The Important Part: Investing with Liz Thomas

How did social media play into the meme stock mania of 2021? What makes the retail investors of today more discerning than ever before? Is there such a thing as no-fee trading?  Liz sits down with Gunjan Banerji, lead writer for The Wall Street Journal's live markets coverage to talk about the evolution of retail investors, the type of investing they find most attractive, and the ways in which soc...

Originally released April 2022. Liz sits down with Bryn Talkington and Jenny Harrington to discuss what it takes to be a successful investor – and if it’s really as complicated as some ‘experts’ claim? It’s a special episode and we’re re-releasing it in anticipation of Season Three. Season Three of The Important Part returns in just a few weeks, on Tuesday September 12th, and we’ll be kicking off...

How is the housing market really doing in the US? Dr Skylar Olsen, chief economist at Zillow, joins Liz to speak about recent data that looks at key factors like housing prices, demand, and why some primary homeowners are holding onto their homes. She also chats about whether inflation will go down soon (and affect housing prices) and whether home buying interest has actually softened.  For more,...

Are there other upsides other than tax benefits when it comes to giving to charitable causes? John Marick, former CEO of Consumer Cellular and board member of Meals On Wheels America, joins Liz to speak about partnering with nonprofits or charities as part of a company mission and how charitable giving is beneficial beyond the balance sheet. He also speaks about what investing in a nonprofit looks...

Is it possible to disrupt the health insurance industry? This week’s guest, Scott Blackley, the Chief Transformation Officer at Oscar Health, believes the future lies in using technology (such as AI) to our advantage. He talks with Liz about how using cloud-based or cloud-native technology can help healthcare companies disrupt the industry (and remain competitive as a result), why consumers won’t...

Interested in learning more about how markets will fare in 2023? Adam Parker, CEO and founder of Trivariate Research, offers his take on sector calls and what a possible recession might look like. He speaks with Liz on how investors can approach defensive sectors of markets, why there may not be a V-shaped recovery like many are forecasting, and why a general strategy of doing the opposite of what...

Liz is back with her investment outlook for 2023 and answers your burning questions. Now that 2022 is over, what are her takes on individual bonds versus bond ETFs, dividend aristocrats, and energy stocks? Don’t forget to tune in to hear her thoughts on whether we’re headed for a recession, why it may be different that ones in the past, and why they don’t have to feel like the end of the world.  F...

With food inflation and continuing changes in consumer demands, how are meal kit companies faring? Linda Findley, CEO of Blue Apron, gives her take on how this industry is doing, and whether these companies are faring, both in terms of demand and profit margins. She talks with Liz about her observations on the meal kit landscape during the pandemic and beyond, why food inflation hasn’t affected th...

With talks of layoffs and other volatility in the tech industry, what should investors do? This week’s guest, Dan Ives, Managing Director and Senior Equity Research Analyst covering the Technology sector at Wedbush Securities offers his take on the overall landscape. He talks with Liz about why growth in the tech industry will still continue, and what the future may hold for groups like software a...

Until the way we interact in a professional setting (like going out for celebrations and client lunches) changes, the restaurant industry won’t be able to bounce back for a while. How does this have implications for investors? This week’s guest helps to shed light on this conundrum. Bo Peabody, founder of restaurant app Seated and co-founder of Mezze Restaurant Group, talks to Liz about when he be...

How much weight should an investor put on a company’s advertising strategy? According to this week’s guest, quite a lot. Joe Marchese, Executive Chairman at Human Ventures and previous President of Advertising Revenue for Fox Networks Group, sit down with Liz to talk about looking at ads - specifically ones that aim to acquire a customer versus ones that simply acquire a transaction- can give inve...

Are there advantages that retail investors have over institutional investors, or should retail investors focus on simple strategies for success? Ross Mac sits down with Liz to talk about how technology has helped to democratize investing (and by extension made it a less taboo subject to talk about in public) and whether Wall Street is underestimating this demographic. Liz and Ross also talk about...

Just because there’s a consensus from the pros on how the market will perform, does that mean they’re always right? Chris Verrone, partner and head of Technical Strategy and Macro Research at Strategas, sits down with Liz to talk about how he approaches technicals, why it’s important as an investor to be able to admit that you’re wrong and know how to change course. For more, read Liz’s column eve...

Do professional investors really have a crystal ball and accurately predict earnings growth, when inflation will stabilize, and more? Brian Belski, Chief Investment Strategist and leader of the Investment Strategy Group at BMO, sits down with Liz to talk about his take on the Fed, his thoughts on when inflation may go down, and what sectors investors should watch out for. Liz also offers her take...

Liz is answering your investment questions for this mid-year iteration, from whether Liz believes a recession is coming, the housing market, to where to put your money to work. Also tune in to hear some of her thoughts on large cap vs small cap securities, predictions about the Fed, and if bonds are worth considering in your portfolio allocation.    For more, read Liz’s column every Thursday at On...

Given the recent rates of inflation, it makes sense to think that consumer spending is down. However, in many ways it’s quite the opposite. Kristen Gall, president of Rakuten (formerly Ebates), sits down with Liz to talk about what's she seen in consumer trends in the first few months of the year, what sectors in retail could see a downturn, and what "the great trade down" has to do with consumer...

What does it take to become a successful investor, and is it really as complicated as some “experts” claim it is? Liz sits down with Bryn Talkington, Managing Partner of Requisite Capital Management and Jenny Harrington, CEO of Gilman Hill Asset Management, to talk about how to be stoic in investing, how to tell between useful investment advice and fluff, as well as why paying yourself is timeless...

Within a decade, crypto adoption has accelerated from attracting young investors to now government bodies, and sparking debates about its future and environmental footprint. Liz sits down with Meltem Demirors, Chief Strategy Officer of CoinShares to talk about Bitcoin’s cyclicality, how current geopolitical events have been pivotal moments for the asset class, and what Meltem sees in terms of regu...

How we analyze investment opportunities and athletes is not all that different. Liz is joined by Cynthia Frelund, NFL Media's first analytics expert, at Penthouse 56 at SoFi’s hospitality space in downtown LA during Super Bowl week to compare the similarities and differences between investing and the sports world and how looking at investing through a different lens might help investors feel less...

In the world of venture capital, opportunity is everywhere, but access is not. Ita Ekpoudom, partner at venture capital firm GingerBread Capital, which backs high growth female founded companies, explains the need to spread the funding across gender lines, what the main advantages are in investing in female founded companies, and how individual investors can get in on the action. Liz also offers h...

Liz is answering your investment questions, from 2022 investment themes, to whether international markets are making a comeback. Also tune in to hear some of her favorite sectors, the economic indicators investors should watch, and what you can do to dial down the risk in your equity allocation. For more, read Liz’s column every Thursday at On The Money by SoFi, sign up for the SoFi Daily Newslett...

How do investing and entrepreneurship go hand in hand? Ryan Serhant, star of two-time Emmy-nominated Million Dollar Listing New York, explains why there has been a surge in people starting their own business, where the real estate market goes from here, and why your mindset is your greatest asset in investing and beyond. Liz also offers her take on real estate at this point in the cycle and the ma...

Investing isn’t all about chasing a certain level of wealth — it’s about chasing the life you want and reverse engineering your investment tactics to get there. Brandon Copeland, linebacker for the Atlanta Falcons and professor of “Life 101” at the University of Pennsylvania, explains how investors can build their confidence with investing, why it’s a smart idea to invest in what you consume, and...

Crypto has grown tremendously as an asset class and topic of conversation. This episode breaks down crypto’s main value propositions and how to think about it from an investment perspective. Anthony Pompliano, one of the leading voices in the crypto space, explains how the technology has evolved, how he thinks about using crypto as a hedge against inflation, and what the possible future state of d...

Reading Barron’s or the Wall Street Journal every week is a smart idea. You can enhance those smarts by keeping your eyes and ears open to what people in your everyday life have to say about the markets and economy. Today’s guest, Jason Trennert, Chairman and CEO of Strategas Research Partners, discusses why investors should talk to their taxi driver, sales clerks, or even the bartender at their l...