In this week’s episode, Cameron and Benjamin share what’s on their mind and delve into listener questions on subjects ranging from the CAPE ratio to how to go about changing someone’s mind. Tuning in you’ll get a preview of some of the formidable guests featured on future episodes, like John Cochrane and Hersh Shefrin. We also cover book recommendations and unpack the concept of libertarian paternalism from the highly influential best-seller, Nudge: The Final Edition by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein, and how it can be a force for good. We cover various facets of passive investing and index funds including how, despite its proven effectiveness, many people continue to take a dim view of it. Learn why certain personality types may be more drawn to active investing and why. We also share tips for reasoning with skeptics, including some useful questions to ask when things get heated. Next, we take an in-depth look at index funds and global returns over the last century based on the research of Dimson, Marsh, and Staunton and their book Triumph of the Optimists. We also answer questions from our Talking Cents Cards and take a look at the best bad advice from the previous week. This episode is packed with fascinating anecdotes and excellent recommendations that you won’t want to miss! Tune in today!   Key Points From This Episode: We reflect on some of the reviews and feedback we’ve received over the past week. [0:03:00.7] An overview of the guests that listeners can look forward to on future episodes. [0:06:15.8] Talking Cents Cards and how they can introduce your family to conversations about money. [0:07:01.2] Introducing Nudge: The Final Edition by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein, and the concept of libertarian paternalism. [0:08:50.0] Cameron shares his story of the week, an article from Magnify Money on how emotions can influence investor decisions. [0:13:53.3] An update on our response to a listener question on the CAPE ratio by discussing the work of John Cochrane on determining predictability. [0:17:24.2] We unpack a listener question on whether one should be looking to convert family members who fit into the average, active investor archetype. [0:21:47.6] What Benjamin has learned from Think Again by Adam Grant, about how to talk to people you disagree with. [0:24:15] How Benjamin experienced a revelation on index funds. [0:29:28.5] An examination of index funds and global returns over the last century based on the research of Dimson, Marsh, and Staunton and their book Triumph of the Optimists. [0:36:30.3] An in-depth look at how global events factor into Dimson, Marsh, and Staunton’s data. [0:39:35.9] How dictatorships, civil troubles, wars, unsuccessful economic and monetary policies, and communism have prevented countries from transitioning from emerging to developed. [0:42:43] Cameron and Benjamin answer a Talking Cents card question by sharing the first big purchases that they saved up for. [0:50:47.6] Cameron and Benjamin answer a second card question: What is a creative way to save money in today’s digital era? [0:52:53.8] Hear this week’s bad advice from an Entrepreneur article titled: 7 Downsides to Passive Investing and Why it Can Be Bad for Your Portfolio. [0:54:09.2]

The evergreen subject of retirement planning is something that we prioritize here at the Rational Reminder Podcast, and today we have a very interesting conversation in which we explore the topic from a slightly different perspective. We are joined by Gordon Irlam, who is a notable researcher with a wealth of experience from the world of tech and beyond. We have the chance to ask Gordon about bonds, annuities, and optimal allocations for different outlooks, and also get his perspective on charitable giving, effective altruism, and different spending plans. Gordon has conducted some amazing research and even developed his own tools to help investors calculate the variables of their situations. This episode is a great gateway for listeners to explore these concepts, as well as make use of Gordon's resources. Our guest's personal story is equally fascinating, after working with Google early on, and subsequently starting a company that was then acquired by Google, Gordon has leveraged his experience and finances in order to continue asking questions that interest him and will definitely interest our listeners. So for this standout conversation with a great mind, be sure to take a listen.   Key Points From This Episode: Looking back on the Google equity that Gordon sold and how he feels about the decision now. [0:03:00.8] Google’s acquisition of a company that Gordon started and the impact of this financial windfall. [0:04:33.1] Gordon's explanation of effective altruism and how he utilizes the idea. [0:06:25.3] Approaches to asset allocation for foundations and how this differs from personal funds. [0:10:28.7] Comparing practitioner and economist approaches to financial planning. [0:15:59.7] An explanation of stochastic dynamic programming and its strengths. [0:17:45.5] Why Gordon now favors reinforcement learning over stochastic dynamic programming. [0:20:12.6] Considering the role of annuities in Gordon's optimal model for retirement planning. [0:25:05.3] Constant spending versus variable spending in the optimal retirement plan. [0:27:55.2] Gordon's practical advice for entering retirement and tracking spending. [0:29:35.8] Exploring mean reversion in stock returns for tactical planning. [0:32:16.6] A message from Gordon about fixed guaranteed income and the value of long-duration inflation index bonds. [0:35:18.7] Advice to younger individuals and investors; the importance of saving. [0:36:18.9] Thoughts on possible future innovations for the problem of better portfolio building. [0:37:45.3] Gordon's definition of success: the ability to work on interesting and important problems. [0:40:26.2]

Today’s episode is the first that takes a new format we are piloting, where we compile clips from the most valuable conversations we have had in different episodes on a given topic. To kick it all off we will be devoting this episode to inflation-adjusted retirement spending and the nuances of the 4% rule. We start off with a clip from our conversation with Bill Bengen, creator of the 4% rule, where he explains the concept. From there, we pull up an excerpt from an interview with Wade Pfau, hearing him weigh in on how this rule only works in the context of the US and Canada. Next up, Fred Vetesse talks about the changes in stock and bond yields and how they further problematize the 4% rule. After that, Professor Moshe Molevsky makes the case for flexible spending, followed by Michale Kitces with his favourite variable spending rules. We grab a segment from our chat with Scott Rieckens where he argues that the 4% rule should be seen as more of a guideline for making financial decisions than a rule. Bill Bengen’s interview then features again as we hear his comments on the effects of small-cap value stocks and cyclically adjusted price-earnings on safe withdrawal rates. Tune in for this fascinating set of highlights, the main point of which is that the 4% rule should rather be used as a guideline for financial planning and that where actual spending is concerned, a flexible approach is more sensible.   Key Points From This Episode: Bill Bengen, creator of the 4% rule, explains how the concept relates to inflation-adjusted retirement spending. [0:03:50.8] Wade Pfau speaks about how the 4% rule doesn’t work in an international context. [0:09:15.0] Fred Vettesse lays out the contrast between today and the period Bill studied. [0:12:31.1] The importance of having flexibility in retirement spending with Moshe Milevsky. [0:14:51.8] Variable spending rules with Michael Kitces; ratcheting, guardrails, and more. [0:19:27.3] Scott Rieckens on the 4% rule as a tool for making financial decisions. [0:32:33.8] Bill Bengen comments on the problems that have been found with the 4% rule. [0:38:35.7] The effects of small-cap value stocks on the safe withdrawal rate with Bill Bengen. [0:42:52.8] The effects of cyclically adjusted price-earnings on safe withdrawal rates with Bill Bengen. [0:47:20.6] Final thoughts on the 4% rule with Ben and Cameron. [0:51:37.8]  

Even among rational investors with diversified portfolios, there seems to be less known about the inner workings of the bond portion of their investments. Here on the show today to help us get a better understanding of fixed income investments is none other than Dave Plecha, Global Head of Fixed Income at Dimensional Fund Advisors. Dave is one of the authorities on the subject of bonds and is amazing at articulating the concepts at play in this arena. This conversation goes in-depth, but is also a great starting point for investors to begin thinking about this part of a portfolio, and deepen an understanding of something that is so often misunderstood or misused. As you will hear, Dave has a real passion for this subject and has been presenting and speaking on precisely this work for the last twenty years. We cover a lot of ground with Dave, talking about why his approach might be confused with a certain type of market timing, the impacts of inflation, the current low interest rates and if these affect bond investments, an explanation of forward rates, and so much more that you will not want to miss. We even find time for a quick story about Dave's early days working with Eugene Fama, so make sure to stay tuned in for that.   Key Points From This Episode: Assessing the role of bonds in a portfolio, in relation to the current low interest rates. [0:02:30.3] Concerns over negative interest rates for bond investors. [0:05:30.1] Bonds and real returns; the impact of inflation on Canada's market. [0:09:30.7] Dave's perspective on the argument for long bonds as diversifying assets. [0:15:39.4] Comparing and contrasting the bond market with the stock market. [0:17:55.7] The trading of bonds and what differentiates it from trading stocks. [0:22:29.5] The volatility of last March and Dave's reflections on trading during that period. [0:27:17.8] Differentiating Dimensional's approach to bonds from the other big firms'. [0:29:21.7] The primary factors that influence expected returns in fixed income. [0:31:40.4] Understanding forward rates and the information they provide about expected returns. [0:37:26.7] Building better investing strategies using forwards rates. [0:40:43.5] Clarifying expected premiums for maturity in a variable maturity strategy. [0:44:06.7] Dave explains why market timing does not work with regard to fixed income. [0:46:30.4] Quantifying the differences in expected returns from the index and Dimensional. [0:51:01.7] A great argument from Dave for maintaining a diversified approach to all investments. [0:52:31.51] The connection between present observable credit spreads and future realized payments. [0:55:48.5] The game-changing development of Trace in the bond market. [0:59:40.2] Applying the Dimensional approach as a do-it-yourself investor. [1:05:57.7] A great story from Dave about his early days working with Eugene Fama. [1:10:25.2] How Dave defines success in his life and work these days. [1:11:30.1]

Today our main topic expands on a recent episode in which we talked about what constitutes good financial advice, and here we look at how to go about finding the kind of advice that you want and need. It is one thing to know what it is, but that does mean it is straightforward to locate an advisor or firm that provides it. After our opening salvo of some media recommendations and a review of the fascinating book on different ideas on leadership, called The Starfish and the Spider, we dive into a listener question about where to geographically weight your investments and the idea of underweighting the US equity of your portfolio. This leads to a much bigger consideration of the research, which we try to breeze through, and in sum seems to lead us back to the idea of the non-predictability of markets. For our main subject, we share an extensive list of questions to ask yourself before even beginning any conversations with advisors, and using your answers to determine the kind of advisor you need. From there, we get into the questions you can ask the advisor and firms you approach in order to make sure you find the best fit for your needs. We talk about credentials, investment philosophies, firm policies, and everything in between, and we will be posting this full list on our community platform for your reference too. Stay tuned for today's Talking Sense card, and Bad Advice of the Week too, and make sure to tune in for the great guests we have lined up in the coming weeks.   Key Points From This Episode: The positions that we are currently looking to fill here at the podcast! [0:05:48.2] This week's book of the week: unpacking The Starfish and the Spider and its lessons on leadership. [0:09:53.1] Looking at an interesting blog post about the power of systems over goals. [0:12:57.8] A listener question dealing with underweighting US equity in comparison to emerging markets. [0:14:40.5] Plotting trend lines and the inconsistent relationship between forecasts and outcomes. [0:23:02.4] Adjusting the standard errors, when using overlapping data samples. [0:27:48.3] Bootstrapped simulations for defining predictability and market timing. [0:29:20.2] Good financial advice and how to make sure you find it. [0:32:02.8] The three channels through which you can access advice; commission-based, asset-based fee advice, and fee-only. [0:33:30.2] The conflict of interest that arises with us delivering our thoughts on this topic. [0:36:28.8] Credentials and qualifications to look out for in Canada and abroad. [0:38:20.3] Starting with what you want from an advisor and departing from clearly defined goals. [0:41:12.7] Questions to ask yourself before selecting an advisor about your assets, self-management, and more. [0:45:22.8] The conversations to have with your chosen type of advisor; services provided, compensation, and more. [0:48:55.2] Getting to grips with the investment philosophy of an advisor and their firm. [0:54:50.1] This week's Talking Sense segment: choosing between a lump sum or installments. [0:57:28.2] Bad advice of the week and the seven reasons to own individually-managed portfolios of stocks. [0:58:14.6]

Today we are so happy to welcome the amazing Katy Milkman to the show. Katy is the author of the impressive and inspiring new book, How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be, and in this episode, we get the inside scoop from her about her work, with specific attention to how it can be applied to investment and finances. Emerging from an engineering background, Katy has a powerful and unique skillset to be tackling the social sciences, and we hear from her about how this path has impacted her thoughts on data quality and the areas she has chosen to research. Our guest shares some very interesting and sometimes surprising information on the idea of fresh starts, commitment devices, and ambitious goals, before we tackle the fascinating subjects of laziness and confidence in relation to our saving habits. Listeners can expect to come away with some renewed reasons for data-driven decisions as well as some new impetus to double down on healthy change. We cannot recommend Katy's book highly enough, so tune in to hear what she has to say and make sure to purchase this amazing read.   Key Points From This Episode: Unpacking the idea of a 'fresh start' and the ideal times for this. [00:02:26.2] Instances when fresh starts might be harmful instead of helpful. [00:07:28.1] Better methods for adhering to goals around saving money. [00:12:04.6] Commitment devices and how these can aid people in avoiding dipping into savings. [00:19:04.3] The value of ambitious goals and the impacts of different kinds of goal setting. [00:22:13.7] Using the power of a new identity in the process of goal setting around retirement savings. [00:26:00.8] Katy's suggestions for taking responsibility for independent saving. [00:29:58.7] Thoughts on laziness; utilizing this inherent tendency for our benefit. [00:31:43.6] Katy's perspective on habit-forming; habit loops, consistency, and triggering certain behaviours through rewards. [00:35:40.6] Decision-making and confidence; how much it matters and how to increase it. [00:42:11.4] More productive conversations around advice, assistance, and expertise. [00:46:31.2] The influence of community on our success; how determinant the people around us are. [00:49:38.6] Considering the permanence or perpetual struggle of behavioural change. [00:52:20.6] How accountability and the role of third parties can initiate meaningful change. [00:54:21.1] Katy's concerns over data quality and how this has impacted the areas of her research. [00:55:24.9] How Katy defines success in her life: leaving the world a better place and enjoyment. [00:56:49.8]

Today we get the chance to take some very interesting listener questions and dig into fascinating findings on day trading in 2020. To kick things off we have a quick review of Simon Sinek's insightful new book, The Infinite Game before rounding up some of the news from the investing space. Then it's time to tackle a number of questions from a member of our thriving community and break down some helpful responses to queries about bonds, retirement, convexity, different types of ETFs, and more. We were lucky enough to draw on some great wisdom within our network of advisors to help us answer these complex questions, so you will not want to miss the specifics that we dive into. From there, we dive into the main course of today's show, exploring the topic of day trading in 2020. With the rise of mobile trading on apps like Robinhood, there has been a spike in what some may call casual or free trading. We unpack some of the surprising and not-so-surprising findings on the impact of Robinhood's model, looking at the community's trend towards herding and how the smartphone platforms are changing the way people invest. The main conclusion here may not be a big surprise to any of our listeners, with the higher frequency of transactions leading to worse returns in the long run. For all this, plus some Talking Sense questions cards, and a whole lot more, listen in with us.   Key Points From This Episode: This week's book review of The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek. [0:06:02.7] News from the world of investing: Vanguard's latest move into indexing, and more. [0:10:30.8] A series of listener questions dealing with bonds and retirement. [0:15:51.2] An argument for federal government bonds when prioritizing liquidity. [0:18:26.7] Understanding convexity and 'bullet' portfolios in this context. [0:20:36.7] Ten-year treasury ETFs versus all duration ETFs. [0:23:52.4] Weighing provincial bonds and their lack of liquidity against Canada's governmental bonds. [0:26:12.1] Looking into what the research shows us about day trading during last year. [0:29:01.6] Available data on Robinhood users and their general tendency to herd investments. [0:33:40.7] The losses incurred by the Robinhood community during herding. [0:38:29.0] Digging a little deeper on transaction costs and how this actually plays out at Robinhood. [0:44:20.1] Market efficiency as it relates to these new ways of 'free' trading. [0:48:29.6] Another round of Talking Sense cards; things to save and decision hindsight. [0:52:32.1] Bad advice of the week courtesy of Canada's big banks. [0:59:18.6]

The work of Bill Schultheis has had a profound effect on us here at the Rational Reminder Podcast, and eventually having him join us on the show is truly an honour! Bill is the author of the Coffeehouse Investor series and is currently the Principal and Senior Advisor at Soundmark, in Kirkland, Washington. Throughout his career Bill has dedicated himself to helping his clients make the choices that best serve them and their particular needs, and his approach has continued to grow and improve over the decades he has been in the game. We have a wonderful conversation with Bill, charting his course from his early days on Wall Street, to writing his first book and starting Soundmark, to where is today. Bill gives us some great insider insight into the important concepts from his books and also talks about current issues in the financial world, like the impact of cryptocurrencies. Towards the end of our conversation, we get even more philosophical with our guest sharing some thoughts on what constitutes a 'rich life', and the importance of listening to your heart when it comes to your big decisions. So for this and much more from an inspiring and sensible voice, be sure to join us today!   Key Points From This Episode: Bill's upbringing on a farm in Washington with a large family. [0:04:16.2] The route that Bill took to publishing his first book as a way to share the wisdom of indexing. [0:06:40.7] The beginnings of Soundmark and the first clients that Bill started helping. [0:10:13.4] Bill's most recent book and the three ground rules it lays out for readers. [0:12:36.3] Unpacking the 'coffeehouse investor' model portfolio. [0:18:20.7] How Bill approaches and explains diversification to his clients. [0:21:54.7] Thoughts on presenting data and challenging strongly held views from clients. [0:23:14.1] The impact of cryptocurrencies and commission-free trading on indexing. [0:25:53.6] Comparing the commonly held investing approaches of now and the 1990s. [0:29:01.0] The approaches to wealth building that Bill recommends to younger people. [0:30:52.7] How a persistent attitude served Bill when looking for a publisher for his book. [0:33:07.4] The basic strengths and weaknesses of index funds. [0:34:56.3] Bill's idea of a 'rich life' and what this means to him. [0:39:55.2] How to 'dial in your power settings' with your financial planning and common mistakes to avoid. [0:41:19.2] Listening to your heart and finding the financial and professional life that feels right. [0:44:52.7] How dissatisfaction can lead to unhealthy spending habits! [0:48:37.5] Bill's thoughts on the FIRE concept; pros and cons of adopting the philosophy. [0:50:31.4] The impact that The Millionaire Next Door has had on Bill's life and work. [0:51:48.2] How Bill defines success and the value he places on kindness. [0:52:51.7]

Welcome back to another episode of the Rational Reminder Podcast, where we give you the most considered and evidence-based information about investing in Canada. Our focus for this episode is the topic of tax loss harvesting, a subject we have touched on before but felt warranted a revisit, with some updates. To kick off the show, we review Playing to Win, looking at the illuminating perspective it offers with regards to strategy and preparation. From there we turn to some recent investing news on ETFs and Robinhood, before we get into the main course of today's show. There are plenty of pitches and arguments for why tax loss selling can be very rewarding, and while these are not necessarily false, there are certain ways in which the information can be misleading, or not comprehensive for all investors. We discuss how best to think about the supposed gains, noting the importance of high expected returns and the time frame in which a case study is made. We also think about some of the potentially negative results of letting tax drive your investment decisions, despite the seeming attractiveness of this route. One of the most important points here is the adjustment needed in order to apply these strategies to the Canadian market, as many of the pitches and research are based in the US system, which has significant differences when it comes to taxation. We highlight some red flags to look out for and give some more general warnings around rushing into investments that lean too heavily in this direction. So for all this and a bunch more great advice for your portfolio, join us for the show.   Key Points From This Episode: This week's book review of Playing to Win by Roger Martin and A G Lafley. [0:08:43.3] Continued increases for ETFs and comparing the statistics with recent history. [0:12:30.7] Some amazing statistics about Robinhood users and cryptocurrency investments! [0:15:18.5] A reintroduction to, and revisited analysis of, tax loss harvesting. [0:18:20.8] The best times to consider tax loss selling; waiting for high expected returns. [0:27:55.5] Recent findings on the tax alpha and modifying the arguments and assumptions. [0:33:20.5] Creating a new base case to work from with some helpful adjustments. [0:38:41.3] The importance of the time period when looking at historical returns for tax loss selling. [0:43:10.1] Cases in which we believe tax loss selling makes the most sense. [0:46:14.3] Looking at the tax implications of pooling funds with other investors. [0:49:02.7] Locating these tax loss strategies within a specifically Canadian context. [0:52:18.5] A couple Talking Sense cards dealing with leading and following, and protection. [0:55:25.5] Bad advice of the week; looking at pensions in the UK. [0:58:03.5]

Today we welcome Rob Arnott to the show! Rob is the founder of Research Affiliates and is a prolific writer who has published hundreds of articles for many different journals. We know firsthand, the power of Rob's work, and how it can alter the way you think about investing, and this depth of knowledge, coupled with his ability to make complex topics understandable makes him a dream guest for us! Rob is the co-author of The Fundamental Index, and we get some insight into this subject along with many other groundbreaking areas he has worked on. We cannot stress enough the rarity of Rob's gift for getting difficult ideas across in a deliberate and approachable way, and this is apparent through this illuminating conversation. For us, it was quite surreal to speak to someone so influential, and listeners can expect to come away with a greater understanding of 'smart-beta', intangible assets, forecasting, and some insight into the interesting areas of earnings dilution and 'the big market delusion', before Rob shares some very surprising information on factor momentum at the end of our chat. So for this and a whole lot more, in a truly stand-out episode, be sure to listen in!   Key Points From This Episode: Rob's perspective on the drawbacks of cap-weighted indexing. [0:02:47.2] Getting to grips with 'smart-beta' and its links to RAFI. [0:06:21.6] Building a fundamental index and what the weights are based on. [0:11:17.4] Misconceptions of the value of backtesting when making investment decisions. [0:13:43.3] The prevalence of extreme factor-drawdowns for investments. [0:17:22.7] Weighing the importance of intangible assets and what to trust in this regard. [0:23:32.8] Value stocks in the current drawdown; value's relative cheapening over recent years. [0:25:53.8] Stories about the inner workings of a company and how this can vary in importance. [0:28:41.5] Unpacking 'the big market delusion' and the paper that Rob co-authored on the subject. [0:33:33.2] Rob's work on earnings dilution and how it relates to bubble-formation. [0:37:00.9] How the findings on earnings dilution impact strategies towards disruptive industries. [0:40:19.9] Forecasting the expected returns of a factor portfolio and utilizing Research Affiliates website! [0:44:03.0] The possibility of adding value through timing exposure to factors. [0:47:26.7] The truth about momentum in historical back-tests in the last few decades. [0:49:12.8] Rob explains the real costs of trading! [0:55:42.7] Momentum's primary existence in factors, ahead of individual stocks and sectors. [0:58:44.8] How Rob currently defines success in his life. [1:07:38.7]