The Blunt Dollar

Craig Coben, former Global Head of Equity Capital Markets and Vice Chairman at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, joins The Blunt Dollar to share insights from a 25-year career at the very top of investment banking.From raising billions in IPOs and rights issues to writing sharp columns for the Financial Times, Craig’s journey is packed with hard-earned lessons on leadership, competition, and reinvention.This episode is a must-watch for anyone curious about how to invest, personal finance, or what actually goes on behind major stock market deals. Whether you're an aspiring banker, someone just getting into investing for beginners, or a fan of Warren Buffett investment strategy, you'll take away plenty from Craig’s no-nonsense wisdom.In this conversation, we cover:📈 What ECM bankers really do and how Craig climbed to number one in European dealmaking💡 Why most pitches fail and what great origination looks like in a high-stakes world🤖 How trust, relationships, and emotional intelligence still beat AI in investment banking📉 The rise of private capital, and why public markets are struggling to keep up✍️ Craig’s post-banking pivot to writing, and why angel investing isn’t as easy as it looksIf you’ve ever wondered what really goes on behind the scenes of a multibillion-dollar IPO, how bankers win and lose deals, or why relationships still matter more than Excel shortcuts, this one’s for you.Oh, and if you haven't already... subscribe to The Blunt Dollar for more raw and honest finance conversations. New episodes drop every other week! Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts.And last, but not least, don't forget to follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ignacio-ramirez-moreno-cfa/ Enjoy the episode! Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Listeners should consult a qualified financial professional before making any financial decisions.

Dean Smith, Chief Strategist at FolioBeyond and expert in fixed income, shares his unique path from rock guitarist to Wall Street. He discusses market inefficiencies and behavioral biases like recency bias that trip up even seasoned investors. Dean recounts his successful short trade ahead of the 2008 crisis and critiques the reliability of credit ratings. He emphasizes that current market prices often outweigh forecasts during uncertainty. Finally, Dean explores the future role of AI in finance, suggesting it will enhance—rather than replace—human strategists.

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, we sit down with Rob Arnott, founder and chairman of Research Affiliates and one of the most contrarian thinkers in investing today. With over $160 billion managed using his models, Rob has challenged decades of financial orthodoxy, from the efficient market hypothesis to the myth of stimulus-driven growth. If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to build a truly independent investing philosophy or what the stock market teaches us about time, risk, and reward, this conversation is a masterclass.We cover:📉 Why fundamental indexing may outperform traditional approaches — and how it challenges everything we thought we knew about how to invest in stocks🔍 What makes the active side of passive investing quietly dangerous, and why blindly following the S&P 500 could backfire💡 Rob's journey from aspiring astrophysicist to quant pioneer, and how curiosity, not conformity, drove his success🧠 Lessons from going against the grain on government stimulus, market efficiency, and long-term value investing📈 How time horizon, patience, and humility can give individual investors an edge, especially when investing for beginners or learning how to save money and build wealthIf you like personal finance, investing strategy, and breaking down complex finance ideas, this one's for you. Whether you're exploring stocks to buy or learning how to budget and invest, this episode is packed with insights.Oh, and if you haven't already... subscribe to The Blunt Dollar for more raw and honest finance conversations. New episodes drop every other week! Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts.And last, but not least, don't forget to follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ignacio-ramirez-moreno-cfa/ Enjoy the episode! Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Listeners should consult a qualified financial professional before making any financial decisions.

Quant meets code meets capital in this sharp conversation with Cyril Bosch, a seasoned investment strategist with a rare blend of quant experience, AI expertise, and institutional rigor.Formerly CIO at Sidekick and with a deep background across JP Morgan, USS, and Polar Capital, Cyril unpacks how AI is fundamentally changing the investment game, and why it’s about much more than just automation.We dive deep into Cyril’s vision of an AI-first investment process, his own tools for automating ripple intelligence, and how he’s helping fintech startups build real-world AI applications. And yes, we also get into drones, Japan, and why behavioral finance still matters.Here’s what we cover:🤖 Why AI in investing isn’t just a tool — it’s a new mindset🛠 How Cyril built a portfolio-aware AI alert system that beats Bloomberg🇯🇵 Unique challenges (and megatrends) in Japanese equities📉 How behavioral biases quietly cost investors 300bps per year🧠 Advice for younger professionals: learn, code, and stay curiousIf you’re into applied AI, portfolio strategy, and how tech is reshaping capital markets, this one’s for you.Oh, and if you haven't already... subscribe to The Blunt Dollar for more raw and honest finance conversations. New episodes drop every other week! Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts.And last, but not least, don't forget to follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ignacio-ramirez-moreno-cfa/ Enjoy the episode! Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Listeners should consult a qualified financial professional before making any financial decisions.

Cole Wilcox, Founder, CEO, and CIO of Longboard Asset Management, joins The Blunt Dollar to unpack the core ideas behind his 25-year investing journey rooted in disciplined risk management, long-term thinking, and trend following.If you're exploring how to invest, curious about what it means to have a sound investment strategy, or simply want to understand personal finance through a deeper lens, this episode delivers timeless insights you can actually use.We discuss the highs and lows of the stock market, how to protect your portfolio from catastrophic loss, and what investing for beginners should really look like in a world full of noise. In this conversation, we cover:📉 Why “avoiding the double zero” is the cornerstone of Cole’s approach to investing📚 How early market cycles and losses shaped his take on how to invest in stocks and build lasting wealth📊 What most get wrong about trend following and how it beats buy low sell high thinking🧠 Why budgeting, patience, and emotional discipline matter more than stock picking🔮 The rise of liquid alternatives, freenvesting, and what the future of retire stock market strategies may look likeIf you're into stocks to buy, how to save money, and building a strategy that actually compounds, this one’s for you.Oh, and if you haven't already... subscribe to The Blunt Dollar for more raw and honest finance conversations. New episodes drop every other week! Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts.And last, but not least, don't forget to follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ignacio-ramirez-moreno-cfa/ Enjoy the episode! Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Listeners should consult a qualified financial professional before making any financial decisions.

Few people have shaped the way we think about long-term investing and finance like Laurence Siegel. From his early collaboration with Roger Ibbotson on the landmark "Stocks, Bonds, Bills, and Inflation" study to leading investment research at the Ford Foundation and the CFA Institute Research Foundation, Larry has spent decades connecting financial history, data, and practical insight into how markets truly work.In this wide-ranging conversation, we explore what centuries of economic and stock market history can teach us about the future, how seemingly obscure ideas like tontines and medieval water mills reveal deep investing truths, and why indexing, once a fringe idea, changed everything from the NYSE to global financial education.🎯 Here's what we cover:🏛️ Discovering 14th-century share trading in a Toulouse watermill, an early example of stock market investing📉 The real lessons foundations and endowments learn about risk and profit📘 What most investors miss about the early days of index funds and quantitative analysis🧠 How to build a true long-term mindset in a short-term world dominated by CNBC headlines and stock market news🧭 Why economic history is still the best forecasting tool we have, from forex markets to interbank lending dynamicsIf you’re into deep market wisdom, financial education, and no-nonsense investment thinking, this one’s for you.Oh, and if you haven't already... subscribe to The Blunt Dollar for more raw and honest finance conversations. New episodes drop every other week! Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts.And last, but not least, don't forget to follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ignacio-ramirez-moreno-cfa/ Enjoy the episode! Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Listeners should consult a qualified financial professional before making any financial decisions.

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, we sit down with Marcie Frost, CEO of CalPERS, the largest public pension fund in the U.S., managing over $500 billion in assets for more than 2 million public sector workers.From a childhood marked by poverty to the pinnacle of public finance, Marcie’s journey is a masterclass in grit, purpose, and principled leadership. She opens up about the personal experiences that shaped her view of retirement security and the operational pressures of leading a fund under constant political and media scrutiny.We cover a wide range of topics, including the future of public pensions, the impact of AI, and how to lead with clarity under pressure.🔹 From food banks to a finance titan: Marcie's remarkable rise without a college degree🔹 What it takes to lead CalPERS: Balancing fiduciary duty, politics, and performance🔹 Inside the $100B climate strategy: Myth-busting ESG misconceptions and redefining impact🔹 The Pathways initiative: Empowering women to step into leadership with confidence🔹 AI at CalPERS: How the fund is embracing tech without compromising its human touchIf you like stories of bold leadership, sustainable investing, and what it really takes to manage generational capital at scale, this one's for you.Oh, and if you haven't already... subscribe to The Blunt Dollar for more raw and honest finance conversations. New episodes drop every other week! Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts.And last, but not least, don't forget to follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ignacio-ramirez-moreno-cfa/ Enjoy the episode! Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Listeners should consult a qualified financial professional before making any financial decisions.

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, I sit down with Orlando Gemes, Founding Partner and CIO of Fourier Asset Management, a credit hedge fund focused on uncovering repeatable alpha through a highly data-driven approach to convertible arbitrage. Orlando’s background spans from fixed income at Deutsche Bank to leading structured credit at Hermes and running his own shop at Fairwater Capital. Now, he’s building something truly unique with Farrier.We talk about what makes convertibles so compelling, how he’s assembling a PhD-led quant team from scratch, and what it really takes to launch an emerging hedge fund without the usual pedigree or seed backers.🔍 Why convertibles are one of the best risk-adjusted investing opportunities out there🧠 How Orlando leverages STEM talent, data analysis, and quantitative trading models to find an edge📉 The brutal realities of liquidity risk in credit markets🏗️ What it’s like to build a hedge fund from scratch, with no shortcuts or safety nets📚 Orlando’s advice to young professionals: read everything, get mentors, stay curious about finance and financial educationIf you’re into investing, money management, or just want an honest look at what it takes to go from idea to fund launch, this one's for you.Oh, and if you haven't already... subscribe to The Blunt Dollar for more raw and honest finance conversations. New episodes drop every other week! Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts.And last, but not least, don't forget to follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ignacio-ramirez-moreno-cfa/ Enjoy the episode! Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Listeners should consult a qualified financial professional before making any financial decisions.

James Eagle, a data visualization specialist and content creator with two decades in asset management, shares his journey from financial pitches to vibrant data storytelling. He discusses why financial communication often lacks emotional depth and the power of vulnerability in content creation. James emphasizes that data visualization serves as a crucial map through information overload, detailing how AI can enhance this process while also contributing to data pollution. Dive into his insights on making finance relatable and understandable through compelling visuals.

In this episode of The Blunt Dollar, I sit down with Stephen White, co-founder of Markets Recon and former marketing lead at BlackRock and eVestment, to unpack nearly two decades of insights from the intersection of finance, strategy, and storytelling.From launching billion-dollar investment strategies to now building a tech platform that reimagines how allocators absorb research, Stephen brings a fresh, human take on everything from active management to fintech innovation. This conversation goes deep into what it really means to work in finance with integrity, purpose, and an eye toward broader impact.We talk about:💡 The hidden role of storytelling in finance — and why English Lit majors might be the next big thing🚀 What it's really like inside BlackRock: strategy, politics, layoffs, and long-term vision📊 Why active management isn’t just about alpha, it’s about self-actualisation🌍 The tension between democratizing investing and solving rich people's problems🎙️ How marketing in finance is shifting from press releases to podcast mics and personal brandsIf you're into fintech, asset management strategy, and the human side of markets, this one's for you.Oh, and if you haven't already... subscribe to The Blunt Dollar for more raw and honest finance conversations. New episodes drop every other week! Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts.And last, but not least, don't forget to follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ignacio-ramirez-moreno-cfa/ Enjoy the episode! Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Listeners should consult a qualified financial professional before making any financial decisions.