

Two Quants and a Financial Planner
Excess Returns
Two Quants and a Financial Planner bridges the worlds of investing and financial planning to help investors achieve their long-term goals. Join Matt Zeigler, Jack Forehand and Justin Carbonneau as they cover a wide range of investing and financial planning topics that impact all of us and discuss how we can apply them in the real world to achieve the best outcomes in our financial lives.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jul 1, 2024 • 1h 5min
Lessons From Our Interview with Rick Ferri | The Benefits of Simplicity
In this episode, we dive into the key lessons from our recent conversation with Rick Ferri on the Excess Returns podcast. We explore Rick's approach to simple, low-cost investing and discuss how his insights apply to various investment strategies, including factor investing. We cover topics such as favoring simplicity, the enduring relevance of the 60/40 portfolio, the importance of fees, and looking to history for guidance. Throughout the discussion, we relate Rick's ideas to our own experiences in quantitative investing and financial planning, offering our perspectives on how these principles can be applied in practice. We also have some fun connecting each lesson to a KISS song. Our goal is to break down Rick's wisdom and show how it can benefit investors across different approaches and philosophies.
We hope you enjoy the discussion.
SEE LATEST EPISODES
https://excessreturnspod.com
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT VALIDEA CAPITAL
https://www.valideacapital.com
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT SUNPOINTE INVESTMENTS
https://sunpointeinvestments.com/
FOLLOW JACK
Twitter: https://twitter.com/practicalquant
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-forehand-8015094
FOLLOW JUSTIN
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jjcarbonneau
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcarbonneau
FOLLOW MATT
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cultishcreative
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-zeigler-a58a0a60/

Jun 24, 2024 • 60min
A Practical Guide to the 4% Rule
In this episode, we explore the 4% rule for retirement withdrawals, discussing its origins, applications, and limitations. We delve into the importance of considering individual circumstances, market conditions, and the ability to adjust withdrawal rates over time. We also discuss the challenges of unsustainable withdrawal rates and the balance between sustaining one's lifestyle and leaving money to heirs. Throughout the conversation, we stress the importance of financial planning that goes beyond simple calculations, taking into account real-world factors and personal goals. We conclude by highlighting the need for flexibility and ongoing adjustment in retirement planning, using both quantitative analysis and practical considerations to guide decision-making.
We hope you enjoy the discussion.
SEE LATEST EPISODES
https://excessreturnspod.com
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT VALIDEA CAPITAL
https://www.valideacapital.com
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT SUNPOINTE INVESTMENTS
https://sunpointeinvestments.com/
FOLLOW JACK
Twitter: https://twitter.com/practicalquant
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-forehand-8015094
FOLLOW JUSTIN
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jjcarbonneau
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcarbonneau
FOLLOW MATT
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cultishcreative
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-zeigler-a58a0a60/

Jun 17, 2024 • 1h 1min
What You Need to Know About Analyzing Backtests
In this episode of the podcast, we dive into the world of backtesting investment strategies. We discuss the importance of approaching backtests with a healthy dose of skepticism, as it's easy to create a backtest that looks impressive but may not hold up in the real world. We explore various questions to ask when evaluating a backtest, such as whether it accounts for human emotions, has a sound economic reasoning behind it, covers a sufficiently long time period, and includes periods of struggle. We also touch on the potential pitfalls of data mining and the challenges of creating a truly "pure" bet without unintended exposures. Throughout the conversation, we emphasize the need to understand the limitations of backtesting and to use it as a tool for learning rather than a definitive guide to future performance.
We hope you enjoy the discussion.
SEE LATEST EPISODES
https://excessreturnspod.com
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT VALIDEA CAPITAL
https://www.valideacapital.com
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT SUNPOINTE INVESTMENTS
https://sunpointeinvestments.com/
FOLLOW JACK
Twitter: https://twitter.com/practicalquant
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-forehand-8015094
FOLLOW JUSTIN
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jjcarbonneau
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcarbonneau
FOLLOW MATT
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cultishcreative
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-zeigler-a58a0a60/

13 snips
Jun 10, 2024 • 54min
Timeless Investing Lessons | Breaking Down Corey Hoffstein's 15 Lessons from 15 Years Managing Money
Finance expert Corey Hoffstein shares 15 timeless investing lessons, discussing risk transformation, diversification in portfolios and relationships, 'havzies' concept, barbell portfolios, and the limitations of past performance. The hosts explore practical applications of these lessons in investing and financial planning.

18 snips
Jun 3, 2024 • 1h 3min
The Market is Expensive: Should You Care? | The Practical Implications of Market Valuation
The podcast delves into market valuation metrics, including the S&P 500's PE ratio and forward median earnings, highlighting the impact of factors like technological advancements. It discusses the complexities of valuation metrics, proper calculation of portfolio PE ratio, and nuances of growth vs value stocks. The importance of evaluating market valuations and expected returns for investment decisions is emphasized, with practical implications in real-world financial planning scenarios.

4 snips
May 27, 2024 • 1h 6min
Q&A | ETFs vs Mutual Funds, Asset Location, Sizing Focused Factor Strategies, Direct Indexing
In this episode of Two Quants and a Financial Planner, we delve into a diverse range of listener-submitted investing and financial planning questions with speclal guest Ben Tuscai. We cover the tax efficiency of ETFs compared to mutual funds, the pros and cons of having retirement savings in different account types (Roth, Traditional IRA, taxable), strategies for investing in AI and new technologies, considerations for the current housing market, and the benefits and drawbacks of direct indexing versus ETFs.
We hope you enjoy the discussion.
SEE LATEST EPISODES
https://excessreturnspod.com
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT VALIDEA CAPITAL
https://www.valideacapital.com
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT SUNPOINTE INVESTMENTS
https://sunpointeinvestments.com/
FOLLOW JACK
Twitter: https://twitter.com/practicalquant
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-forehand-8015094
FOLLOW JUSTIN
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jjcarbonneau
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcarbonneau
FOLLOW MATT
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cultishcreative
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-zeigler-a58a0a60/

May 20, 2024 • 58min
Investor Q&A | GameStop, Value Spreads, AI Backtesting and the Market as a Casino
In this episode of Two Quants and a Financial Planner, we tackle a range of listener questions, from the recent resurgence of meme stocks like GameStop to the potential impact of the upcoming presidential election on investors. We discuss the role of small trading accounts, the pros and cons of generative AI in backtesting investment strategies, and the significance of value spreads. While we may not have clear-cut answers to every question, we believe that thinking through these complex issues and discussing them from various angles helps us grow as investors and thinkers, and we hope our listeners find value in these nuanced conversations.
We hope you enjoy the discussion.
SEE LATEST EPISODES
https://excessreturnspod.com
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT VALIDEA CAPITAL
https://www.valideacapital.com
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT SUNPOINTE INVESTMENTS
https://sunpointeinvestments.com/
FOLLOW JACK
Twitter: https://twitter.com/practicalquant
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-forehand-8015094
FOLLOW JUSTIN
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jjcarbonneau
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcarbonneau
FOLLOW MATT
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cultishcreative
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-zeigler-a58a0a60/

May 13, 2024 • 1h 4min
Ten Lessons from Two Decades of Managing Money
In this episode of Two Quants and a Financial Planner, we explore the biggest lessons we've learned throughout our careers in investing and financial planning. We discuss the importance of diversification, the challenges of balancing long-term strategies with changing market conditions, and the critical role of understanding an investor's true risk tolerance. We also discuss the principal-agent conflict, the potential pitfalls of relying solely on quantitative measures, and the necessity of adapting to an ever-evolving financial landscape.
We hope you enjoy the discussion.
SEE LATEST EPISODES
https://excessreturnspod.com
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT VALIDEA CAPITAL
https://www.valideacapital.com
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT SUNPOINTE INVESTMENTS
https://sunpointeinvestments.com/
FOLLOW JACK
Twitter: https://twitter.com/practicalquant
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-forehand-8015094
FOLLOW JUSTIN
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jjcarbonneau
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcarbonneau
FOLLOW MATT
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cultishcreative
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-zeigler-a58a0a60/

May 6, 2024 • 1h 10min
Lessons From 24 Market Experts | What We Learned From the 12 Hour PNL For a Purpose Livestream
In this episode of Two Quants and a Financial Planner, we discussed the key insights and lessons learned from our 12-hour live podcast event, "PNL for a Purpose." Throughout the day, we interviewed 24 guests on a wide range of topics, including macro investing, quantitative investing, value investing, and technology. We delved into the importance of being open to changing one's opinion when presented with new evidence, the challenges of navigating the complexities of the current economic landscape, and the potential impact of AI on our future. Our conversations with these diverse experts provided valuable perspectives on risk management, long-term investing, and the need for adaptability in an ever-changing world. We hope our listeners found these discussions as engaging and informative as we did, and we encourage everyone to support the Susan G. Komen foundation through our ongoing fundraiser.
We hope you enjoy the discussion.
SEE LATEST EPISODES
https://excessreturnspod.com
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT VALIDEA CAPITAL
https://www.valideacapital.com
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT SUNPOINTE INVESTMENTS
https://sunpointeinvestments.com/
FOLLOW JACK
Twitter: https://twitter.com/practicalquant
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-forehand-8015094
FOLLOW JUSTIN
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jjcarbonneau
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcarbonneau
FOLLOW MATT
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cultishcreative
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-zeigler-a58a0a60/

Apr 29, 2024 • 1h 1min
Fact or Fiction: Inflation, Taxes and That $4 Cup of Coffee
In this episode of Two Quants and a Financial Planner, we return to our Fact of Fiction framework. We cover a diverse set of investing and financial planning topics that are on many investors' minds. We debate whether inflation can truly be predicted, if legendary investment managers are a thing of the past in today's market environment, and how much emphasis to place on fees and taxes when constructing an investment strategy. Additionally, we dig into the question of whether your house should be considered part of your overall investment portfolio and have some discussion on the age-old question of whether avoiding small purchases, like a daily $4 coffee, can really have a meaningful impact on your long-term wealth.
We hope you enjoy the discussion.
SEE LATEST EPISODES
https://excessreturnspod.com
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT VALIDEA CAPITAL
https://www.valideacapital.com
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT SUNPOINTE INVESTMENTS
https://sunpointeinvestments.com/
FOLLOW JACK
Twitter: https://twitter.com/practicalquant
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-forehand-8015094
FOLLOW JUSTIN
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jjcarbonneau
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcarbonneau
FOLLOW MATT
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cultishcreative
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-zeigler-a58a0a60/