Episode 482: Reviewing "The Score", Tweaking A Portfolio, And Portfolio Reviews As Of January 23, 2026

Jan 25, 2026

They debate how metrics can hijack meaning and why metric mindfulness matters. They discuss treating numbers as disposable tools and resisting score-chasing in planning. Practical tax-location and Roth vs tax-deferred placement ideas get covered. Portfolio tweaks, asset-swap rebalancing tricks, and liquidity strategies are explained. Weekly reviews highlight small-cap value, gold, commodities, and managed futures as recent standouts.

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INSIGHT

The Gamification Trap

Modern life gamifies nearly everything with numerical metrics that capture attention and reshape behavior.
C.T. Wynn warns that metrics can replace internal values, turning people into pieces played by platforms.

ANECDOTE

The 15-Minute Book Hack

Frank describes a 15-minute hack: use AI (Gemini + Notebook LM) to make a slideshow and short video summary of nonfiction.
He links those outputs in show notes and often sends them instead of full books.

ADVICE

Practice Metric Mindfulness

Cultivate metric mindfulness: pause when a number gives you a dopamine hit and ask why you're doing it.
Use metrics temporarily to learn, then discard them once intuition forms.

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In this episode we answer emails from Isaiah and Mike. We unpack how metrics hijack meaning and show how a diversified, risk-parity approach lets you thrive without chasing perfect scores, review our business model and help Mike tweak his portfolio selections.

And THEN we our go through our weekly portfolio reviews of the eight sample portfolios you can find at Portfolios | Risk Parity Radio.

Links:

Father McKenna Center Donation Page: Donate - Father McKenna Center

"The Score" Video Summary: The Score Summary Video.mp4 - Google Drive

"The Score" Slideshow: The Score Summary Slideshow.pdf - Google Drive

How To Do An Asset Swap Video from Risk Parity Chronicles: How to Do an Asset Swap

Breathless AI-Bot Summary:

Numbers promise clarity. But when scores start steering our choices, we trade meaning for metrics—and investing gets harder, not easier. We take you inside a listener-recommended book on gamification and value capture, then connect its insights to practical retirement planning, rebalancing discipline, and the craft of building portfolios that can handle ambiguity.

First, we break down a simple framework to resist metric addiction: practice metric mindfulness, guard “opaque” spaces where you don’t track every moment, and treat numbers as disposable tools. That shift matters for health, career, and especially money. Chasing precision in complex markets leads to false confidence and needless anxiety; aiming for ballparks and using satisficing rules keeps you steady.

From there, we dive into performance and positioning. While large growth stalls, small cap value, gold, commodities, and managed futures are pulling their weight. We share how diversified, risk-parity style allocations harness those uncorrelated trends without prediction—and why selling strength into rebalancing is the quiet edge that compounds over time. You’ll also hear clear, practical guidance on tax location and cash: put growth in Roth accounts, anchor bonds in tax-deferred space, keep cash lean if you have flexible liquidity, and rebalance across accounts at the household level.

Underneath the tickers is a broader life stance. Money, power, and fame are easy to count and easy to chase. Relationships, time autonomy, and meaningful work resist scoring yet deliver the lasting returns. Let numbers serve your purpose, not replace it. If you’re ready to think beyond dashboards and build a portfolio—and a life—built for uncertainty, you’ll feel right at home.

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