The Rational Reminder Podcast

Assia Billig, Canada's Chief Actuary since 2019, dives into the Canada Pension Plan's sustainability. She clarifies the financial mechanics behind the CPP and underscores its robustness, reassuring listeners that it's set for 75 years of stability. Assia discusses the rigorous assessments conducted every three years and highlights how demographic trends and climate change factor into financial projections. With her expert insights, she addresses public concerns, emphasizing the independent and analytical work that sustains this crucial retirement asset.

Join Professor Kevin Milligan, an expert in public and labor economics from the University of British Columbia, as he navigates the complexities of Canada’s capital gains tax. He discusses how recent changes impact various income groups and the interplay between corporate and personal taxes. Milligan dives into the intriguing connections between income levels and life expectancy, revealing how socioeconomic factors affect health and financial planning. His insights shed light on the broader implications of tax policies for Canadians and economic equity.

In this engaging discussion, Andrew Chen, a Principal Economist at the Federal Reserve Board, dives into the complexities of asset pricing. He challenges traditional views, exploring the intricate dynamics of cross-sectional asset pricing predictors and the replication crisis in financial research. Andrew highlights his groundbreaking Open Source Asset Pricing project, emphasizing the need for high-quality data and transparency. The talk also touches on publication bias, transaction costs, and the evolving role of machine learning in identifying market anomalies—all crucial for refining investment strategies.

Eduardo Repetto, CIO of Avantis Investors, shares insights on active management, launching in Europe, capacity issues, advisor feedback, and small-cap value strategies. The conversation covers factors informing asset allocation, short-term reversals, and the future potential for emerging markets. The podcast also includes humorous banter and analysis of recent performance of small-cap value stocks.

Associate Professor of Finance, Valentin Haddad, discusses passive investing, stock market bubbles, and the impact of COVID-19 on investment-grade corporate bonds. Topics include market elasticity, strategic interactions, the rise of passive investing, and the relationship between innovation and stock market bubbles.

This podcast discusses the benefits of hiring a financial advisor, including getting expert advice for complex decisions, overcoming investor inertia, improving wealth and wellbeing, and planning for retirement. They also touch on the importance of a Trusted Contact Person, financial literacy, and the value of delegation. The hosts share personal stories, talk about challenges financial advisors face, engage in casual conversations about social media and trip experiences, discuss Nvidia's addition to the S&P 500, and touch on collaborative research on infinite banking.

Leading forensic finance expert Prof. John M. Griffin exposes financial scams in crypto markets, pig butchering scams, and fraud in Paycheck Protection Program during COVID-19. Discussion highlights importance of rigorous academic research in uncovering financial fraud and calls for robust oversight and transparency in financial systems.

Exploring the risks of trading options for retail investors, the impact of Roaring Kitty's recent trades, the demographics of current market traders, the expensive nature of options trading for retail investors, and the dangers of following successful traders without considering timing.

Professor Antoinette Schoar from MIT Sloan discusses target date funds, financial literacy, crypto trading, and private equity in an insightful conversation. She highlights the impact of target date funds on retirement savings, biases in financial advisor recommendations, and challenges in private equity investments. The discussion also delves into individual beliefs affecting investment decisions, household risk perception in housing investments, and the importance of regulation in maintaining market stability.

Podcast discusses robo-advisors like Wealthsimple and Wealthfront, their passive investment strategies, performance variations, and comparison with active bank mutual funds. Explores evolution, fee transparency, competition, and impact on the financial industry. Also touches on personal experiences with car leasing, Excel modeling, and project dedication.