Lagniappe

At the heart of Il San Pietro in Positano, one of Italy’s – and the world’s – finest hotels, is a family business with a fascinating story. Il San Pietro was built by Carlino Cinque when Positano was a simple fishing village. Carlino’s family believed him crazy for pursuing a life outside their home and even had Carlino impeached for his entrepreneurial aspirations. Luckily Carlino overcame obstac...

What would you do with a family fortune? Taking a hard look at the downfall of the Vanderbilt dynasty tells us a few things about wealth, purpose, and the importance of a trusted financial advisor.  History can tell us what to expect during unpredictable global events, how bear markets typically come to a close, and the surprising similarity between institutional and retail investors.  This week,...

While times may feel unsteady and unpredictable, if you take a look through history, you’ll see these very market fluctuations repeated, time and time again. The tricky part is convincing your psyche to invest during a downtime when the market’s on sale. So how can you override your human instinct to hoard cash in a downturn? And when will there be resources available to prevent ourselves from act...

Bull or bear? Always the question and (almost) always difficult to answer. Especially in 2022. Between the Russia-Ukraine invasion, rising interest rates, and spiked inflation, the markets have been up and down. And it’s incredibly difficult to take a hint from what’s happening when deciding whether to invest or play it safe.  Given today’s turmoil, it’s important to consider what’s worked in cris...

Despite dealing with the aftermath of a global pandemic, an unpredictable stock market, and record-breaking inflation, life in 2022 may not be as bad as you think it is. 150 years ago, the richest people in America didn’t have easy access to basic commodities like air conditioning and ice, not to mention apps that deliver food and streaming services playing everything you can imagine.  Rising inte...

If the past few months have reminded us of anything, it’s that market volatility is constant and unpredictable. With the spread of information accelerating faster than ever, global volatility now matches that of the market in (seemingly) real-time.  So it’s no surprise that such upheaval takes a toll on our psyche as investors. But if there’s one thing we can predict, it’s that volatility isn’t go...

With America more divided than ever before, few things have the power to bring together both sides of the political spectrum. The Opportunity Zone program is one of those rarities specially designed to satisfy political opposites. Not to mention, dramatically improving the community around us.  But some businesses and individuals are hesitant about holding an investment for 10 years, or maybe they...

If there’s one industry that’s been uprooted since March 2020, it’s live entertainment. Just as leaders within tourism and hospitality have struggled to regain ground, runners of festivals and owners of live theaters have unleashed a wheelhouse of creativity just to stay afloat and continue serving the communities and artists around them. In this episode, Greg and Doug talk with Becker Hall, CEO o...

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a humanitarian crisis that’s gripped the globe. While difficult to comprehend on a human level, the economic impact of a widespread European conflict can be equally as complicated to unpack. From inflation to rising gas prices to seemingly unpredictable markets, the state of our economy is enough to make most panic. Luckily, understanding why the Russian-Ukraine con...

In this episode, Doug and Greg talk with Peter Ricchiuti, Founder and Director of Burkenroad Reports. Peter started Tulane’s nationally acclaimed student stock research program Burkenroad in 1993. Since then, he has mentored hundreds of students about underpriced and overlooked stocks in southern states. Before that, Peter also served as the Chief Investment Officer for the state of Louisiana. Pet...

Argentina just struck a deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to give the South American country some “breathing space” for the next few years to pay off debt. From an Argentinian expert’s perspective, how is it looking for the economy and more importantly, to its people? In this episode, Doug and Greg talk with Santiago Solanet, Senior Investment Analyst at BlackTORO Global Investments....

In this episode, Doug and Greg talk with Jamie Catherwood, Client Portfolio Associate at O’Shaughnessy Asset Management. Jamie has a deep fascination with and expertise in finance history. Throughout the years, he’s shared finance content that goes in-depth to help investors make better and more evidence-based financial decisions. Jamie talks with Doug and Greg about the importance of financial hi...

In this episode, Doug and Greg talk with Cullen Roche, Founder and Chief Investment Officer at Discipline Funds. Aside from advocating for rebalancing portfolios with low-fee, tax-efficient funds, Cullen also writes about the macroeconomy and investing strategies through his blog, Pragmatic Capitalism. Cullen also advises on the overall impact of inflation in the current market. Cullen talks with...

In this episode, Doug and Greg talk about the effect of electoral party systems and politics on the markets, and the promising investment opportunities in New Orleans. Key Takeaways [00:42] - How do politics affect the markets? [05:11] - How the market behaves amid political uncertainties. [07:59] - Why markets don’t like uncertainties. [12:06] - Current living conditions in New Orleans. [18:03] -...

Doug and Greg talk about why the cure to inflation is inflation, and why US stocks continue to outperform international stocks. Key Takeaways [00:28]  - 2022 kicks off with a consumer price rise.  [05:31] -  Why Doug believes the Federal Reserve is very market-facing. [09:49] - The cure to inflation is inflation. [12:13] -  Efficient automobiles: from gasoline to electric. [13:04] - What is ESG in...

In this episode, Doug and Greg discuss everything you need to know about the blockchain, cryptocurrency, and digital assets—its speculative market, its stance against looming inflation, and its promise to be the currency of the future. Key Takeaways [00:42] - The triple threat of policy tightening. [02:05] -  Insights on unemployment during COVID. [06:04] - The need for focusing on continued abili...

In this episode, Doug and Greg talk about the rate hiking cycle as we enter 2022, the truth about debt and the affordability of housing, the impact of monopoly capitalism, and the new business investor mindset amid a pandemic. Key Takeaways [00:55] - Ken Fisher’s insights on the rate hiking cycle of 2022. [03:51] - There is no rule of thumb in markets. [06:29] - Debt and affordability in housing....

Investors’ decisions are mostly based on financial predictions made by so-called experts. So, when the news broke that we were about to enter a pandemic, investors and advisors were in shock. How do investors move forward when modern society is suddenly afflicted by an uncontrollable peril like COVID-19? In this episode, Doug and Greg talk about the risks of poor financial forecasting, the truth a...

Lagniappe is a new podcast hosted by Greg Stokes and Doug Stokes, brothers and partners in Stokes Family Office, a New Orleans wealth management firm.  Lagniappe is a word derived from the South American Spanish phrase la yapa, which means “a little something extra”. Although this is an old custom, it is still widely practiced in Louisiana.  We created this podcast to be a little something extra f...