12. Jeff Malec : New York & Chicago markets, Correlations, Investor Traits

In this episode, we talk with Jeff Malec. Jeff is a principal at RCM Alternatives, a leading firm in the futures industry.

 

Jeff began his career in the Chicago futures pits with burly traders spitting into their dip cups and has had a front-row seat to watching the futures industry develop rapidly over the past two decades.

 

We talk about the differences between the New York traditional equity-based markets and Chicago’s futures markets and the pros and cons for investors. 

 

We look at why Chicago’s approach did much better in 2008 and what investors can learn from that to apply to their own portfolios as well as the cash efficiency of futures.

 

We dive into how investors should think about correlations, particularly when projecting into the future.

 

We also talk about the common traits of the most successful investors Jeff knows, particularly the engineering mindest and how other investors can apply that.

 

Finally, we dive into why low volatility often means hidden risk and how to spot it in your portfolio.

 

I hope you enjoyed this conversation as much as I did