managers Stephen Ellis and Robert Wolfson aka "The Gents" discuss US bank failure(s). Specifically, they discuss the recent failure of Silicon Valley Bank... the reason for the failure, the size and scope of the bank, as well as the action taken by regulators to protect uninsured depositors. They also discuss just how common bank failures are in the US as we...

In this episode, Wealth Advisors Stephen Ellis and Robert Wolfson provide a quick review of some of the headlines that are impacting the economy and the markets. We are STILL feeling the impact of inflation, the war in the Ukraine, rising rates, and the continued impact of supply chain issues. There is still the discussion of a recession looming over the economy and the markets but increasingly, t...

Wealth Advisors Stephen Ellis and Robert Wolfson (aka. The Gents) discuss hindsight bias, also known as the knew-it-all-along-phenomenon. This is the common tendency for people to perceive past events as having been more predictable than they actually were.  They take a look back at some of the events which contributed to the market volatility in 2022 with the benefit of hindsight. Click the link...

Wealth Advisors Stephen Ellis and Robert Wolfson provide an alphabetical recap of the year that was 2022. The Gents look in the rear view mirror to highlight the words which come to mind, from A to Z, when thinking about what made the news over the past year.

In this holiday themed episode Wealth Advisors Stephen Ellis and Robert Wolfson aka "The Gents" were joined by their senior associate Myndi Quirion to help them get in the Christmas spirit.  The Ellis Financial Group family discusses their Christmas traditions, both past and present, along with their favorite Christmas movies and songs.   Back by popular demand Rob shares the  2022 Editi...

Wealth Advisors Stephen Ellis and Robert Wolfson welcome James Kent,  Procurement Manager at WineCollective to the podcast. James introduces us to WineCollective, a wine subscription service that allows you to explore and enjoy professionally selected, hard-to-find wines, shipped to your door every month. He explains how this unique business differs from the more traditional wine procurement proce...

Wealth Advisors Stephen Ellis and Robert Wolfson aka "The Gents" welcome Jeff Sujitno to the Podcast. Jeff is a Portfolio Manager with Wellington Square. He has extensive experience investing in the fixed income markets and currently specializes in both fixed income and credit with a focus on senior loans, high yield bonds and investment grade corporate bonds.  It's definitely been...

In this episode Wealth Advisors Stephen Ellis and Robert Wolfson discuss ways to deal with the stress and anxiety that often comes with a recession. They provide a few tips to deal with both the emotional and financial tolls that a slowdown in the economy can have on everyday people. Hopefully this episode provides you with  some peace of mind as we move ever closer to a potential recession.

In this episode Wealth Advisors Stephen Ellis and Robert Wolfson discuss their recent conference attendance and discuss some key takeaways from their respective conferences. Both Robert and Stephen are always striving to stay up to date on market activity as well as any changes in the Wealth Management Industry. By attending these types of events, their objective is to stay current and in turn pro...

In this episode Wealth Advisors Stephen Ellis and Robert Wolfson discuss the market trading anomaly called The September Effect which refers to the historically weak stock market returns during the month.   The Gents educate us on what this trading pattern is and some of the seasonal factors which contribute to the volatility we usually see this time of year. The Gents also take a look at the curr...

In this episode, Wealth Advisors Stephen Ellis and Robert Wolfson provide a quick economic and market update. They discuss the ways in which recent factors and events are impacting the economy and the markets. Many of us are really starting to feel the impact of inflation, the war in the Ukraine, rising rates, and the continued impact of supply chain issues... not to mention the impact on investme...

In this episode, Wealth Advisors Stephen Ellis and Robert Wolfson discuss the continued negative sentiment in the markets. They suggest ways to reframe the rhetoric to feel less "gloomy" about the current state of affairs. Some positive sound bites will hopefully help you deal with, and possibly overcome, the negativity that persists in the media. In turn, ensuring a successful outcome i...

In this episode, Wealth Advisors Stephen Ellis and Robert Wolfson discuss market volatility. They briefly explain what it is but, perhaps more importantly, what is causing the recent market volatility, how to deal with it, and the opportunity it can provide.