The Rational Reminder Podcast

In Episode 14 of the Rational Reminder podcast we were joined by Martin Parizeau, a retired banking executive with extensive knowledge of Canadian consumer debt, and a PWL client. We discussed the following:   The start of the ETF boom When proponents of active management realize they should index Cutting wasteful expenses without sacrificing happiness Pulling off a successful downsizing Housing i...

In Episode 13 of the Rational Reminder podcast we discussed the following:   Getting into the DFA advanced conference Cancelling whole life insurance When permanent insurance makes sense Unaffordable housing in Canada Housing bubbles? Bridging the gap with a HELOC Undervalued financial advice Money does not buy happiness Defining a lifestyle Walking to work Active funds are still underperforming M...

In Episode 12 of the Rational Reminder podcast we were joined by Doug McKenzie, an executive at a large US financial institution, and a PWL client. We discussed the following:   Attacking a retirement goal Managing expenses before retirement Toronto real estate in a retirement plan Living (and working through) the financial crisis The Investor's Group Dividend Fund Income investing Robo advisors U...

In Episode 11 of the Rational Reminder podcast we discussed the following:   Are DIY investors responsible for their actions? Starting a blog Switching from stock picking to index funds Managing behaviour The 4-minute portfolio When does it make sense to optimize? Index fund rebuttals Fee-only vs. fee-based advice Choosing a conflict of interest Robb's biggest beef with Canadian financial services...

In Episode 10 of the Rational Reminder podcast we discussed the following:   Grass fed beef The benefits of independence The Ontario government wants to keep the deferred sales charge (DSC) DSC back in the day The old financial advice model DIY investors are responsible for their decisions 1/3 of people say money is their biggest stressor Locus of control A better way to invest responsibly   The s...

In Episode 9 of the Rational Reminder podcast we discussed the following: Being a poor grad student Budgeting Stuff does not make you happy Mental overhead is a real cost The Globe's Financial Facelift disaster Rob Arnott's slam of Dimensional Are people afraid of stocks? The 10-year anniversary of Lehman's fall Stories from the financial crisis Volatility in dollars vs. percentage points Automate...

In Episode 8 of the Rational Reminder podcast we discussed the following: Fidelity's 0% MER index funds are already at $1 billion When costs are 0%, how do you pick a fund? Indexing is not a passive investment strategy Index construction and product implementation > low fees A three factor regression on the Manulife Multifactor ETFs Indexing is still a tiny part of the market Not all factors belon...

In Episode 7 of the Rational Reminder podcast we discussed the following: Ottawa home prices The longest bull market in history What goes up does not have to come down All time highs are normal and should be expected Is the market overvalued? Even the CAPE only explains 40% of future return differences Should you dollar cost average or invest in a lump sum? Your better off in the market than tryin...

In Episode 6 of the Rational Reminder podcast we discussed the following: Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes! Wealthsimple's new no-commission trading platform Do individual stocks ever play a role in a financial plan? Can behavioural coaching be scaled? Being aware of conflicts of interest Wealth and happiness are not always connected If you buy an R8, you'll want a McLaren next Retiring does not...

In Episode 5 of the Rational Reminder podcast we discussed the following: Checking your credit Optimizing your credit score Investing vs. paying off your mortgage Asset allocation Reframing mortgage debt Are we in a tech bubble? The rise in the US market is backed by fundamentals How the largest Canadian pension funds invest Skewness in VC returns It's still really hard to beat index funds  The st...

After a successful launch, the podcast will live on! Thanks for the support and feedback. In Episode 4 of the Rational Reminder podcast we discussed the following: The longest bull market in history? Are we repeating the tech bubble? Why it still makes sense to hold bonds Rebalancing isn't always easy The Lost Decade, sort of Is tax-loss selling worth it? Horizons' marketing mistake One decision f...

In Episode 3 of the Rational Reminder podcast we discussed the following:   Should you lease or buy your vehicle? How are the new mortgage stress tests affecting Canadian real estate? Home ownership is not required to build wealth, with a little discipline Amazon's size is not unprecedented Successfully investing in growth stocks is really hard Consolidation in the Canadian asset management indust...

In our first ever episode of the Rational Reminder podcast we discussed the following: The purpose of the podcast How we invest DFA Factor investing Our worst investment ever Tripling our money in JDS Hedge funds still can't beat the market CSA won't deploy a statutory best interest standard The cheapest financial advice may not be the best Is a financial advisor worth it? Cost vs. complexity The...

In Episode 2 of the Rational Reminder podcast we discussed the following:   The underperformance of value stocks Are we in a Winner Take All market? Facebook's crash Global value performance Canadian value premium at ~+5.5% Rebalancing into the pain Factor diversification Having a philosophy and sticking with it Index fund flows are slowing down in the US Canadian active funds are still dominating...