The Rational Reminder Podcast

Gaining financial literacy is critical if you want to thrive in today's society. And yet, only about a third of the global population can be described as being financially literate. Joining us today to unpack the concept of financial literacy and its impact is Dr. Annamaria Lusardi, Professor of Economics and Accountancy at George Washington University. Dr. Lusardi has taught Economics for over 20...

Today is our final episode featuring just the two of us before our annual wrap-up show, and we thought we would use this opportunity to cover some important foundational aspects of rational investing. Ben goes over some of the most fundamental concepts about market prices, risk, and actual returns before answering five common questions that relate to this level of information. From investing in an...

The world is a highly competitive place, and becoming successful requires hard work, dedication, and luck. This is the view of today's guest, Professor Robert Frank, who helps us unravel the nuance of conspicuous consumption trends and the role of luck in gaining financial success. Professor Frank is the emeritus Henrietta Johnson Louis Professor of Management at Cornell University and holds an MA...

Traditionally, people saving for retirement and financial advisors relied on the 4% rule when calculating how much to save for retirement and the associated income those savings would provide after retirement. What if you found out it does not work? Is there another option? Today, we offer you an alternative approach, which is the 2% rule for retirement spending. Before we delve into today's main...

In this episode, we are joined by the CIO of Avantis Investors, Eduardo Repetto, to have an in-depth conversation about his philosophy and approach to many of the central concepts that are important to our listeners. Eduardo weighs in on asset pricing factor investing, premiums, and also shares some of his perspectives on what makes Avantis different from its competitors. Eduardo's wealth of exper...

In today's episode, we pull relevant quotes from past guests (namely John Cochrane, Gene Fama, and Jonathan Berk) to extricate who should own market cap funds. We look at the variable risks of value stocks and factor investing and hear counter-views on owning the market. We also delve into the hot topic of tax loss selling, with an overview of a recent Financial Analyst Journal paper on loss harve...

In this episode, we speak to renowned Canadian figure Colonel Chris Hadfield. For those who don't know, Chris is a heavily decorated astronaut, engineer, and pilot, and has received many awards, such as the Order of Canada, the Meritorious Service Cross and the NASA Exceptional Service Medal. Colonel Hadfield became a worldwide sensation with his video of David Bowie's "Space Oddity" which was vie...

Are index funds a menace to the market? Are pension funds still a wise way to secure your financial future? In this episode, we discuss index funds, the state-sponsored pension plan in Canada, and much more. First, we unpack the nuances of index funds and take a look at the impact that active and passive investors have on the market. We discuss current index fund trends, when to switch from a pass...

Are stocks and bonds good in the long game? What are the best long-term investment options? In this episode, we speak to Professor Scott Cederburg about the nuance surrounding the stock market, bonds, and other investment types in the long term. He has a Ph. D. in Finance from the University of Iowa and is currently the Associate Professor of Finance at Eller College of Management at the Universit...

We recently created and conducted a very interesting survey based on financial goals, and today, we get to share some of the data we collected and the answers that were given to the questions. Although there are some definite limitations to our expertise as surveyors and data collectors, the findings are most definitely illuminating, surprising, and useful. Listeners will get to hear a bit about t...

There is more and more research on the determinants and results of happiness in human life, and on the show today we get to do an amazing deep dive on this subject with social psychologist, and author of  Happier Hour,  Cassie Holmes. Cassie is currently running a course at UCLA Anderson School of Management called 'Applying the Science of Happiness to Life Design', and her book draws directly fro...

Of course, you want to protect your family and your savings from unforeseen consequences, but is life insurance the best option? Can life insurance be an investment rather than a cost? In today's episode of the Rational Reminder Podcast, we take a look at everything life insurance and dig into some hard-hitting research on the subject. We break down the various insurance products available and unr...

Do you feel like you have a good grasp of financial markets? Think again! In this episode, we take a plunge into the world of financial markets with experts Jules van Binsbergen and Jonathan Berk. Jules is a Professor of Finance at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and Jonathan is a Professor of Finance at Stanford Graduate School of Business. They also host a popular podcast ca...

Critics of blockchain often say that it is nothing more than a database, but today's guest, Ari Juels, has a different opinion. His technical expertise (he is a Professor of Computer Science at Cornell Tech), combined with his ability to understand both sides of a divisive topic like this one, make for a very insightful conversation about Bitcoin, NFTs, and smart contracts. We talk about the reaso...

The type of assets which usually come to mind when considering investments are stocks, bonds, or cash, but what are the alternatives? And what kind of returns do alternative asset classes offer? In today's episode, we delve into the returns which can be expected from alternative asset classes such as private equity, venture capital, angel investing, private credit, hedge funds, direct real estate,...

In this episode, we speak to Chris DeRose, software developer and former co-host of the Bitcoin Uncensored podcast, about both the downsides and upsides of cryptocurrencies and the associated technologies. We took the time to dive deep into the subject with Chris and learned about some of the common misconceptions about blockchain technology, the value of cryptocurrencies to society, ways in which...

The gender pay gap is still a persistent problem in today's society, reflecting the overall state of gender inequality. It is full of complexity and comprises different facets, making it hard to understand the overall situation. We have covered the topic before, but in this episode, we go into a whole new level of detail. To help us unpack the nuance of this essential topic is Colleen Ammerman, Di...

Today, we speak to Vili Lehdonvirta, Professor of Economics, Sociology, and Digital Social Research at the Oxford Internet Institute at the University of Oxford. Professor Lehdonvirta is a social scientist whose research focuses on ways digital technologies are reshaping the organization of economies, including their associated social effects. He is also the author of two books,  Cloud Empires  an...

What impact does financial literacy have on decision-making and financial outcomes? How is financial literacy tested? In this episode, we help listeners understand why financial literacy is vital in terms of financial well-being. Learn the definition of financial literacy, how financial literacy relates to economic outcomes, the differences between people who are financially literate and those tha...

Welcome to our limited edition crypto series. In this episode, we welcome back Professor John Cochrane, who was a guest on the Rational Reminder series, to talk everything money. Professor Cochrane has immense experience on the topic and is a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford, as well as Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research. He is also a Research Associate of the Natio...

The indexing revolution is something that underpins all of our work here at the Rational Reminder and is a subject we reference in different ways in almost all of our episodes. Today we have a special exploration of this history, as we welcome Gus Sauter, the former long-time CIO of Vanguard, to talk about his incredible history at the firm, the role he played in the rise of the company, and its h...

Welcome to another episode from our limited edition crypto series. The previous guests we have spoken to about crypto generally have experience in economics, finance, or technology. In this episode, we have a look at crypto through a legal lens with Professor William Magnuson, an Associate Professor of Law at Texas A&M University School of Law. He is also the author of Blockchain Democracy, which...

We start the show with a brief highlight of recent episodes, upcoming guests, and feedback we have received about the show. We then review the book  Running Remote,  which provides evidence for the benefits of working remotely and asynchronous management. We also outline the three essential principles of an asynchronous mindset. We discuss the positives and benefits of remote work, why hybrid work...

What is the real value of cryptocurrencies? Can crypto technology be applied to traditional financial markets? In this episode, we welcome David Gerard, a technologist and author of the books  Libra Shrugged  and  Attack of the 50 Foot Blockchain.  He uses his skills as a journalist to investigate the uses and hype around cryptocurrencies and is an outspoken skeptic of the technology. Although not...

Identity helps shape our perception and thinking about the world around us. What is identity? How does it influence our perspective? These are some of the questions we answer in this episode of the Rational Reminder Podcast. In this episode, we talk with Jay Van Bavel, an Associate Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of New York, an affiliate at the Stern School of Business...