There is a lot of hype surrounding cryptocurrencies and DeFi technology, with excitement around the potential innovations they offer financial systems. Often lacking in the discussion is an objective and critically informed viewpoint, leading to confusion and misunderstanding. In today's conversation, we get the balanced perspective that we need with Professor Hilary Allen, who has a wealth of experience in banking, law, financial regulation, corporate finance, and business administration. She i...
Aug 05, 2022•48 min
If you're ready for a serious education on market elasticity, demand system pricing, and stock market flows, you've come to the right place (disclaimer: don't expect light entertainment). Today's guest is Ralph Koijen, AQR Capital Management Professor of Finance and Fama Faculty Fellow at the University of Chicago, Booth School of Business. Tune in for a fascinating conversation about some of the most fundamental characteristics of our economy. To say we learned a lot from this conversation is a...
Aug 04, 2022•1 hr 20 min•Season 2Ep. 212
For this week's episode, we are revisiting a portion of our conversation with the legendary Professor Campbell R. Harvey and and his more optimistic viewpoint on the crypto space. Campbell is the Professor of International Business at Duke University and is also a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. In 2016 he served as the President of the American Finance Association, and from 2006 to 2012 he occupied the incredibly demanding role of Editor for the Journal of Financ...
Jul 29, 2022•47 min
Welcome to another episode of the Rational Reminder Podcast! We start by reviewing The Fearless Organization, and learn some important concepts such as psychological safety in the workplace, allowing people to voice their concerns, and the value of continuously learning. We also discuss a paper on index investing followed by a quick discussion on gender equality in finance. We then take a deep dive into today's main topic, 'Stocks for the Long Run…?', by unpacking research to see if stocks are s...
Jul 28, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Season 2Ep. 211
Welcome back to another comprehensive and informative episode in this limited series of the Rational Reminder Podcast, a weekly reality check about the world of cryptocurrencies. We are lucky to have another respected figure in the crypto world on our show, technology veteran Tim O'Reilly. Tim is a well-known educator and publisher in the crypto community and the Founder, CEO, and Chairman of O'Reilly Media. He has been involved in the technology industry since the inception and rise of Silicon ...
Jul 22, 2022•52 min
If you have any interest in private equity or have thought about it as an asset class, then this episode is for you! What is private equity? This might seem a simple question but the answer is more complex than you think. Private equity is a nuanced subject that requires a deep understanding to make successful investments. To help unpack this non-trivial subject is expert Ludovic Phalippou, a Professor of Financial Economics at the University of Oxford Saïd Business School. Although he studied e...
Jul 21, 2022•56 min•Season 2Ep. 210
Dr. Nicholas Weaver's well-known lectures on cryptocurrencies explain why he believes it needs to be "burned with fire." Today, we speak to Dr. Weaver, an expert in computer science and a long-time observer of the cryptocurrency space. He holds a BA in Astrophysics and Computer Science and a Ph.D. in Computer Science from UC Berkeley, where he was also a lecturer until recently. His primary research focus has been network security, among other topics. His interest and search for comedy "godl" ha...
Jul 15, 2022•1 hr 9 min
Welcome to another episode of the Rational Reminder Podcast! In today's jam-packed episode, we start by going through the feedback received on our limited crypto series and outline upcoming guests. We also give a breakdown of Cal Newport's book, Deep Work, and the importance and long-term benefits of engaging in deep work. We then follow-up on our recent episode with Rebecca Walker by discussing gender equality in financial planning. Lastly, tune in to also have a rundown of the housing market a...
Jul 14, 2022•55 min•Season 2Ep. 209
Welcome back to another episode of our limited addition Crypto Series on the Rational Reminder Podcast, a weekly reality check about sensible investing and financial decision-making. Are cryptocurrencies and the associated technologies beneficial? Could they change the world for the better? There is a lot of controversy surrounding the use and application of cryptocurrencies and the associated technologies. Some say the innovation is ultimately useless while others think it is the answer to soci...
Jul 08, 2022•55 min
There's no doubt about it; money is a taboo topic in our society. But not talking about money only serves to uphold inequalities and injustices. Rebecca Walker is an advocate for transparency and, during this episode of the Rational Reminder Podcast, she shares the importance of exploring the factors that have influenced our relationship with money so that we can begin to understand how we can use money as a tool to effect the kind of changes we want to see in the world. This is the intention be...
Jul 07, 2022•39 min•Season 2Ep. 208
Welcome back to another limited series of Rational Reminder Podcast, focused on learning about cryptocurrencies. Our journey about cryptocurrencies has led us to speak to various experts on the subject, all of whom see some benefits to cryptocurrencies and the underlying blockchain technology. However, what does a skeptic think about cryptocurrencies and the benefits to the current financial system? In today's episode, we speak to Stephen Diehl, a software engineer who works with financial techn...
Jul 01, 2022•54 min
In today's episode, we share some updates from our Financial Goals Survey, respond to a listener who says we are wrong about dividends, and talk about Scout Mindset by Julia Galef. We then respond to a listener question about whether our comments in Episode 205 on private equity extend to private real estate. In our main topic, we unravel what money is by looking back at its origin story and the two competing theories about what it is. We discuss the ideological underpinnings of money and how th...
Jun 30, 2022•1 hr 16 min•Season 2Ep. 207
Welcome to another special episode of Rational Reminder Podcast, a show to help us learn about cryptocurrencies and their role in our current and future financial systems. In today's show, we speak to Tobin Hanspal, an Assistant Professor of Finance at the Vienna University of Economics and Business who has written several papers focused on household finances. Tobin's research area offers insights into the behaviours of retail investors in the crypto space and how this may affect household finan...
Jun 24, 2022•47 min
Welcome back to another exciting and informative episode of the Rational Reminder Podcast, a show all about finances and how to get the most of your money responsibly. To make the right decisions regarding your investments, besides the knowledge and understanding of financial systems, you also need to understand the psychology behind your decisions. To help us unpack this complicated and interesting subject is Professor Vanessa Bohns, a Social Psychologist and Professor of Organizational Behavio...
Jun 23, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Season 2Ep. 206
Welcome back to another episode of our series focusing on cryptocurrencies. In this episode, we dive into conceptual complexities surrounding cryptocurrencies and how this might affect the financial system in future. To help us unravel this nuanced subject is Professor Eswar Prasad, a senior professor of trade policy and Professor of Economics at Cornell University, and a senior fellow at Brookings Institution. He is also a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research and was a...
Jun 17, 2022•48 min
Welcome to another episode of the Rational Reminder Podcast. In today's jam-packed episode, hear updates regarding our goals survey, the schedule for upcoming guests on the show, the latest news and highlights from the financial world, and some of the feedback we have received about the show. We also highlight interesting articles and papers regarding tech valuations, expected stock returns, the performance of venture capital funds, and a book recommendation that will help you understand the fin...
Jun 16, 2022•1 hr•Season 2Ep. 205
Understanding the complexity surrounding cryptocurrencies is essential in making the correct decisions regarding investing in DeFi technology. To help us understand the basics, we talked to Dr. Igor Makarov who is an expert on cryptocurrency and Bitcoin, particularly Bitcoin and the associated mining processes. He is based at the London School of Economics, where he serves as an Associate Professor of Finance. Dr. Makarov is also the author of several papers focusing on DeFi and crypto markets i...
Jun 10, 2022•1 hr 27 min
John List is the recently appointed Chief Economist at Walmart, and is also a Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago, having worked as the Chief Economist at Uber and Lyft. He has published a huge array of important papers in the field of economics and is also the author of the recent book The Voltage Effect, which deals with the question of how to scale ideas successfully. We are very excited to bring you this episode, which is a particularly illuminating one, in which we draw on J...
Jun 09, 2022•1 hr 41 min•Season 2Ep. 204
Fundamentals of the Blockchain with Daniel Mescheder Episode 1: Show Notes Welcome to the first episode of our limited series focusing on cryptocurrencies and everything you need to know about them. Our first guest is Daniel Mescheder, who joins us to appropriately break down some of the basic concepts and engineering of the blockchain, using his expertise as a software engineer as the lens for this discussion. We felt this chat was the best way to launch the series and prepare listeners for the...
Jun 03, 2022•1 hr 12 min
We have a jam-packed episode for all of our listeners today, with two guests, a lot of news, and many great resource recommendations. We start off by rounding up some recent updates from the world of finance and the Rational Reminder community, and spend some time talking about Ben's recent paper, titled 'Finding and Funding Good Life'. We are then joined by Robb Engen, for his third appearance on the show, to talk about how he helps his clients move on from unhealthy advisory relationships. Rob...
Jun 02, 2022•1 hr 24 min•Season 2Ep. 203
To carry on the trend of amazing guests on the show, today we welcome Antti Ilmanen. Antti is the co-head of the Portfolio Solutions Group at AQR, and the author of a couple of really impactful books that we highly recommend. His most recent is Investing Amid Low Expected Returns, and in today's chat, we get to hear all about the ideas contained in its pages, and the most important moments in his career that have shaped his philosophy. Antti received his PhD in Finance from the University of Chi...
May 26, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Season 2Ep. 202
Today, on the Rational Reminder Podcast, we are tackling a few interesting topics that tie into recent and forthcoming conversations with our amazing guests. In this 'us only' episode, we are focusing on thematic ETFs and the truth about dividend investing. After a quick look at The Quick Fix by Jesse Singal, some reflections on the past six months at ARK Invest, and the lessons we can still learn from the dot-com crash, we get into the meat of today's episode by way of Ben's recent experiences ...
May 19, 2022•58 min•Season 2Ep. 201
We are so happy to bring you all our 200th episode, and who better to have on the podcast on this auspicious occasion than the legendary, Professor Gene Fama? This is one of the most jam-packed episodes we have ever recorded, with Gene providing concise and thought-provoking answers to our many, many questions. After delving into the foundations of Gene's work and philosophy, covering market efficiency, and its competing theories, Gene entertains our queries about a wide range of ideas and model...
May 12, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Season 2Ep. 200
As we near the 200th episode of our little podcast, we wanted to have a chat with our friend Aydin Mirzaee about one of our favourite topics: books. Before welcoming Aydin into the conversation we round up some important news, go deeper than ever into the fascinating subject of bonds, and share some thoughts on Setting the Table. As the host of the Supermanagers Podcast and the CEO of Fellow, Aydin has an unusual and stimulating perspective on many of our usual interests, and we get to hear from...
May 05, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Season 2Ep. 199
You don't need to be a rocket scientist to work at Dimensional Fund Advisors, but Gerard O'Reilly sees it as an asset, particularly when it comes to problem-solving. Now the Co-CEO and Chief Investment Officer of one of the fastest-growing US investment businesses, Gerard received a Ph.D. in aeronautics before entering fund management, attracted to Dimensional because of the opportunity it afforded him to learn from the world-leading economists at the company; including Eugene Fama, Myron Schole...
Apr 28, 2022•1 hr 43 min•Season 2Ep. 198
Many people have been contemplating the death of bonds, which is why for the main topic of today's episode we're going to be talking about their immortality. After a vicarious trip to The Masters, an overview of The Art of Insubordination, and an explanation of why we're concerned about the changes that WealthSimple has made to their business model, we get into the world of bonds. Bond returns have not been good this year, and bond index funds are down all round, but that doesn't mean that bonds...
Apr 21, 2022•58 min•Season 2Ep. 197
Welcome back to the show all about sensible investing in Canada! Today we have yet another masterclass with a wonderful guest, Sebastien Betermier. Sebastian is an Associate Professor of Finance at Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill University, where he teaches investment management, applied investments, and pension funds retirement systems. We have a deep, thoughtful, and precise conversation with him about his recent research and papers, much of which stands in contrast to our usual far...
Apr 14, 2022•1 hr 17 min•Season 2Ep. 196
The world of personal finance is full of axioms, and new investors can get caught up in investing myths and 'rules of thumb' that are limiting at best and lead to underperformance and unnecessary losses at worst. In this week's episode, we outline some of the common misconceptions that new investors have, the evidence (or lack thereof) surrounding them, and how to think more like a seasoned investor. Is value investing really a safer strategy with lower expected returns? Do you need to employ a ...
Apr 07, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Season 2Ep. 195
When it comes to the uncertain future of financial markets and technological innovation, a deep understanding of history and the roots of the systems at play in our contemporary climate is often overlooked. This is the argument made by Bill Janeway, our guest on the show today and the author of Doing Capitalism in the Innovation Economy. We have a fascinating conversation with Bill who has vast experience in both the academic and venture capital spheres, having spent years working in both sector...
Mar 31, 2022•56 min•Season 2Ep. 194
Today on Rational Reminder we take a deep dive into the evolution of modern portfolio theory. We kick the show off with some updates and reviews on some of the brilliant shows and books we are watching right now. A key item from this selection is Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention and the points it makes about the value of flow state for learning and creativity. After this week's news stories, we get into the main topic, and Ben starts with a breakdown of portfolio theory as it was laid o...
Mar 24, 2022•1 hr 18 min•Season 2Ep. 193
