Episode 140: Robin Powell - Evidence Based and Value-Driven - Myth Busting across the Investment Landscape

Robin Powell is a journalist, investor advocate, financial educator and content consultant.  He is Head of Client Education at RockWealth, as well as Editor of The Evidence Based Investor, and executive director of Regis Media and Ember. He is a frequent commentator on investment management and behavioural finance,  often probing the purported value added by active managers and advocating for better transparency and investor education.

Our conversation is a provocative one, which starts with Robin's entry into the world of media, and how he  developed a passion for financial markets. We talk about financial literacy, the importance of transparency, use of plain English and clarity as to value added as well as suitability. We cycle through pension fund investing and individual investing, public markets and private markets and into the emerging landscape of ESG investing. It is safe to say that no stone is left unturned either by Robin in his advocacy or in this discussion.

You can find more of Robin's writing on the Evidence Based Investor blog: https://www.evidenceinvestor.com/about/ including articles on Bessembinder research:

 https://www.evidenceinvestor.com/most-stocks-are-duds-yes-you-read-that-right/

articles arguing that passive managers aren’t passive share owners: https://www.evidenceinvestor.com/is-rise-indexing-bad-for-governance/

and the website belonging to Prof Ludovic Phalippou that debunks some of the myths surrounding private equity:

https://pelaidbare.com/

Series 3 is brought to you with the kind support of Federated Hermes, Inc., a leading global investment manager. Guided by their conviction that responsible investing is the best way to create wealth over the long term, their investment solutions span equity, fixed-income, alternative/private markets, multi-asset and liquidity strategies and a range of separately managed accounts, distributed through intermediaries worldwide.