Money For the Rest of Us

In 2005, Congress debated giving U.S. workers private savings accounts to invest their Social Security contributions in the stock and bond markets. Sixteen years later, we review how that would have worked out for workers. Other topics discussed include: How the public and private sectors are both critical for a functioning social security systems Which countries pay the highest social security be...

How to mitigate the risk of investing on crowdfunding platforms where there is little transparency on the underlying financial health of the platform company. Topics covered include: What is the platform economy How blitzscaling and an over-reliance on venture capital funding led to Peer Street's bankruptcy What happens next for investors on Peer Street's platforms How individuals and businesses c...

AI models like ChatGPT could lead to massive productivity gains, accelerated economic growth, and higher stock returns. Here's how to invest in AI. Topics covered include: How workers are already using AI models like ChatGPT to boost productivity Why ChatGPT is better at search than Google for certain queries How AI models will change the economic narrative What are ways to invest in AI, including...

Camden and Bret sit down with Ramit Sethi, host of Netflix’s hit show, “How to Get Rich”, author of the New York Times bestseller, “I Will Teach You To Be Rich” and host of the popular “I Will Teach You To Be Rich” podcast. He is known for his unconventional insights on money psychology and his no-nonsense approach to designing and living a rich life.  Ramit’s financial philosophy is centered...

How to create and sustain a life of freedom and happiness you don't want to retire from. Topics covered include: What are the physical and mental aspects of living like you are already retired What is the good life, and what are the basic goods that contribute to it How we handle time is the key to the good life and living like we are already retired For more information on this episode click&nbsp...

We review the performance and investment prospects for carbon, SPACs, silver, convertible bonds, and frontier markets. Topics covered: What has been the performance of these five asset types since they were discussed on the podcast two to three years ago What are the underlying performance drivers and expected returns going forward Which asset types are most and least attractive For more informati...

How to decide whether to rent a house or apartment or purchase a home or condo. What has been the financial return from owning a house? Topics covered include: How much have home prices increased in major cities since 1980 What drove the greater than 50% jump in home prices in some U.S. cities since 2020 Why there aren't more new starter homes What will it take for the housing shortage to abate so...

Why equity real estate investment trusts should be part of your investment portfolio despite the office sector's struggles. Topics covered include: Why some office REITs are down 30% in 2023, and owners are walking away from buildings How commercial mortgages differ from residential mortgages The broad sector diversification found within equity REIT ETFs What have equity REITs performed long-term...

What are the grave consequences if the U.S. debt ceiling isn't increased and the government defaults? What would the Federal Reserve and the Executive Branch do to prevent default if Congress doesn't act? Topics covered include: What are the potential impacts of a U.S. default on the stock and bond markets, and the overall economy What causes the U.S. to have a perennial debt ceiling crisis Why it...

Does there need to be a loser for every winner when it comes to investing and economic growth? Topics covered include: What are zero-sum games How trading can be a zero-sum game Why active management and seeking excess returns through security selections or country weights are zero-sum games Why the U.S. stock market has outperformed the rest of the world Why economic growth overall is not a zero-...

Why you should allocate a small percentage of your assets to gold. Topics covered include: What is money, and how does gold fit with that definition Why central banks bought more gold last year than at any time since 1967 Which central banks own the most gold and which are increasing their gold holdings How fast is the gold supply growing compared to the U.S. dollar money supply How financializati...

How we measure wealth, riches, abundance, and well-being is more important today than ever. Topics covered include: How late 18th century philosophers Adam Smith and the Earl of Lauderdale defined wealth and the role of capital. Why they worried about income inequality and excess profits What led to the dramatic increase in life expectancy and wealth in the 20th and 21st centuries How a long life...

With a total U.S. inflation rate of 14% in the past two years, we review how various inflation hedges performed over the past twenty-four months. Topics covered include: What were investors' and the Federal Reserve's inflation expectations two years ago What led to the big inflation increase Why was the Federal Reserve forced to raise its policy rate by almost 5% in a year How successful were infl...

How accelerating bank deposit withdrawals could harm the economy, including real estate prices. How dollars slosh around the financial system but always seem to end up at the Federal Reserve. Topics covered include: How many deposits have left banks since the Silicon Valley Bank collapse How much have banks borrowed from the Federal Reserve to meet deposit withdrawals Why exiting deposits are harm...

What has been the impact on trade and the trade deficit since the U.S. implemented tariffs on steel, aluminum, and goods made in China? Topics covered include: Has the shipping backlog been reduced at U.S. ports What are the dangers of running too high of a trade deficit How large is the U.S. trade deficit What has been the impact of U.S. tariffs on trade, domestic production, and prices How Chine...

David has a fascinating discussion with Kristof Gleich about active management, indexing, and how ETFs and mutual funds really work. Topics covered include: Should individual investors even try to select active mutual funds Is there an indexing bubble Why are there so many new ETFs Should we be worried about an ETF flash crash What do ETF market makers and authorized participants do Do SEC yields...

"If something is profitable, it will be done," says Martin Wolf of the Financial Times. We explore how profits will drive the energy transition and how and where water from the Colorado River is used. Topics covered include: How profits have led to higher energy market share for natural gas and renewal energy What is hindering a faster transition to renewables What is contributing to a water short...

What caused Silicon Valley Bank to collapse in only 44 hours, and how likely will the contagion spread, leading to other bank failures? Topics covered include: How losses on bonds blew up SVB's balance sheet How is Silicon Valley Bank similar and different than other regional banks What the FDIC and Federal Reserve are trying do to restore confidence and stop bank runs How a weakening of the Frank...

How leveraged loans and CLOs work and how to invest in them. What are the risks and opportunities with the new CLO ETFs. Topics covered include: What are the characteristics of leveraged loans and how David has invested in them in the past, both professionally and personally. Why LIBOR reference rate for leveraged loans is being phased out What is the current investing climate for leveraged loans...

Do activist hedge funds including Carl Icahn's add value? Should you invest in Icahn Enterprises L.P., a conglomerate with a 15% dividend yield and a stake in Carl Icahn's hedge fund? Topics covered include: How Icahn Enterprises' (IEP) investment performance compares to Berkshire Hathaway How to analyze individual stocks and why it is challenging What are activist hedge funds and do they make a p...

Why long-term U.S. stock market outperformance could be because it has avoided major catastrophes. Does an over-reliance on historical U.S. stock returns when modeling retirement outcomes lead to spending rates that are too high? Topics covered include: Why you might consider earthquake insurance What is survivorship bias and what are some examples Why the U.S. is an outlier when it comes to stock...

What are the pros and cons of a simple stock and bond portfolio consisting of two funds or ETFs? Given U.S. stocks have significantly outperformed the rest of the world over the past decade, is there even a role for non-U.S. stocks in your investment portfolio? Topics covered include: How have 60/40 and similar portfolios performed over the long-term What are the advantages and disadvantages of a...

We consider four case studies in which individuals struggle to decide what to do with their investment portfolios. Topics include: Why it's so difficult to reenter the stock market after sitting on the sidelines and what to do instead What are the risks of having a too aggressive portfolio allocation in retirement and what to do instead What to do when an investment strategy has worked really well...

What you need to know to confidently invest in bonds. Topics covered include: Key components of bond investing include face value, coupon rates, yield-to-maturity, duration, and convexity How to decide between owning longer-term or short-term bonds How to decide whether to own individual bonds or bond funds and ETFs When to use active bond management versus bond indexing How bullet bond ETFs work...

How sophisticated AI apps from OpenAI and other companies create articles, art, and other works that have never existed. How generative AI will impact business owners, employees, students, and financial markets. Topics include: How AI is creating personal finance articles and other creative works ChatGPT's attempt at writing a script for the Money For the Rest of Us podcast How ChatGPT and other l...